So glad you have joined me for the third week of “It Doesn’t Take a Super Star!” Woohoo! Today, we are focused on THE COPYCAT! It’s hard to admit we may fall into this category. I know it was for me. I remember, about six years ago, I ramped up my second year of College Night, which was a faith-based monthly event I hosted for young adults around the Cincinnati area. I decided to be the main speaker for the first service, so I prepped and practiced to relay a great message. But what did a great message sound and look like? At the time, a great message looked and sounded a lot like my pastor. She stood before a crowd with certainty, power, and charisma. Every eye and ear were drawn to her. Because she produced beautiful results, I thought I had to look and sound like her in order to deliver a great message.
The event finally reached the point when I was to get on stage and speak. As I opened my mouth…as I moved…as I gestured…I mimicked my pastor as much as I could. Certainly, it would produce awesome results, right?! UM…NO. I was sadly mistaken. After the event, my genuine circle of friends and family (in love) told me that what I thought was charismatic and passionate was very hard and insincere. That night I vowed I would never try to be someone else ever again.
Your pastor might not be your inspiration, but there are things you admire about certain people- the way they dress, speak, operate, look, or lead is flawless in your eyes. You must be careful because your admiration can quickly move to imitation. Because they have similar gifts to yours, because they are successful, because they have everything you want, and because what they are doing works for them, you do things the exact same way. This has danger written all over it because you forfeit your personal touch, creativity, and uniqueness that someone needs.
Let’s just say you had three teachers teaching eighth grade English: One has a sense of humor with the ability to captivate challenged learners. Another has a heart full of care and compassion with an exceptional ability to reach troubled teenagers. Yet another is so creative with the ability to encourage students to take risks. Same passion, but different approaches. If two of them attempted to be the one, they’d miss out on reaching several students. If you are striving to be like someone else, then who’s in your “classroom” reaching “your students”? You’ll miss the opportunities, places, levels, and rewards designed specifically for you.
You must also be careful in allowing the pressures of people who influence you to control who you are. I know several parents who failed in doing something they always wanted to do, so they push their child in the same direction, forcing them to be a copycat of the version of themselves they never achieved. Therefore, be careful. People will attempt to push you in a job, field or direction that’s not meant for you.
Some copycats are lazy and want a shortcut to their dreams, but I believe most do not purposefully copycat. Just know that doing so strips the world of being changed by who you truly are. An inventor doesn’t create something without a purpose- the same way God had specific plans (unique, distinct, like no other, original plans) for your life even before you were born. Just think about it. Let’s take Bob as an example. God said, “Okay, I’m going to have Bob’s mother and father meet at this particular time and they are going to have a few complications getting pregnant, but it’s only because I need Bob to be born in a certain year. In this way, he will be in his twenties in 2018 and I can use his passion for peace in a day and age where it’s needed most. He will meet his wife in Africa as he travels for work, and together, they will begin a new journey to change the world as a biracial couple. As a couple, their reach with be greater and more will be influenced by their voices.” God was purposeful in how He created YOU- an original plan just for YOU. He was very particular in everything about YOU. That alone deserves no duplication.
Take a step back and analyze what you are doing. A few weeks ago, I posted a video called “Be You” under the Just a Reminder Series. Be sure to watch it, and if your identity is compromised or something does feel quite natural, then adjust. Use people you admire as inspiration and gain wisdom from them, but be sure you remain original. People can generally sniff out the copycats. There’s a quote that says, “One thing about a copycat is you can never be the best copycat.” But you CAN be the best version of you! To learn how to be creative in what you do, please find the video, challenges and daily devotionals, HERE.