Getting people together usually ends up with amazing conversations, lots of laughs, and a strong bond between everyone. I am in a Bible study/book club on campus with some amazing young women of faith. Every week we meet, we all walk out feeling better than when we walked in. I know every Tuesday we meet, we will have conversations about the book we are currently reading, our current life issues, and topics that don't relate to anything we've talked about before. Two weeks ago at our bible study, we ended up having a conversation about what we all deserve in life. From guys, our careers, and everything in between. It seems that sometimes in life we settle for what we think we deserve because we don't see our worth.

We joked that there are levels of people, from mud, dirt, sparkly dirt, a diamond in the rough, and a diamond. Mud, this first level, is a type of person who ends up making a bigger mess than what was started with and is hard to wash yourself clean from them. Don't be or settle for the mud in life. Dirt, they aren't as messy as mud but in the end, they will just leave you messy and feeling like you deserve nothing better. Sparkly Dirt in some lights sparkles and may seem like they could be a diamond, but in the end, they are just dirt. Diamond in the Rough is a type of person who just needs a little bit more time to develop into the diamond, they sparkle in some lights but need to be cleaned up. Diamond is the top tier of a person, they shine in the light and have been under pressure to be the person they are today. Everyone deserves a diamond, but everyone should also strive to be a diamond. These are levels people can work through, but it takes a lot of time of realizing who you are as a person.

Why be a diamond?

Because they are strong, the only other thing that can cut a diamond is another diamond. They can handle pressure; pressure literally makes diamonds. A piece of black coal and a whole lot of pressure turns into a shiny, expensive diamond. They're transparent; it is always refreshing being around people who are honest with you and you never have to wonder how they feel about you. Diamonds are beautiful, from the way they sparkle to the how they look in jewelry. It isn't just about the outer appearance though; the stages of becoming a diamond adds to its beauty. Being a diamond takes time, no one is born being this jewel. It takes patience, mistakes, and life to make you shine like a diamond.

Strive to be a diamond, because our world could always use more sparkle and don't ever forget that you are worth so much more.