The World Needs Who You Were Made To Be
There’s a children’s book by Joanna Gaines titled The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be. I’ve given it more than once as a baby gift, a small blessing for a brand new life coming into the world. But if I’m honest, it’s a message we all need to hear, no matter our age. The world needs who you were made to be. Not what the latest trend tells you. Not the thing you stumbled into that pays the bills. Not who someone else thinks you should be. The world needs you, in your most authentic form. Nothing more. Nothing less.
The good news is that even if you’re not living that truth right now, you’re not stuck. You can begin rewriting the story today. Will it be easy? Probably not. Will it be worth it? Absolutely. The challenge is figuring out where to begin. And that’s where clarity comes in. Living as who you were made to be starts with knowing what you stand for: the values you won’t compromise, the joys that light you up, the convictions that ground you. It’s about standing right in the middle of those things and being able to say with confidence: this is me.
I grew up on 90s country music (take me back, right?). There’s a line from an Aaron Tippin song that’s always stuck with me: “You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.” You can take it a lot of different ways, but for me it’s a reminder to get clear on what I’m for. Because the reality is most of us are quick to say what we’re against from politics to parenting styles to the wrong kind of mayo at the grocery store. But how often do we stop and name what we’re for? What we believe in, champion, or hold so close we refuse to compromise? Imagine what could shift if we learned to articulate the good stuff as clearly as we do the things we oppose.
When I stop and think about it, here’s what rises to the top for me: I am for slow Sunday mornings and for helping out your neighbor. I am for a good cup of coffee and for believing in God. I am for chasing every sunset and always keeping chocolate chip cookies in the freezer. I am for doing this thing called life together, always with an extra seat at the table. I am for staying a kid at heart no matter your age, and for helping those who can’t help themselves. I am for riding dirt roads with the windows down and music turned up, and for grassroots efforts, covered-dish suppers, and kids raising money for a cause. I am for dirt on my hands that reminds me of my roots, and for long days in the mountains. I am for reading real books and dog-earing the pages, for music with soul, and for leaving the world better than I found it. I am for buying the plane ticket for the next adventure, and for helping the next generation of waymakers.
That’s my list, or at least part of it. Yours will look different. And that’s exactly the point.
So here’s my invitation: make your own “I am for…” list. Don’t overthink it. Just jot down the things that matter most to you, the simple ones, the big ones, the ones that make you, you. My hunch is that who you were made to be will show up right there in the middle of it.
