Remember your roots & having imposter syndrome

You don't get to choose to be born or who you are born to.  

It's one of the things in life that some people wonder about at some point.  

We compare.  We imagine other paths we could have taken or could have been given.  We wonder.

"Why was I born poor?"  Or vice versa.

"Why was I born into this family?"

"Why did I get this body?"

"Why didn't I get the kind of life that is so appealing to me?"

And the list can go on.

__________

There's a place in scripture where we're told to "honor your father and mother so that things will go well with you and so you may live a long life".

People have discussed what that means for a long time.  

Is it a practical thing?  Does it mean that if you honor them, you'll do well because they've likely trained you and know the paths you should take that are best for where and when you exist?  

That's probably part of it.

Is it a threat from God that if you don't "honor them" that he'll strike you down? That's a little more of a weak argument than not.

While there may be elements of some different things mixed in there, I've always believed that it's a matter of being honest with where you came from.

__________

I've heard over the years that your basic operating system, or the way you see and respond to life, is usually set in place between birth and around 5-7 years of age.

You can learn to do a lot of things in life and overcome lots of challenges to do great things, but you're essentially working from a canvas that was already painted on for you early in life.

We are handed a starting point.  

Sometimes it's great and sometimes it might not be.  Most often it's a mixed bag with a little of everything thrown in.

What you do with it is up to you.  

There's a lot of argument about freewill and how you really don't know what you don't know.

Basically it means that your basic "self " has been pre-set up before you are aware of things.

That "set up" can limit what we can do and know relative to other people whose upbringing might have been different from ours, better or worse.

__________

In a system that we've created, we can then say that life is unfair - especially when we compare ourselves to others and feel like we have less.

But we need to acknowledge that it is a system we have created.  

Or maybe better said, that we re-create every few years, based on what's popular or not.

Honoring your father and mother or "where you came from" is a way of being honest with yourself and with the world around you.

It's not a limit on what you can do, but it is an acknowledging of your starting point. 

No pretending.  No deceiving.  No acting like you're someone you're not.

__________

That's incredibly frightening to some people.  

So many people walk around in life with imposter syndrome - feeling like they're pretending they know what they're doing and feel like they're the only one.

A lot of people work hard to put their past in the past.  

And on a practical level, that makes some sense and can be helpful - leaving behind addictions, people or ties that cause us destruction and pain, etc.

But too many people are trained or socialized to run from their roots.  To hide from what they've been told is a shameful start in life.  From their history.  From their potentials and their frailties. 

It's a tough way to be.  

It brings a lot of anxiety for some people.  

And those that say it doesn't will lie about other things too.

It's hard to be honest about ourselves unless and until we've done some hard work inside.

We often want to put on a show for others until we feel we've learned enough that we can pass for authentic and competent - and there's nothing wrong with that, per se.

But it can be a hard way to live.  

"I know it.  You know it.  The American people know it." 😊

__________

Which is why it is important to remember your roots.  

Be aware of where you came from.  

Without judgment.  

To the degree you can understand that.

It 100% might include boundaries - but look upon where you came from with honesty and humility.

Be aware that those who brought you into this world and painted your canvas are just like you - they too had no say in when and where they appeared and likely were doing the best they knew how.

And if you bring people into this world, you'll do the same thing.

__________

Remembering your roots can bring a lot of freedom.  

It can lift a lot of burdens and release a lot of chains.

For people of faith, it can also be a way to see some of the amazing ways that God works in and through situations that seemed like no-win situations. 

For those who are motivated or led to show God's goodness to others people, it's probably one of the most basic things we can do - to be honest about ourselves and to let people see how we are relying and depending on God and not the system we create/re-create to tell us whether we're good or not.

Instead of protesting against the unfairness of life and how our rights are being trampled on, we can, like Job, say "Though he slay me, yet I will hope in him." (Job 13:15)

It's not a statement of despair or giving up.  

It is instead a statement of our faith in the One who created us - even if, at the moment, we don't like where and when he put us.

If He leads you to consider all this, may you be blessed in what he reveals.

Peace and goodwill.