Know Who You Are

The Stickers Only Stick If You Let Them

One of my favorite books is “You Are Special” by Max Lucado.

When I was a news guy, I would get asked to come read or speak in schools, and this story was always the one I picked.

It’s about a village where toys live.

All day long, they would give out slapping circles or star stickers to each other.

Circles were for those who failed to do what was culturally correct; the stars were those who followed the directives.

The central character is a toy who can’t seem to do anything right, according to culture.

He was covered in circles, covered in the judgment of those he lived around.

There was another toy that had no stars or circles.

Oh, it’s not that the others didn’t try to give her “marks.”

What made her different is that the marks didn’t stick.

What was her secret?

She spent time with the toymaker, Eli.

The more time she spent with him, the less she cared about the cultural marks.

The marks didn’t stick because she knew who she was and what her maker wanted from her.

I relate to this story, always have.

That’s why I read it to the kids.

I googled my name the other day, and a flood of negative articles, mostly on left-wing media, headlined Rick Dancer.

I didn’t read past the headlines.

Ten years ago, seeing what people said would have bothered me.

Today, I brush it off because the stickers don’t stick as well as they used to.

One of the key elements of this story, which is often overlooked, is that we don’t need to take the judgment of others on the negative side, but must also beware not to be overly concerned with the stars either.

We must find our peace knowing we are in line with our maker, not those around us.

In the story, the best line from the toymaker is this:  “Who are they to judge you? They are toys just like you. It doesn’t matter what they think; what matters is what I think, and I think you are special.”

Remember that today.

Roll those words around on your tongue.

Digest them.

Live them.