Climbing the Cool Ladder

I especially like being the center of attention. I thrive on it. I thrive on it so much that sometimes I hate being in a large group of people. This may sound ironic, but let me explain myself.

When I am in a large group of people I realize I am not the center of attention and that really bothers me. So do I stop trying to be the center of attention? Of course not. I start overcompensating. I start talking louder. I repeat myself numerous times. I say something I just know will grab somebody’s attention.  99% of the time this still doesn’t work. My comment or story just floats off into the abyss never to be heard, and in the rare circumstance that it is heard, it just sounds really stupid.  Anytime you start yelling about the time you rolled your ankle in the mountains of Costa Rica and repeat it about 23 times in the midst of 10 other yelling people, your story is automatically going to sound lame. It just doesn’t sound right in the midst of 10 other yelling people.

But do I stop yelling and repeating my story? No, because my story is the most entertaining and important story in the group of the 10 other people. I just know it is. I know if people were to actually listen, like really listen to the story about how I rolled my ankle in the mountains of Costa Rica my cool credibility would go up a few notches. And if my cool scale went up a few notches then people would be more apt to listen to what I have to say because I would be “that” girl. That cool girl with the awesome stories. That girl everybody wants to be around and know.

However, the more I try to be “that” girl, the farther away I get from her. I lose creditability on the rare occasion my story is heard because let’s face it, the more important you try to make your story sound by yelling and repeating it, the less cool it sounds. Let me just try to give you an example in writing:

HEY! HEY GUYS! I HAVE A GOOD STORY, LIKE REALLY, LISTEN, LISTEN: SO THERE WAS THIS ONE TIME I WAS IN COSTA RICA, IN COSTA RICA I WAS IN, IN THE MOUNTAINS OF COSTA RICA, IN THE MOUNTAIN OF COSTA RICA, I FELL INTO A HOLE, AND ROLLED MY ANKLE. SO THERE I WAS, WITH A TWISTED ANKLE. IN COSTA RICA.

Let me just point out the main, obnoxious points:

1.     All caps are equivalent to yelling. Who likes all caps? No one. Who likes people to yell their stories? No one.

2.     Notice how many times I repeated myself? Not really necessary. It’s actually pretty annoying.

3.     Notice how many times I used Costa Rica? That was my go-to point because I thought people would automatically want to listen because I was in the mountains of Costa Rica. I thought people would be impressed. No, people aren’t actually impressed, just even more annoyed because you just sound pretentious.

And here I am writing about this because I know. I know how annoying I sound, but do I stop? No. I want to make my way up The Cool Ladder! I want people to hear my awesome stories. I promise you they are good stories. Really. But, alas, I am in a vicious cycle. I know what I am doing, but I can’t stop! The harder I try to climb that ladder, the more I slip.  I just want to be cool.

But I have been deceived.  I am climbing up the wrong ladder. I am climbing up the Self-Importance ladder. That ladder has no end. You can never reach the top of that ladder. The more important I try to make myself, the more I slip. The ladder right behind that ladder is “The Cool Ladder.” Many are invited to climb this ladder but few are actually chosen. Few are chosen to be the “cool” people because there is one little rule that is too hard for people to make sense of.

The rule is this:

Philippians 2:3-4

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

When you understand this rule, you have chosen to climb “The Cool Ladder.” That ladder is much easier to climb, and there is a destination at the top. When you reach the top, you have reached the “it” factor. You are cool. However, you must put the interests of others before your own interests to climb that ladder.  The more you are willing to listen to other people’s stories and help others out, the more likable you become. The more people want to be around you.

Maybe that is why Jesus was so cool.