You’d think I’d be a faster learner.

But there I go again. In a dressing room. Under those unforgiving florescent lights. Trying on that cut, this style, that fad that looks so cute on so-and-so.

And not so cute on me.

On these hips. At this age. With this coloring.

Trying to copy what I’ve perceived as darling, cool, elegant, hip, effective on someone else. Trying to push it onto the confines of me.

Pretending again that cookie-cutter approaches will yield a custom fit. Ignoring the individual nuances of my complexion, my build, my budget.

It happens in dressing rooms. It happens when I’m trolling online message boards and blog feeds. More significantly, it happens relationally. In my faith. In my marriage. In my work and home life.

.

Confusing inspiration with impersonation.

From the conversations I have with women, I realize many of us share the same conundrum. Whose life am I living? The one God destined for me? Or one that I’ve built from a pile of comparison? t to walk in wisdom. We seek great examples. We want to learn.

But then something shifts. And we veer into a forgery, attempting to live a life that’s not our own. The line between gathering and applying wisdom versus falling into retrograde copycatting is a fragile one.