Nice Girls Finish Last...

...well, sometimes. What do I mean by that? We're all familiar with the phrase, "Nice guys/girls finish last." This common idiom reinforces that kindness is taken for weakness, giving more aggressive personalities an advantage in life, competition, business, relationships, etc. Let's be honest, in so many instances this has proven true. Humble people tend to be overlooked, kind people are taken advantage of, passive people can be overrun...you get the picture. These are sad truths.

Comparison is truly the most prominent pandemic.

Because of this, our culture heavily promotes a "Kill or be Killed" attitude. It's common to see people put others down to make themselves feel better. Ever had a situation where people exposed someone's weaknesses in order to make themselves look good? The social media age has only exacerbated this. Comparison is truly the most prominent pandemic. Everyone is obsessed with having the best and having the best FIRST. The emphasis on exclusivity has led to gatekeeping even the most trivial things. We seek to be better than everyone else while simultaneously being better than the last version of ourselves. We put immense pressure on ourselves to reach the pinnacle of success by a certain age, and we feel like we've failed if we don't meet our self-appointed deadline. It's disheartening to say the least.

So, where does this leave a girl like me? I don't wanna BE killed, but I really don't wanna kill either! I just wanna live my best life in peace. I tell people that I don't have a competitive bone in my body. And that's really true. I hold myself to a high personal standard, but I'm never in competition with anyone else. I wholeheartedly believe that what's for me will not pass me by. My time to shine will happen exactly when it should; I don't need to exhaust myself for it and it's not relative to anyone else's moment. God recently confirmed this for me. My manager at work announced an incentive to our team a few months ago. I'm still getting my footing in a new industry, so personally, I made up my mind that I wasn't going to give much energy to "competing" for the incentive. Tell me why I still ended up being one of the winners, y'all? All I did was show up and give the best that I had on whichever given day. My best is different daily...but God said, "That's enough. I can bless that."

Due to our patience and obedience, yes, it's true that sometimes nice girls finish last, but we always arrive at our appointed time.

I say this to remind you that your shine is assigned to you. It can't be stopped unless you stop showing up. You won't always have to sweat for it, and you certainly don't have to compete or put others down for it. It doesn't matter how others view you or treat you, your moments will always arrive on time. You might be overlooked for a while, and you may have to clap for others if their moment comes before yours, but all the while trust that yours is on the way. I've had so many people try to convince me that I'm missing out on fun or that I may regret being a "good girl" when I look back on my life. I'm more than confident that I have nothing to worry about in that department. Due to our patience and obedience, yes, it's true that sometimes nice girls finish last, but we always arrive at our appointed time. Remember to walk in your God-given light. Never think that you have to dim anyone else's light to shine. Continue to trust in God's timing for your life. As always, be happy; be kind!