March 23rd, 2026

Always Be a First-Rate Version of Yourself

“Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.”

Judy Garland (American Actress and Singer; June 10th, 1922 ~ June 22nd, 1969)

“You see, whether we are consciously aware of it or not, we’re constantly programmed by the world to be other women, not ourselves. …With this pervasive social schizophrenia, it’s no wonder that most women are terribly confused about the issue of authenticity.”

“According to Webster’s Dictionary, to be authentic is to be ‘not imaginary, false or imitation.’ To be authentic is to be ‘genuine, veritable, bona fide, being actually and precisely what is claimed.’ The only thing that we can genuinely claim to be is ourselves. But our best is good enough, even on a bad day.”

“We are all hard on ourselves. We not only want to be other people, we want to be perfect versions of them.”

“We should only strive to be a first-rate version of ourselves. And our best is always good enough.”

“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 3-23-22)

“Where do we learn this odd behavior of trying to be someone we are not. We reach for the ideal of being someone other than ourselves. I have spent a lifetime trying to be someone…anyone other than myself. Makes me sad to think I never thought I was enough.” (Heather Houston 3-23-22)

“Growing up in a family of quilters, the below quote speaks volumes to being your authentic self and that perfection is ridiculous…” (Heather Houston 3-23-26

“…Amish quilters will deliberately add a mismatched patch to each quilt to remind themselves that only Spirit can create perfectly/”

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–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 89-90 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.