Turn it around, Big Daddy!!!

This is one of my favorite commercials. It's hilarious... and if you know me, anything funny moves me. Secondly it does a great job of making its point and delivering the message.



I've been doing that cheer/dance all week! All he needed was a pair of pom poms and a wig. Ironically, I'm listening to the Kings of Leon album as I'm writing this, which is actually an INCREDIBLE album. Apparently the group, consisting of 3 brothers and a cousin, grew up in the church. Their father, Leon (get it?), was a pretty big deal as a preacher in the church community. The group used to tour with him, and then he got in trouble for being an alcoholic and was kicked out of the church (or left, I can't remember and am too lazy to click on the other tab to do a search). Long story short, they've only been even listening to secular music for 5 years.

So with the commercial, and the album, I got to thinking about my own relationship with my father and my relationship with my daughter as a father and how much of an affect these relationships have on all of us. I've always had this theory that you either turn out to be exactly like your parents or the exact opposite. I for one, am ultra hands-on, affectionate, and attentive... most likely because my Dad wasn't around as much as one would've liked. Not most likely. Definitely. Ironically again, he too is a church leader, (no his name's not Leon, that would just be weird.) and had troubles here and there. Unfortunately I haven't yet made my millions through song, but I'm well on my way thanks to Autotuner! However, I am thankful for my sense of humor because if you ever met him, you'd see that it's all him. I literally still tell jokes he told me when I was 10 years old. Don't worry, I'll spare you the read.

When people ask me if I'm worried about my kid growing up within a split family, my answer is always and very easily "No." Even with the difficulties I experience as a single parent. At the end of the day (don't you hate when people say that), whether you come from a great family, a horrible childhood, a difficult life, won the lottery, or some strange hybrid therein, we all have greatness within us. To doubt that is easy. To believe in it and live it, despite your circumstances or history is the hard part. Oddly enough, we tend to think the opposite; concentrating more on the difficulties than anything else and seeing our lives overall as "difficult." Turn that around... Big Daddy... Make the uphill battle in your life the fight to find your greatness.. It's a fun journey, and just might surpise you in the end.

Marianne Williamson wrote:

Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
but that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

Peace... you know the rest...