The courage and worthiness of a leader, the one who does things first. It isn’t always easy, but you are driven by a thirst. It can be very lonely at the top, and lonelier to get there, But every risk is worth it, if you treat people with care…

Worthy
By ~ Jamie Kern Lima

“Who do you think you are, ” they say,
Things like that aren’t for people like us.
Why are you going around changing,
Planning to leave us in the dust?
Are you forgetting where you come from?
Is it not good enough anymore?
And just like that, the temptation to play life small,
Feels more comfortable than before.

They call you odd, strange, and different,
For having dreams bigger than they can see.
Because those dreams weren’t given to them,
They see them through fear and anxiety.
And even well-intentioned people who love you to the bone,
Can see you pursuing your dreams as a reflection,
Of them not fulfilling their own.

If people like people who are like them,
Hiding who you are can feel like home.
But a calling unexpressed inside you,
Leaves you feeling anguished and alone,
Even inside of your own home.

They call you words like crazy,
And say we stick together for better or for worse.
But what your soul knows is you’re not crazy.
You’re just first.

The first to launch the business,
To dust your dreams off of the shelf.
The first to believe you’re worthy,
Of betting on yourself.
The first to beat addiction,
To live life sober and awake.
The first to break that generational cycle,
That you know you’re born to break.

The first to start healing,
The first to forgive, so you’ll be free.
The first to love others for who they are,
Not for who you wish they’d be.
The first to be a visionary,
To dream up the screenplay that you’ll write.
The first to recognize your gifts,
And stop hiding in plain sight.

The first boss in your company,
To say I deal with self-doubt too.
The first mom to say, no, I’m not okay,
And I don’t know what to do.
The first in generations to love your body,
And celebrate it joyfully to prove it.
To know that it’s a miracle in motion,
And what a gift it is to move it.

The first to risk rejection,
And to speak your truth with vigour.
Knowing that the opposition might be big,
But your God is bigger.

The first to cheer yourself on,
And truly believe it, not just fake it.
Knowing that most people won’t cheer you on,
Until after you make it.
The first to stand up for the outcasts,
To say stop teasing, I just won’t.
You might be tempted to underestimate me,
But let me save you some time. Don’t.

The first to say, yeah, you hurt me,
But I’m not rejected, see,
God just hid my value from you,
Because you’re not assigned to my destiny.

The first to believe in your dreams,
Even when others might not get you.
And then one day, love them anyways,
When they’re bragging to people how they met you.

See, when we fear we’re not enough,
And fear even more, we won’t be loved.
It is so tempting to shrink in size,
And trade in our purpose for their hugs.
But when you feel like you don’t fit in,
Or that you never quite belong.
Your uniqueness is your superpower,
Your truth is never wrong.

So, when they criticize to hold you back,
Because your dreams aren’t what they’re used to,
And they’re afraid that you’ll outgrow them,
Leave them behind, or that they’ll lose you.
Stop asking for their advice,
If they’ve never been there themselves.
Because when you people please for others,
You end up betraying yourself.

So, when doubt tempts you to dim your light,
Always remember this verse.

Your soul knows you were made for more,
With so much purpose, it could burst.

You’re born with greatness inside you.
And whether it is a blessing or a curse,
This world won’t be better until your greatness is dispersed.
See, there is only one of you in the entire universe.
And your knowing knows you’re not crazy,
You’re just first!