COME ON, LET’S BE REAL

Crystal Weber 08-26-11

What does it mean to be “real”? Is it to be who the world sees us to be and expects us to be, or is it who we are when we are alone or with our must trusted companions?  The world sends us mixed messages because at times it appears to want us to be the Stepford family with everything appearing perfect, but at other times it appears to want us to be the drama-filled mess of any of the Real Housewives shows on Bravo.  I don’t believe we should live either way.  Avoid the drama and look to get along but by no means look to just fit in.  How boring would the world be if we were all cookie-cutter personalities?  It is our differences that make us interesting.  And while life is so messy at times – and that is simply the way it is and perfectly normal – that doesn’t mean we have to spread the mess to everyone else and get them messy as well.  “Do not walk through time without leaving worthy evidence of your passage,” Pope John XXIII.  Make a positive difference in the world while leaving your mark.  Be yourself! 

I think as teenagers we are so concerned with being what everyone else wants us to be and tend to fall on two extremes: we either want to blend into the wall like the wallpaper or else we want to stand out and be noticed everywhere we go.  I think teenage years are such a turbulent time of change and growth but that hopefully after we pass those awkward yet important years we can move into adulthood with a desire to just be ourselves.  You should grow a “take it or leave it” attitude with the world and know that you are OK not trying to conform with the mold.  Please don’t think this is a free pass to treat others badly.  This attitude is only acceptable when you are doing things in love and striving to make someone else’s life better.  It means taking a stand when you know something is wrong. John Wayne once said, “Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.”  We need to determine the right course of action and follow through with it.  Sometimes that means a word of correction to someone but sometimes that just means remaining silent and leading others by example.  “You will guide me with Your council, and afterward receive me to honor and glory,” Psalm 73:24.  Just listen to that still, small voice in your heart and you’ll figure out what to do.

Being real sounds like the simplest thing in the world, but it is often so hard!  The world judges us each and every day and it often seems like it is looking for the smallest crack in our façade to expose us as failures.  The gossip magazine and tabloids are testaments to that, especially in these recent times. But we all fail and will experience rejection at various points in our life so when it happens, don’t have fear.  Just be positive because “it shall be done for you as you have believed,” Matthew 8:13.   Own your failures and keep working to your next success.  Life is a mixed bag and that is part of what makes it so interesting and fun.

So please, just be real!  Ken and Barbie are just boring little plastic dolls.   You’ll find people want to know the real you because you are so much better.  Share your heart and soul with the world and allow your true personality to develop over time.  You are an awesome, unique individual so let your light shine.

DON’T JUST DREAM – DREAM BIG

Crystal Weber 08-21-11

If you could be anything in the world, what would you be? I remember when we were in Kindergarten the community newspaper asked us that question and the standard answers came out like professional athlete, firefighter, doctor, police officer, farmer, and so on.  I think my answer was something like rockstar/ballerina/Chicago Cubs shortshop.  When we are little we dream big.  Somewhere along the lines for many of us, we settle into day-to-day operations of life and lose sight of our dreams.  But why? God has made it quite clear we are to dream big.  “…Because you have so little faith I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”  How inspiring is that?  That is so awesome!

I believe God has great things in store for everyone, myself included.  I no longer aspire to the rockstar/ballerina/Chicago Cubs shortstop of my youth, but it is my dream that my music will spread to bring hope, joy, and comfort to others.  The world is an ever-changing place, sometimes so happy and sometimes so sad, but it is the love and joy in our lives that make it both worth it and possible to get through any adversity.  There is a time for everything… a time to weep and a time to laugh…” Ecclesiastes 3:1,4.

Be bold in your dreams and do not be afraid to go for them.  If it is God’s will, in His good time they will come to pass.  Sometimes we are guilty of whining to God, “But I’ve been waiting so long already, how much longer? I want this now!” Patience is not an easy trait to master, but continue to press on and work hard toward your goal, as you can’t sit idly by and watch your dream come to pass.  It takes hard work!

In addition, your dreams and God’s plans for you may not always match up.  If it is for your own good only and causes harm to others, please realize that would not be coming from God.  He gives us dreams that will not only bless us, but also bless others around us.  Even if you have a noble dream and it doesn’t come to pass do not give up as it may not yet be the time.  Or it may be that God has an even greater plan for you than you have even imagined. For the biggest dreamer of all is God and he loves to see His people succeed.  Believe me when I say that God has a plan for each and every one of us.  “…each man has his own gift from God…” 1 Corinthians 4:7.  We are all worthy and priceless.

You are a special, beautiful creature – as one-of-a-kind as the snowflakes in the sky and you fit perfectly into the puzzle of life.  Without you being yourself, life’s puzzle is incomplete so take comfort in your worth.  Keep this in mind when life gets you down.  Don’t wait for your life to start and don’t waste a single day.  Marcus Aurelius once said, “It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.” 

So take a little time, listen to the still soft voice in your heart, and work diligently toward your dreams.  Go out into the world, you wonderful rockstars, and live the awesome life awaiting you!

Welcome!

Hi and welcome to my blog!  You can say I am one of those people that has too many hobbies: singing/songwriting, guitar, keyboard, running half marathon, bicycling, shopping, designing clothing, sewing, basketball, volleyball, tennis, writing short stories and poems, interior designing, photography, reading books, studying, and traveling.  But I believe life is should be experience and well-lived so I don't mind being busy. My favorite hobby of course is music :)

I love to hang out with my amazing family and friends, as it is the people in our lives that make it worth living.

Life for people is a mixed bag - sometimes bitter and sometimes sweet.  Learn from the tough times and live in the wonderful times and remember that your life is what you make of it, so make it rock!