The Unicorn Collection: Celebrating Our Differences✨🦄

Hey Gorgeous! What if the very thing that makes you feel "different" is actually your magic? This episode is a gentle reminder that embracing our differences can lead to deeper confidence, connection and joy because the world doesn't need more copies...it needs your unique God-given magic to fulfill your life's purpose! 🦄

Transcript

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Hey gorgeous, and welcome back to the Gorgeous and Graceful Life Podcast. I'm Annie, your host, and I'm so happy that you tuned in to this week's episode. As my daughter gets closer and closer to graduating high school, I have continued to reminisce about her childhood. But one of the coolest childhood memories that my daughter and I both share is that we were both into My Little Pony. If you are not familiar with My Little Pony, the My Little Pony Toy series made its first debut back in the 80s. And back then there were only six cool ponies, and they were all unique and they all had their special symbols and abilities. Since then, they have created a bunch of new generational series, and the characters have grown into more than 20 characters that also have their own unique power and abilities. Now, in the original series, my favorite character was Cotton Candy. Cotton Candy was this hot pink unicorn that was portrayed as very kind-hearted. She oversaw the Cotton Candy safe, and she was really cool and even had like this mark on her that was sparkly. As I relived this experience when my daughter was little, she had her favorite character, which was Pinkie Pie. And mine at her stage was Princess Celestia. Princess Celestia was also a unicorn. What a surprise, right? Princess Celestia was kind, patient, and she was in charge of the sun. She also had this crown and a necklace. But what I really loved was that if you purchased an actual one of the Princess Celestia, she would always have this like iridescent glow on her body and her hair. Now, both of these unicorns were one of a kind, special and custom designed. They were not the same, but they were both magical in their own way. And I thought this story was so perfect and a perfect segue into today's episode, in which I wanted to talk about something that I'm so passionate about, which is celebrating the differences in others and in ourselves. We as women are all different. And God made us that way to fulfill our own individual purpose. Now we share similar experiences, but we are different. And I think it's great that God didn't just copy and paste to make each of us. I love that He made some of us bold and that he made some of us more quiet and reserved. You know, some of us are planners and some of us are a little bit more spontaneous. Some of you are visionaries and some of you just like your list and your spreadsheets. But God made each of us wonderfully, and we all have valuable and unique gifts. This is sort of like the way that we have different body parts, like our eyes, our ears, our hands, our feet. They don't all do the same thing, but they are great at how they contribute to the entire way that we function. And so, based on our differences, we all fit into roles in our lives that were designed specifically for us. And I like to explain that in the way that women select produce in a grocery store, we are all very picky when we select our fruits and vegetables. In fact, I double dare you to watch another woman in the grocery store select produce. It is very entertaining. But, anyways, we first look at the item, right? Then we pick it up, we inspect it, we feel it, or we squeeze it to determine if it will fit our needs at the moment. And so, based on our different gifts, this is how divine selection sometimes works, and that we are chosen based on our specialties and our gifts. In other words, our ability if we could be squeezed or not, if we fit the mold or not. We are chosen for that purpose. So when you think about your own distinct unicorn differences, just remember that the way in which you are different or unique, it's not an accident. It was intentional and it was divinely connected to your purpose. In other words, friend, you are a heaven-designed limited edition unicorn. But before we dive into celebrating your unicorn ness, we have to address the elephant in the room. And that is understanding why being different can feel weird or hard. Where one of the reasons is that we live in a comparison culture. And the second reason is that similarity or the one size fits all cookie-cutter thinking makes other people feel comfortable. But you were not designed to simply make others feel comfortable. You were designed to share your unique gifts and talents with the world to make it a better place. So different is good. So today I wanted to share with you three magical ways to celebrate the Unicorn Collection, which is all the women in the world and all our unique differences. Are you ready? So, number one is assume goodness. There's literally something gorgeous and good in every single one of us. Even if something seems annoying to you, it may be a strength that God placed in that person on purpose. And let me give you an example. A few years ago, I was volunteering at my son's school, and there was another mom there who was extremely loud and overly bossy. And at first I tried everything I could to steer clear away from where she was. Well, later in the year, I was partnered with her as a field trip chaperone, and it was the best thing that could have ever happened. Her loudness was perfect on a first grade field trip. I later saw her as a coach for one of the soccer teams, and I thought to myself, she has a gift. So although at first I thought it was a bit much, it turned out to be a really good thing. Number two, choose curiosity. Get curious about those that are different or have different views than you do. Our first instinctive actions when we encounter something different is to defend the way we feel or criticize the difference. I'll give you an example of that. You are walking through the grocery store to grab the laundry detergent that you always buy when you notice there is one with a different fragrance. Now you compare the price with the one you usually buy. You then compare the size compared to the one that you usually buy. You look at the ingredients. This is literally your attempt to defend and prove your usual choice. But choosing curiosity is deciding that you will open up that one that is new and smell the fragrance to see if you just might love it a little bit better than your normal one. Choosing curiosity is taking it home anyway and sharing it with your family to see, hey, if they might love it too. Choosing curiosity is asking questions. Perhaps someone you work with is very structured or rigid. Choosing curiosity is learning if that kind of structure helps them feel safe and prepared. Choosing curiosity overall reflects God's heart and it is really a form of grace. Number three, celebrate, don't calculate. God did not create a limited supply of purpose, gifts, talent, beauty, or success. He is not up there in heaven saying, Oops, I used up all the goodness on Sarah. Sorry about you. Nope, not at all. God has created unique and abundant opportunities for all of us. It will never run out. So when you celebrate someone else and their unicorn style or success, it never means there is less for you. But when you believe that someone else's win is your rejection, you are essentially questioning God's unique design for you. So instead of comparing and calculating, celebrate that you have a different, aka unicorn assignment that is a gift from God. You are not in a horse race. You are part of a unicorn collection, friend. We are all unicorns and we all have a different purpose, a different timeline, and a different type of magic that we bring into this world. So remember, you are not random and you are not too much. You are a beautiful, one-of-a-kind, God-designed unicorn in a world that needs more authenticity, more kindness, and more women who are brave enough to be exactly who they were created to be. So get out there and embrace as many unicorns that you can find by assuming there's goodness in others, even when it's hidden, choosing curiosity and celebrating instead of calculating. But before I go today, I want to leave you with your gorgeous and graceful life weekly challenge. This is going to be easy. Sometime throughout this week, I want you to get curious and celebrate someone else's unicorn difference. It's always so great to walk this gorgeous and graceful life with you. If you love this episode, don't forget to love it, subscribe, or just share it with a friend. Until next time, live gorgeously, walk gracefully, and joy will find you.