Embracing Who I Was Created to Be

As much as I hate to admit it, I am always concerned about peoples' perception of me. I try to portray this image of "I don't care what anyone thinks", but I have to be honest and say that it's a lie. I am constantly tying to earn the approval of those around me and it drives me crazy sometimes. I have to look a certain way, talk a certain way, have certain possessions, a high-paying job, etc. And if I don't fit the mold of what people see as "successful", then I feel like I'm not as valuable as I could be. And the fact that I'm a guy definitely doesn't help the situation. Most guys will agree with me on this.
A common question that gets asked of me is "what do you do?" and my goal, every time, in answering that question is to make myself sound as successful as I can. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do. But at the same time, I fear that the person I'm talking to won't approve of it or think it's a good use of my time. Almost like I have to get my every decision approved by another human being. And in my mind, I know it's stupid to think that way, but I'm still affected by it.
I think the time in my life where I struggled the most with this issue was the first few years after high school. Everyone was talking about what college they were going to, how much money they were going to make in the future with their degree, how successful they were, etc. It was almost like a game we played. And, in my case, I always found myself on the losing end. There I was, 19 years old, and not sure of what I wanted to do with my life. I wasn't going to college because I felt like it wasn't for me. So I was living at home and working as a host at a restaurant. Not exactly the image of success if you ask me. I didn't really feel valuable as a person through those years.
So, here I am at the age of 26. Most of my time is spent being a guitar instructor. I travel around to peoples' houses and teach them how to play music. And this is something that I always dreamed of doing every since I learned how to play the guitar. I always thought that if I can play music for a living, in some way, shape, or form, I'd feel like I was doing what I was created to do. And yet, sometimes, I find myself somehow wishing I was doing something different. Something more glorified in this culture. Like being a CEO of a wealthy business. Or a professional athlete. Or anything that would enable me financially to purchase the bright red corvette convertible, the nice house, and the nice yacht on the river. Something that would make any attractive, single female look my way and say, "Now there's a guy who has it going on. I should probably give him my number." But, as it stands, I'm still single and I'm not driving the corvette. And I'm tempted to feel sorry for myself. Not because my life is horrible or anything, it's actually pretty good, but because my life doesn't fit that image that is portrayed in the media.
I've found that my problem isn't necessarily what I do in life, but in who I listen to in order to define who I am. It's not about me changing everything about myself to fit an image, but knowing who God created me to be. I'm learning how to listen to God and allow him to define who He wants me to be, not everyone around me. And I'm learning to accept who I am. And not just accept who I am, but learning to embrace that. To use the gifts and abilities that God has graciously given to me and to pursue them with wreckless abandon. Because, after all, people who don't enjoy what they do in life are quite a drag to be around. So, from here on out, if you ever need to find me, I won't be the guy in the bright red convertible or on the yacht in the river, I'll be the one with a smile on my face and a guitar in my hands. Come and talk to me!