Spot It, You Got It

Unique Perspectives: Spot It, You Got It

By Kim Stevens

Spot it, you got it.

This phrase is often applied to the way we criticize others, wordlessly encouraging us to hold up a mirror during our most judgmental, fault-finding moments and look within ourselves for those very same qualities.

But I like to think about “spot it, you got it” through a different lens. If the expression means that whatever is bugging me about someone is also something I have within myself, then anything I identify that’s beautiful about that person must also be something beautiful I possess.

That’s really the way I like to apply “spot it, you got it,” but it wasn’t always how my mind worked. There was a time when I saw something I really liked in someone – how they spoke or how they carried themselves or the way they presented themselves to the world – and I used to get that pang of anxious insecurity. I'd feel less than or worse, not good enough.

Now, I’ve trained myself to apply this “spot it, you got it” theory to those instances, recognizing I must have that quality somewhere inside of me, which is why I’ve so clearly seen it in them.

This is where things get exciting.

Flipping the definition around, “spot it, you got it” makes me feel like I can cultivate or explore possibilities within myself that I didn’t even know existed. Changing the interpretation of the phrase opens up opportunities for positive change and new avenues for becoming a little more like the people I value in my life. “Spot it, you got it” is no longer a source of envy. Today, it’s an impetus for growth.