Mamalade

 One day, film star Art Carney was waiting at the airport, when one of his fans approached him   and exclaimed, “You’re Art Carney!”

“I know,” said Carney. “Somebody has to be.”

How right he was! Out of all the people in the world, he was the only one qualified to fill the role of Art Carney.

Do you realise, the only one who can fill your role in life is YOU! Because there is no one else quite like you.

What if everyone was the same as you?

What if people were mass produced, using the same mold. What kind of world would it be? Isn’t it strange – when we see a set of identical twins or triplets, we find it hard not to stare in wonder, and yet, the real wonder is, that we are all so different!

No one else – not even members of your immediate family has the same combination of genes, the circumstances, the experiences, that help to make up you.

You have your own individual personality traits, your own set of memories, your own thoughts. You are so special, you have been stamped with your own unique fingerprints.

I believe that is is no accident that you are  here at this time, in this place on earth and that whatever you do  in your lifetime will have an effect of some kind on the future. Everybody has their own sphere of influence.

I once read a story about time travel – where people could go back in time, but they couldn’t touch anything, because whatever they did, even if it was just to step on a blade of grass and crush it, the future would be influenced in some way. Isn’t it awesome, to think that you could be helping to shape eternity!

So.. if you have been placed here on earth as your own unique self, then the most important thing you can do with your life is to be yourself.

And anyway, as Oscar Wilde said, “Be yourself, everybody else is already taken.”

So many people want to be someone else. They are not content with their own self  image. They aim to impress others by trying to appear more important, more successful, more beautiful than they really are.

Remember the TV series “Keeping Up Appearances?” Hyacinth Bucket – or Boo-kay, as she preferred to be called, was always trying to impress others. I knew a woman who was like that. She was never herself, and she was never happy. She had never got over her disappointment at not being born into the royal family.

A lot of people think they are a failure unless they excel at whatever they do. We can’t all come first in the race. We can’t all be Prime Minister – if that role is not for us.

Its a relief to know that some roles are not for you. The other night, a fire engine rushed past my house and I thought, “Thank goodness, I don’t have to drive a fire engine. I don’t like making right hand turns!” The driver of that speeding fire truck  was probably well suited for the job, but I’m glad its not my role in life.

Did you see the movie, “Babe?” Babe was a pig who could round up sheep and won first prize at the sheep dog trials. Everyone I knew thought it was a wonderful movie. I guess it was, but I always felt it taught the wrong values. What’s wrong with a pig being a pig? That’s what he was created for. My mother said I read too much into the story, but really, if pigs act as sheep dogs, who is going to be a pig?

It’s OK for a pig to be a pig. And it’s OK for you to be YOU – as long as its the best that you can be.

Now, don’t get me wrong! I believe, as I’m sure that you do, that we should all have goals and strive to fulfill them. Most of us are capable of far more than we have ever dreamed.

As a child at school, I used to dream of winning at sports. I was the smallest in my class. I was always the last one to be picked on a team. I always came last in a race. Other kids won awards.

Then one break-up day, competitors were called for to run in the final race for the year. This was my last chance! Everyone laughed as I lined up beside Sally, the champion of the school. The starting pistol was fired and we were off!  I ran as I had never run before. The crowd roared as I reached the finish line and was awarded – second prize. There were just the two of us in the race. Sally had finished way ahead of me – but I was still a winner. I had performed at my utmost.

Its in moments when you are giving your all that you are your real self. If you go through life trying to find yourself, you never will, because the more you think about it, the less natural you will be.

Whatever you attempt to do, do it with all your heart. Lose yourself as you follow your goal. Always aim for the highest and best – don’t worry if somebody else is better, just do the best You can. You’ll never win the race if you are watching the other runners.

Think of all the really great people in history. Winston Churchill, Ghandi, Mother Theresa… Did they perform great feats because they were searching for themselves? No way! What they each had in common was a total dedication to whatever cause they believed in. They followed their inner conviction and took no heed of any else’s opinion.

But of course, you don’t have to be a Ghandi or Mother Theresa.

Rabbi Zusya said that on the day of judgement, he would not be asked, “Why were you not Moses?” but rather, “Why were you not Zusya?”

I’ll finish with a quote from Dan Zadra…

“There has never been another you. With no effort on your part you were born to be something  special and set apart. What you are going to do in appreciation of that gift is a decision only you can make.”