If you would have asked me who I wanted to be when I grow up, I don’t know what I would have told you. Even now, if you were to ask who I try to emulate or who I want to be like, I really don’t have a specific role model in mind. I admire certain traits and attitudes in others, but not any specific person so much that I want to be them. I’m my own person, unique and one of a kind!
But if we were to get vague, not too laser-focused on any one person or character, I would tell you that I try to be “the Girl Next Door”. Kind, patriotic, friendly, energetic, outgoing, etc. Many days I feel like I’m acing this outlook and enthusiasm for life! Not all days, mind you, but many days.
And a lot of this victory comes from a few key things that make a whole world of difference!
Smile
Super simple and yet easy to overlook, smiling is highly underrated. It reduces stress, relaxes your face, and helps you feel better about life in general!
Some days smiling is a habit that I don’t even have to think about, but other days it is a specific effort that I have to remind myself to make.
But if we have to remind ourselves to smile, then isn’t that just a fake smile and not sincere? Maybe to begin with. But you have to ask yourself – do you want to be a happy person who is delightful to be around? If yes, than flex those muscles and get to smiling. Think of it as exercising!
Before any time at all that smile will be as genuine as they come and you’ll be spreading the joy to others around you!
Don’t Overthink It
A real key to feeling light-hearted and joyful is to not overthink things. Don’t take them too seriously and don’t spend your time over-analyzing situations. In short, don’t worry about it.
This is a million times easier said than done, but it truly has the potential to help you on your way if you will put it in practice.
To be honest, this is a struggle for me. I’m incredibly good (or not) about considering a situation from all possible (and several impossible) angles! But the good news is that in realizing this is a struggle, I’m well on my way to overcoming it!
Be a Good Friend
The girl next door is a good friend. You know the kind – encouraging, energetic, etc. Be that person to those around you. To the delivery person, a waitress, a clerk, etc. Perhaps this is obvious to you, but to some it really isn’t. In essence, treat others the way you want to be treated!
Also understand that you can be a good friend to others without becoming their best friend. What I’m suggesting is a very casual type of friend. And yes, some of these interactions may lead to more personal friendships, but don’t expect them all (or really any) of them to go this way.
Find Joy in the Here and Now
One of the most admirable traits to me about the idea of the Girl Next Door is that she finds joy in her life. She isn’t pining away or wistfully longing for what’s ahead. Certainly she anticipates things to come, but she delights in where she is! And that’s what I want to do!
And do you know what I have found to really help me here? Not over thinking things. Spontaneity! Not waiting for all my work to be done or projects to be finished before I pause a moment to enjoy something! Not waiting until I can get together with a friend before I treat myself to a special coffee or a milkshake. But just doing it – jumping in and delighting in it!
This isn’t to say that I don’t love to do things with others – be it my sister or my friend – but I’ve realized that I can go for it by myself, even when no one is available or inclined to join me! And that’s freeing and energizing!
Who Do You Want to be?
This is really only a glimpse of who the girl next door is to me. She’s also eager to serve others, generous, thoughtful, and more. She’s my vision of the American Lady! And this vision will continue to grow and shift as my life continues.
What about you? Who do you want to be? Seriously consider this and work to become the best version of yourself! And let me just encourage you, no matter how much we want to nail this and then move on, we will be a constant work in progress. It is just the way we are made. Some days we will ace it and feel like we’ve about made it, only to turn around and feel that we haven’t gotten anywhere.
The important thing is to work at it, encourage those around us, and never give up! After all, where God inspires and leads, He also equips! Our struggles and doubts simply remind us of our need for Him! And that is an excellent thing!
Until Next Time!
Hope.
PS. Grace is an excellent thing to apply here also! Keep reading: https://www.theamericanlady.com/2018/08/01/give-grace-generously/