WHO TOLD YOU THAT YOU ARE NAKED?

Most at times, what challenges our belief about ourselves is what we hear. What we hear can either make us or destroy us depending on how we handle it, i often tell people that the best way to live a peaceful life is to mind what you give ear to, being constantly judged is a way of life in the world we are living in now, but our ability to live above such judgements is what makes us overcomers, do not be deceived, some of these criticisms and judgements do not come off like in ugly words, it maybe something that is already generally accepted as a norm but is indirectly killing souls, for example, world definition of beauty, anybody less of that standard already feels less beautiful, some say what makes a man is the money in his pocket, so men without money feel less of a man and so on, when we listen to these things, we make mistake, that is why i believe that what we feel about ourselves determines how far we go in life.

In the book of Genesis chapter 3:11, God said to Adam, "who told you that you are naked." meaning what informed you, how did you know you are naked, who have you listened to that you are now feeling ashamed and less of yourself? He was asking Adam because before then Adam didn't know that he was naked, and for him to have just suddenly realised that he was naked means that he had obviously been listening to something outside of him that was informing him.

When growing up, I know of a girl her mother constantly tells that she was prettier than every other girl our mate, even though it was not the case, but this girl because of this belief, walks and carries herself like a princess, her beautiful smiles which she exuded unsparingly, often drew people to her and made her the most liked person by all, then one day at school, she got into a fight with her classs mate who told her she's nothing but ugly and ugly also were those her teeth she opens all the time thinking them to be beautiful, but were the worst of her features, in that moment this girl's face dropped, all self worth disappeared, she didn't understand why she was called ugly, when her mother always tells her that she was prettier than all, and that her smile can wake even a sleeping dog, oh she was such an adorable soul, and truly loved but since that fight, her demeanour changed, she stopped feeling beautiful inside, her princess walk disappeared, even her attitude to people around changed and once her adorable mother became an enemy, she felt lied to, she was just unprepared to tackle such criticism, when her mother noticed her changed attitude, she asked her to tell mummy what was disturbing her, she kept quiet, but after much persuasion from her mum, she said to her mother with tears in her eyes, 'but mummy, my teeth are ugly, I'm ugly' and her mother asked her, 'my princess, who told you that you are ugly?' in other words, what have you been listening to? For this little girl, just one ugly encounter and her self worth was destroyed.

Does this girl's story reminds you anything of you, how often do you judge yourself base on what people say about you, do you feel less of yourself anytime you hear something ugly about you, or see some ads on television and magazine, is the world's standard of beauty your yard stick to measuring yourself?

Lesson, how you feel about yourself is the first step to achieving success, it is the centre of your being, no matter how you are created, there's something in you that makes you unique, the power to succeed is from within, how you hold certain thoughts captive is key to inner strength, learn to love who you are always irrespective of what people say about you. CaroltheCoach in her word states, "It is ok to feel the feeling but not to internalize the message that is implied. Don't give anyone the power to make you feel 'less than'." In other words, it is normal for you to react in some way to negative talks about you but the problem is allowing the feeling to be permanent in you to the extent that it damages your identity.They have said what they said but you have the power to determine how what they said will affect you. The key is loving who you are.