Truth in Kanye’s Lyric…Life Lesson!
The other day I was driving home from yet another beyond stressed, spazzed-out day at the office. At less than 2 months from my due-date, I’d just closed on a 53hr work-week and easily had 5hrs of working staring me in the face for Saturday. I was exhausted, upset, and annoyed at myself for creating whatever it was that I created to make it necessary for me to work so many hours, although the reality is–it’s the nature of the job and in truth it’s not changed much since I’d started.
Once I’d realized that, my upset shifted to being made at myself for working so many hours. I asked myself why I couldn’t just let the work go when it was time for me to leave? Why didn’t I admit to my bossses that there was too much on my plate? With everyone around me telling me to slow down and now is not the time to push myself, why was I insisting on doing so? I was furious with myself for not having more control over the situation and not putting myself, health, and baby, before my career.
Then suddenly my iPod playing on my car stereo shuffled to Kanye West’s “Everything I Am” (chorus goes:”Everything I’m Not Made Me Everything I Am”, check out the MP3). And I realized there was so much truth in that simple phrase that I’d never quite realized before.
“Everything I’m Not Made Me Everything I Am”.
- Everything I Wasn’t: irresponsible, lazy, selfish, apathetic, unable to just leave a bunch of work for others….
- Made Me Everything I Am: hard-working, responsible, loyal, dependable, having integrity and dedication, committed.
Once I noticing this, it really put into perspective for me that the things I was frustrated at myself over…were actually what defined my character in really positive ways. Yes I did need to learn to better assert myself and better communicate with my boss about priorities, but still–bottom line, my heart was in the right place and that made me really feel good and confident about who I am and what I offer an employer.
This mantra, “Everything I’m Not Made Me Everything I Am” can apply to so many situations. Think about something you are frustrated over and see if you can flip it around to really get what Kanye was rapping about.
glo: a destination for young women 