Do you understand what I mean when I use the term glossy
exterior? My friends, we live in a time when there is so much visual
stimulation fighting to grab our attention. There are many things going on in
this world that are making you feel as if you have to keep up, you’re not
popular enough, you’re not measuring up, or that you’re not as important; Trust
me when I tell you that these are all lies. Glossy means shiny, sleek, and
polished. Exterior means the outside, external, and outer. If we marry the
glossy and exterior, we create a sleek outside. I ask you, what is wrong with a
glossy exterior? What is wrong with a sleek outside? It tells you nothing about
the truth inside.
Let me tell you a quick story. I loved driving past a
certain house. As I would drive past this house, I would fantasize about living
there. I loved the charm of the outside of this house. I loved the design, I
loved the fact that it was two stories, I loved the color, and I loved the
neighborhood it was in. One day, my mom was in the car with me and I went to
show her this house that I had fallen in love with.
A sale sign was
hanging in front of my house! There was activity going on at the house, so I
decided to pull over and see if I could have a walk-through of the house. I was
so excited to be looking at the inside of this home that I had admired. The
owner of the house was very nice and gave my mom and I a complete tour of the
house.
Long story short, my mom and I left with such disappointment.
The exterior was nothing like the interior. Every aspect of the home on the
inside needed to be redone. Even the pool outside was not practical. My point
is…looks can be deceiving. What looked great on the outside, was a wreck on the
inside.
I decided to share this story because it represents so much
of what goes on in all of our lives.
How many pictures do you see on facebook, instragram, twitter,
pinterest or any other social media outlet that are just glossy exteriors? How
many souls do you encounter that have glossy exteriors? How many people go into
debt trying to have a glossy exterior? Have you ever seen a fancy car in the
garage of a run-down house? Why would they spend the money on a car that
depreciates the minute they drive off the lot, instead of placing the money in
the place they call home? Because they want to impress the total stranger in
the parking lot or the person at the stop light; just another example of glossy
exterior.
I heard about a certain media site that was causing women to
be depressed; This site was such an inspiration to women with its décor,
cooking, fashion, and DIY projects that
it ending up making women feel like they could not live up to the standards
they saw in the pictures of the people they followed. This is a trap. Nothing
should make you feel less than.
Start to view all of these glossy exteriors as distractions.
These distractions are causing you to question yourself. These distractions are
causing you unnecessary pressure. These distractions are causing you to move
too fast. If you are distracted and trying to constantly stay connected, when
do you ever have time to relax or regroup or be reflective? We have forgotten
the beauty of silence. Social media might not change but you can change. Change
your approach to the distractions. Focus on improving the beauty that is within
you, like your thoughts, attitude, and behavior. And remember, if something
looks too good to be true…it might just be a glossy exterior!
