“If I was you, I’d wanna be me too”

“Who’s that sexy thing standing over there?

That’s me, standing in the mirror.

What’s that icy thing hangin’ round my neck?

That’s gold. Show me some respect.

I thank God everyday that I woke up feeling this way

and I can’t help loving myself and I don’t need nobody else.

If I was you, I’d wanna be me too.”

That’s the first verse of Meghan Trainor’s song “Me too.” When I first heard it, I thought “wow, that’s vain.” However, when I really listened to the words, I realized there is a great message of loving yourself. Meghan Trainor, whether planned or not, has become a role model for both young and old alike. She’s not your trendy size 2 people expect to see and she has embraced it. Her song “All about That Bass” references that specifically. People embraced that particular song because she affirmed “every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top.”

 We often fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others. We go the gym and look around to see how we measure up to everyone else, hoping we are smaller or more fit. We walk down the halls of our companies to determine if we measure up to those already in positions. Am I smart enough? Savvy enough? We look at our classmates and decide if our personal clothes, that we have chosen, are cool enough. We look at the neighbor’s cars and houses and make a determination as to whether we are successful, based on their situation. I get it. Every now and then, we all want and need validation. We want to know we look good. We want to know we are meeting or exceeding expectations. We want to know we are smart enough. Validation is especially important for children. Our god daughter has heard us say “you’re smart” so often that her response is now “I know.” It will take a lot to convince her otherwise, even at age 4.

 As adults, validation is also important but it should not be needed at the same level as a child’s. Your world should not revolve around how many likes you receive for updating your profile picture on social media. If your opinion of yourself is dependent on feedback from others, that is a problem. I am blessed to have the opportunity to speak at different events and trainings. Early in my career, after speeches, I would anxiously wait for someone to give me feedback on how I did. Even when I knew I performed well, I wanted the additional validation. Over time, I found that to be unhealthy. I am very self aware. I already knew whether I had put my best foot forward, so why did I stress over whether someone else liked it? We have to own who we are. You are you, nobody else. God created you as his master piece. Nobody can do you like you which means you cannot be someone else, though imitation is the highest form of flattery. When you are comfortable in your own skin, validation is a nice to have, not a need to have. Love yourself first.

 “And even if they try to, they can’t do it like I do.

I thank God every day that I woke up feeling this way.

And I can’t help loving myself and I don’t need nobody else.

If I was you, I’d wanna be me too.”

#ChristyDemetrakis #empoweredspeaker #MeghanTrainor #faithtoconquerfear #inspiration