Who’s Shoes Are Your Wearing?

Earlier today, I caught up with a treasured friend, and we reminisced about growing up. Back then, back-to-school shopping often meant thrift stores. I’ll never forget the year I found a pair of Nikes - worn out, one size too big, but name-brand. For $1, they felt like a jackpot.

Determined to make them look new, I bought new laces and painted them with white tennis shoe polish, trying to transform them into something worthy of the “right” crowd.

And... I wore those shoes every single day of sixth grade, hoping they’d be my ticket to fitting in.

Spoiler alert: They weren’t. And they weren’t comfortable either.

Fast forward 40 years, and I realize I’m still trying to fit in - wearing metaphorical “shoes” that don’t belong to me. Clothes, jobs, and interests shaped by the expectations of the “right” people. But here’s what I now know:
*The real me doesn’t love name-brand things.
*The real me doesn’t thrive in a corporate environment.
*The real me embraces being a little messy - in life and relationships.

I’m finally done wearing someone else’s shoes. If the wrong shoes - or no shoes at all - make me stand out, so be it.

What about you? Whose shoes are you wearing? If they’re not yours, maybe it’s time to take them off.