“You don’t belong here!” Have you ever said those words to anyone? Has anyone ever said or demonstrated those words to you? Can you recall how those words made you feel? Have those words affected your life and the way you now live?
Well, my friend, those words usually come from people who are suffering from some sort of insecurity, feeling threatened or fearful. Those words could also come from people out of jealousy or spite. Sometimes some people are so conceited that they believe that they are superior to everyone, and therefore find pleasure in putting others down. Oftentimes when people are feeling bad about themselves, they bring others down with them, so they don’t feel so alone. At other times, some people do not intend on being mean, but they just do not consider other people’s feelings, or realize that what they say or do is offensive.
So if perchance you have allowed those words to hurt you, or affect your life in the past, it is time to shake that off, let it go and move on. There are many autobiographies of people in this world who have experienced the feeling of those words, but did not allow those words to affect their lives. So why should you? It is important for you to know that feeling like you don’t belong is not always a bad thing. It can be a good thing being an outsider at times. It has its advantages. It can allow you to concentrate on your own ambitions and goals without feeling like you have to conform to other people’s standards.
It is important for you to remember that there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. There is nothing wrong in being different. God made you that way. Just be yourself. Never become a carbon copy of anyone or change yourself in order to fit in or gain others approval of you. It is wise also to bear in mind that nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent. So accept who you are and start to appreciate all the things that make you so unique.
It is usually the people that are unique in this world that make the biggest impact and usually have something truly special to offer. Do not change yourself just to fit in with a certain group of people. You have much more to offer by being true to yourself. Also, do not ever limit yourself to being the same as everyone else – always challenge yourself to be the absolute best you can be. God made us all unique and special. He has a reason for that, so be proud of your uniqueness. There is only one you in the entire universe.
It may be time to explore that person and figure out what you like and what makes you happy. The better you feel about yourself, the more people will like to be around you. One of life’s secrets is that you have to respect yourself first before others will respect you. You truly are special and there is no one else quite like you. You just need to be willing to share the real you with the world.
Some human beings have a tendency to believe everything is theirs. So they manipulate others for their own gain. They often think that they are the only ones who must attain. Others must not, so they do all in their power to deny them. Do not fall in their traps. Each one of us has a right to be where we are and to aspire for whatever we desire to achieve. God places us where we are for a reason and a season. We have some purpose to fulfill. So the next time you hear someone saying “You don’t belong here!” or you are tempted to say those words, bite your tongue.
Everyone has a special part to play right where he or she is at the moment. Use the body as example for the moment. Can the hands tell the eyes – you don’t belong on the body? Or can the mouth say to the ears, I have no need of you? Which one of the body parts you have no need of? Think about it my friend! Doesn’t the body need each of its members for effective functioning? In the human body it is the head that directs the members of the body. Your hand cannot do anything unless it receives an impulse from the brain telling it what to do. Your legs do not just start running whenever they feel like it; rather, they must wait for an impulse from the brain which tells them what to do. The head (with its brain) is the very centre of all the operations of the body.
Let us now consider an orchestra. Can the orchestra operate without a conductor? Can the orchestra say they do not need a conductor? The primary responsibility of the orchestra conductor is to keep the beat. All of those instruments playing without a conductor would be utter chaos. The orchestra could not stay together. On the other hand, can the conductor say he does not need each of the instruments? The conductor must know which instruments are playing the music on each line of the score and when to use them. Therefore, he then must know where they are sitting in the orchestra, so he can cue them when it’s time to play. What do you think would happen if there was no conductor? What do you think would happen if some of the instruments were left out? Every instrument has its own part to play to complete the whole of the piece. The musicians look to the conductor to signal how loud or soft they should play. It is up to the conductor to interpret what the score so that all of the musicians play each piece of music the same way.
In the same way, the society, the church, the school, the home, the workplace or any other organization cannot function fully without each other. Each one of them needs each of its members in order for it to function effectively. This was highlighted in Corinthians 12: 4-7. Every person plays an important role in the body of Christ. We may have different cultural backgrounds, gifts and personalities but they are all needed. We all play a necessary and significant role. No one person is more necessary or valuable than any other. God has given each one of us a significant role to play right where we are planted.
Therefore if we are truly serious of building a strong nation – A New Anguilla – it behooves us to put away pettiness, political and religious ideologies and embrace each others differences in order to create harmony so we can all work together. When each of us is committed to do his or her part, we will realize that dream. We cannot accomplish all that we need to do without working together.
May God help us to come together and work together this year, so that our dreams as a nation can become a reality. May this poem be a source of inspiration for all of us:
WORKING TOGETHER
We work together, We work as one
Though there may be times, When we don’t ‘get on’
We may not always, See ‘eye to eye’
And sometimes we feel, Like saying ‘good-bye’
When this happens, We shouldn’t lose heart
For of ‘something greater’, We are all a part
Each one of us, Has a role to play
In making this, A brighter day
We work together, For the good of all
It’s in our hearts, Where we feel the call
God’s love lives within, Every heart that shares
and every soul that really cares
So whenever you feel like going away
Just listen to your heart, For it wants you to stay.
Author: Janice Walkden
Remember: “Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together”. James Cash Penney
About the Author: Mrs. Marilyn Hodge owns and operates the Wellness Centre in the Farrington, Anguilla. The Centre offers Counselling Services by Appointment Only. Contact information: 476-3517 or email: marilynb@anguillanet.com.
