Being You is Always Enough

Jeans: Thrifted (Nine West)

Shirt: Thrifted

Shoes: Thrifted Vintage

Purse: c/o Gamiss

Scarf: Vintage

Sunglasses: c/o Everly Oak

Along the way in life we often learn lessons we never set out to learn and never expected, but it is those lessons that make you take a look back on life and see your great accomplishments, even when you thought you were not doing anything special. With that being said, this semester I have learned something INCREDIBLE and definitely something I never set out to learn.

I learned that being you is ALWAYS ENOUGH! Okay....to be clear I truly have never been a person who tries to be someone else, I have always just been "me," but at times I think we struggle with asking ourselves "is being me enough?" Is being who I am enough to succeed in this class and get a good grade? Is being me enough to make my teacher or professor see my potential? Is being me enough to have others see the gifts and talents God has given me? Maybe you don't even ask yourself those questions......and if I am being perfectly honest I never really had asked myself those questions either until I realized the incredible lesson this semester has taught me. 

While I went into my Methods semester this spring knowing I would have some hard work and assignments, I was prepared to work hard and do my best. With that being said, setting out to do your best is the first step to answering the questions you might ask yourself, because if you set out to do your best and follow through you can have full confidence that you put the time and effort in and are totally 100% enough. The most important thing however, is not to set out and work hard to get peoples attention and to gain recognition. You should set out to work hard and do things well because that is who you are....not because it is what other people want you to do. 

With that being said, this semester I went into each of my assignments determined to put all of myself into every scope and sequence, every lesson plan, unit plan, rubric, etc. not caring what others thought. And you know what....I learned that even when I think my assignments are not amazing or that I didn't do as well as everyone else, as long as I put my heart and soul into what I was doing others actually will notice. You see, by just being me I won a scholarship that everyone else (including me) in my class had applied for and was praised for the work I had done on it, when all I really did was embrace my love for art and being creative. Furthermore, by just being who I am, my teacher saw something in me....she saw a girl who worked hard, was passionate about education and students, and always put forth her best effort on assignments. And somehow she took an interest in that. She took an interest in introducing me to her colleagues as one of her "star students" that semester, she invited me to a luncheon with professors at my college, she gave me a book on herb gardens (how she knew I loved herbs I will never know), and she even invited me and another student to a VIP reception for the National Book Awards where she bought us both the book to be signed by the authors (one of which happened to be a US Representative) and continued to introduce us as her star students and great future teachers. 

I was constantly flabbergasted because I didn't expect ANY of this!!! 

I didn't go into this semester expecting anything HUGE, but little did I know that by just being me my professor would see something special.....maybe even something I didn't yet see myself, and with that it encouraged me that being who I was would always be enough. I never tried to be the best or "star" student, I didn't try to sound like I knew everything, and I never tried to gain anyone's approval by manipulative means.....I was just always ME....Madison.....The girl who makes her own clothes, dresses like a teacher (I might take a little to much inspiration from Jessica Day), was confident in who and whose she was, and never tried to be anything but herself!!! 

So I hope you remember that BEING YOU IS ALWAYS ENOUGH!!! ___________________________________ Also....quick thoughts on this outfit: 1) You can never have to much pink :) 2) 60's meets casual and comfy oversized men's shirts is the best go to! 3) This look might be inspired by Audrey Hepburn and other fabulously stylish ladies. 4) My sister calls this look my grandma outfit...but it's probably 120% because of the shoes...LOL 5) Loving these sunglasses Everly Oak sent me...xoxo

Do you have any life stories similar to mine?

-Madison