I remember being a midshipman in college during the fall of 1987. It was homecoming and I thought that it would be fun to be on the homecoming court in my last year of college. I remember expressing this to a civilian staff member of the Navy ROTC staff. He told me to forget about trying. That people like me could never be part of the homecoming court at such a major university.

What he said rocked me to my core. I could have let this have a negative impact on me, but I ran for homecoming court anyway. I believed that I could be part of the homecoming court and I did become part of that court. I saw my reflection as a homecoming court member and much more. I became what I believed I could be. I became the positive image I saw in my reflection. In life we will always act like the person we believe we are. The person we see in our reflection. That decision is always left up to us as to what that reflection will show us. In Judges 6:14-15, God called Gideon to save his people, but Gideon believe that he was too small, too insignificant, and too unworthy to be of much use to anyone. [14 And the LORD turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Mid'ian; do not I send you?" 15 And he said to him, "Pray, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manas'seh, and I am the least in my family."] As long as Gideon believed that he was too small, too insignificant, and too unworthy to be of much use to anyone - Gideon was absolutely correct. When Gideon finally believed that he was, in fact, not too small, not too insignificant, nor too unworthy to be of much use to anyone - Gideon was absolutely correct. Gideon saw his reflection and it was the reflection of leadership and success. Do not allow yourself to become a hostage to negative influences upon your life. Who ever it was that told you that you can't, showed no belief in you, told you that you are worthless, told you that you are unacceptable or told you that others are brighter than you are absolutely correct, if and if only you allow it to be so. The decision is your, so make the decision not to be influenced by such negativity.

Put what they said in the past, because it is. You are what you believe you are, right now. God never looks at your past to decide your future. God only wants the best for you. Who are you to embrace the negative of your past? God wants you to let it go, accept him, and see your reflection for what it can be. You know more now than you did in the past. Because of that fact, you have more going for you today, than you did in your past. Stop advertising your flaws with yourself and others. Too often we discuss our flaws and failings with anyone who will hear it. We pass out invitations to our "masked pity party ball" and there we unmask our disbelief in ourselves. Just stop it. Decide what you want to be, make goals to get there, create action steps to accomplish your goals and find a mentor, coach, or accountability partner to assist you.

So what are you going to believe? Will you seek reflection of yourself that is framed by the negative influences in your past? Or are you going to dismiss the past as something that is past and done? And believe the reflection that is your future. Remember, it is your reflection. So, what are you going to do about it - reflect on a grim past or reflect on how awesome you can be? It is your call.