Idol

Sometimes we should be our own idols

It’s easy to see the obsession we have with idols in modern times. We have whole TV shows dedicated to the selection of the next one. But let’s think for a moment what it’s doing to us. When we try to idolize things in society, we are not looking at our contributions, our gifts, what we impart to the world.

Growing up I idolized my cousin. He was everything I wasn’t, athletic, scholarly, popular. It was easy to see why he was “Grandma’s Favorite.”

Flash forward to adulthood. We were at a family camp out. The rest of the family went to bed. We had a real talk, like one we never had.

We shared each other’s awe of each other. It was in this moment he told me

“… Me? I just go with what’s safe, what’s expected, there’s no excitement in that, nothing changes when I do what’s expected, but you, you don’t settle with status quo. You say things that need to be said and help us think beyond ourselves. Your Grandma’s favorite! (for the record, we all were in our own rights.)

It was then as it is now I ponder this thought; what are we loosing in ourselves when we focus on our idols? Sure taking some of their best traits and trying to emulate them can make us better people. But what are we loosing sight of ?what gifts unique to us are we not realizing when we idolize others?