Whom Would You Like to Be?

     The following is an excerpt from an article titled "How Can I Feel Good About Myself?" that I read in my English book today. It was very inspiring to me, since I struggle with some of the very things the author addresses.
     I hope you are able to get something good out of it for yourself, too.

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     "Let me guess. You don't really want to be someone else. That's not what you long for. What you really want is just to be able to feel good about yourself. You'd like to believe that your life has significance. You want to be loved and accepted by someone who is important to you. You'd like to be able to do something that gives you a sense of self respect.

     "But as it is, you are hounded by self-doubt... You are sensitive to the looks and insults that others send your way. You're afraid they just tolerate you, and that if they had a chance they'd choose to do without you...
     "You feel that you'll have to look better or do better before others will show you the kind of love that can fill that gnawing, aching feeling of emptiness that has such a grip on your soul.
     "What you need to realize, however, is that even if you were a "perfect 10" in every way, you still couldn't get people to fill that emptiness inside you. If you were strikingly attractive, enormously wealthy, and notably gifted, you would only wonder whether people just wanted to be with you for your looks, your reputation, or your money. If you were a respected artist, or athlete... you would worry about losing "the gift" that had won you such fragile recognition and affection. 
     "Why does it work that way? Why is personal satisfaction so hard to find? It is because we habitually look for it in all the wrong places. We weren't made primarily to feel good about ourselves. Neither were we designed primarily to be loved by other people. We were made first of all for a relationship with God. We were meant to feel gratitude deep within our souls as a result of knowing that we... are objects of his inexpressible, immeasurable love, and [of] knowing that with his help we can live a meaningful life." 

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Opened to the Wonderfully Smelling World of Spray Painting

     Tonight my dad and I turned our messy garage into an even messier painting-station. He had to get a lot of beams and boards and wood blocks painted red, white, blue, and gold for a Boy Scout project. It took us a good five hours - that includes taking 10 minute breaks to let the paint dry. 
     Spray-painting never occurred to me as being a fun paint medium. I've only ever used oils, acrylics, and water colors; though ten years ago I watched my dad or older brother spray-paint my AWANA Grand Prix cars. Occasionally they let me hold the can, shake it, and spritz on the cars a couple times, but it was hard work for my little weak fingers to hold down the nozzle. And, tonight, it was still hard for my bigger, stronger fingers to hold it down!
     It was well worth the effort, however. My first major spray-painting job. It didn't go as well as I'd hoped - I didn't do the best job I wanted to, I mean - but Dad and I still had fun and got work done at the same time. 
     Mmm, when I start to get down about things, I just make myself remember the little joys in life. Like, bonding with my daddy by making painting messes in the garage. :)