lifeasmission

My Problem with “The Next Guy”

October 27, 2005

Most of us are fairly familiar with “that guy” or “that girl.” “That guy” is the individual at the graduations with the air horn. He is also the one who freely offers the cliche on everyone elses mind when no one else dares to utter it. Finally (this one is for my buddy Sean), he is the guy that decides to kick the football that everyone else is enjoying passing around. Girls have their own set of criteria for “that girl,” but I’ll leave it one of them to explain.

This person is not to be confused with “the next guy” or “the next girl.” “The next guy” (or girl) is the one you never quite measure up to. You are never quite as funny as “the next guy.” You never seem to be quite as attractive or athletic as “the next guy.” “The next girl’s” hair is always looks better than yours and she never seems to be quite as socially awkward as you feel most of the time.

I seem to think about “the next guy” all the time. I spend much of my time wishing I was “the next guy.” Thinking about this the other day a few things dawned on me…

1. There is a “next guy” (or girl) for everyone. The very guy I think is “the next guy” also has his “next guys.” In the end, it’s just a big cirlce of envy and jealousy.
2. A focus on “the next guy” (or girl) always distracts from our ability to be truly thankful for who we are. To covet what others have that we don’t is to miss the point of authentic formation – becoming is a process better experienced through receiving than through striving.

So here’s what I’m saying…

Maybe more of us need to “that guy” or “that girl” by virtue of being the weird one who isn’t so concerned with “the next guy” or “the next girl.” I know this is true for me anyways.

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