Individuality

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Everyday people struggle to recognize who they really are. So who are you? What do you see when you look at yourself? Where do you see yourself going in life? What does your life mean? What things do you love about yourself? I ask these questions because nobody asked me these things growing up. Nobody asked me where I wanted to be in five years. It didn't matter because I was always stuck worrying about the present. So when I went on job interviews, I had very little to say. When people asked me to tell a little about myself, often I sat in silence. All this came from not knowing who I was.  I'm from a rough neighborhood. I grew up on blocks infested with guns, drugs and violence. Although I rarely took part in any of it, I seen it everyday. I identified with the things I saw everyday, it became acceptable. I knew that my life was greater than my surroundings and circumstances, but I didn't see a way out . I often wondered why God protected me from the many temptations and bad things going on around me. I always felt the need to resist but I didn't know why. From an early age, I understood that I wasn't meant to blend in. My life wasn't created for me to be normal. God made me to stand out. I was placed here today to tell you that you're meant to stand out also. You won't always get the response you would like, if you choose not to follow the crowd. I've been called so many names I lost count, but I didn't care. My own "friends" called me soft. When people were following the crowd, I always went the other way.  I had the characteristics of a leader, but I didn't know. I feel like now its my purpose to help others recognize the greatness that lies within them. We aren't meant to be followers, but everyone isn't a leader either. Which one are you?