I have ended several posts with the phrase “continue to become the best version of yourself”. What do I mean by that? Well it is not about dreams and aspirations. It’s about doing your best on a day to day basis. Some people call this striving to reach your full potential. However, striving to reach your full potential is more about achieving your dreams and aspirations. There is nothing wrong with that but that is not what becoming the best version of yourself is all about. Becoming the best version of yourself is about your core true self and mirroring those qualities on a daily basis. It is your internal struggle of becoming who you are as you grow and develop your deepest yearnings and becomes an expression of your personhood, your character and your wholesomeness. This article explores five ways to nurture that best version of yourself. . 1. Become the best version of yourself through personal reflection. In order to become the best version of yourself you need to take the time to go deep within yourself and reflect on who you are. In one way it is about determining what your potential is…that is your potential as a person which is not related to what you do as a person. It is not about achievement which relates to your goals, action plans and tasks you complete so that you can reach your full potential but more about how you wish to live with purposeful intent. It is about discovering the decent qualities you exhibit or want to exhibit, the universal values you hold and how you carry those out daily. The only way you can get at that type of personhood is through honest reflection. One other thing. When you go deep within yourself you may find that you uncover negative aspects of your life – the hurts and the uncomfortable feelings you have about yourself and others. When you are faced with this mirror don’t be afraid of what you are finding. This part of your journey may be gut wrenching and it takes courage to work through it. It is through this process where you will begin to heal, become whole and forgive yourself and others. If you need help with this aspect of your journey seek professional help. 2. Become the best version of yourself by writing your own story. After you have spent some time reflecting on who you are and what you believe sit down and write out your story. Let your story unfold as to who you think you are and who you want to become. In your story put aside your ego because your ego will play tricks on you. It will try to describe you in unrealistic terms, either through self glorification or false humility. You will get caught up in lying to yourself. The best way to ensure you are being honest is to share your story with a trusted friend, colleague or coach. Ask them to be honest with you about how they perceive who you are. Listen deeply to them as they tell you your story. Engage them in an open discussion of clarification and dialogue. After all it is your story and you need to fully understand it. 3. Become the best version of yourself by living in the moment. Yes, you plan for the future but you can only live in the future today. You make your future a reality on a daily basis by living in the moment. Don’t get me wrong your plans are important. They chart direction for you particularly if they are realistic. meaningful and give you a step-by-step approach to achieve where you want to go in life. But you can only carry out your plans, no matter how far they reach out into the future, today. Not only in the space we call today, like 24 hours - or even in the space we call morning, afternoon or evening - but only in the precious moment in which you spend the time in fulfilling them. It’s in that moment where you expend the energy in carrying out your best effort as a person. And each of those moments stack up as a monument to your character. 4. Become the best version of yourself by making sound choices. It is in making choices that reflect your true self. If you are choosing with integrity, honesty, fairness, justice and forgiveness you will be mirroring the goodness that is at the root of who you are. It’s not about making quick choices to accommodate shady deals or questionable characters, but to think about the choice and do the right thing. Sometimes this requires quiet discernment to ensure you are making the right choice. In the end your choices reveal the type of life you choose to lead and who you are as a person. 5. Become the best version of yourself by surrounding yourself with good people. We can often tell a person’s character by the people he/she associates with. Here I’m not talking about the customer that comes to you in what appears to be unrulily or disheveled condition. Nor am I talking about acquaintances that pass through your life like ships passing in the night. These are temporary happenings where we give whoever they are respect, dignity and loving service. What is meant here are the people you admire, appreciate for their genuineness, and who will guide you as you continue throughout life to grow into the best version of yourself. In conclusion… we can become the best version of ourselves if we believe we can truly become the person we are meant to be. Believing in your own best version is essential in building your confidence, strengthening your relationships and living a life of purpose beyond yourself. But it is not necessarily easy. It is something we have to work at and prove to ourselves that we can live the best version of ourselves. It is in the way we live that we eventually become our true self. And because of that, people will be able to describe us, hopefully as a force for good in this world, our community and our neighborhood. When we think about it, when we work at becoming the best version of ourselves we are strengthening skills in our ability to be reflective, write stories, live in the moment, make choices and surround ourselves with good people. It’s a serious business of character building while at the same time fulfilling our destiny. If you want to delve further into this topic consider “Become The Best Version of Yourself” found in the FM Storefront. Thank you for reading and as always take care, stay safe and continue becoming the best version of yourself. Richard.
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A vision is a driving force for both individuals and organizations. It is regarded as a foundational part of a person's life or an organization's existence. Vision is the ability to see beyond the present and its challenges. It gives direction as it allows one to imagine and make decisions about their desired future. However, the journey between your starting point and the desired future is not easy, unless you dream small. Every visionary needs courage to have their aspirations become alive. Of all the things that can help you carry out your business vision, why should you focus on courage? Courage is the ability to meet situations which frighten us or allows us to confront pain and uncertainty. It is a trait every person needs. Generally, our lives are marked by a series of events that fill us with fear and doubt. We face opposition, loss, disappointments, rejection, natural disasters, and other risks where we ask ourselves, "Is this worth investing my time and energy?". People have often given up opportunities that would have changed their lives because they gave way to fear, doubt, and discouragement. This is one of the reasons why, if we want to carry out our vision, we need to be courageous and face life and its challenges head-on. If we don’t we will see our dreams wither and die or watch others implement our ideas. And, as we plan our future, we need to ensure that we prepare ourselves for the obstacles that may come our way so that we remain standing. Needless to say, courage can take us to new heights and help us stand on grounds others wouldn't dare set feet on. Courageous people know no bounds or limits besides those they set for themselves. As John McCain once said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the capacity to act despite our fears.” (Fast Company, 2004). We often think of courage as an innate ability to conquer fear, but courage can also be considered a skill that we can learn. When we learn something we practice it over and over again to get it right. We can develop courage by facing our fears, overcoming them and then building on that strength. Like everything that is learned it takes discipline and consistent action to make it come alive for us. Acts of courage happen out of our strength of conviction and are an expression of our character and our character is developed through positive learning and reinforcement. Now, if you are a visionary you often need to step out and step up with courage. For instance, consider these real life situations:
So, how can you channel the courage you need? 1. Understand the source of your fear and address it – there are various reasons why people lose courage. If you know the root of the problem, resolving it is easier. (see also) 2. Focus on your vision – before you let fear take over your life, think of your vision and why it is important to you. Ask yourself what is bigger, your reasons to be afraid or your aspirations. Most importantly, ask yourself how much you stand to lose by giving in to fear. Where dreams are big and are linked with purpose, fighting fears and doubts should be one of your priorities. 3. Have a strong support structure – sometimes your dreams scare you because you are walking the journey by yourself and you don't know who can help you when you have a need for emotional, psychological, or financial support. It is important to build relationships with people and keep those close to you who think like you and who understand your vision. 4. Understand your value – if you are earning an earnest living, respectful to others, a visionary, and you’re doing your best to make things work, you do not have a reason to feel inferior to other people. Understand that those who made it in life are by no means better than you. They also started where you are. If you are starting from a lesser position than others and you still have the will to move forward without stepping on other people's toes, then you deserve respect. The point is, as you walk into a room full of successful people, walk with your head high and chest out like they are your equals. In most cases, they understand where you are and are ready to help you. Therefore, fear not. Even if they are disingenuous, understand that your vision depends more on your courage and confidence than it does on the opinions of people who do not bring value to your life. Walk into every room like you have already made it but remember to remain humble and take lessons from those wiser than you. 5. Understand the turns of life – sometimes we lack courage because we also lack an understanding of things that are just part of daily living. People don't always succeed with what they try. They are rejected, they take risks where success is not guaranteed and, among other things, they make seemingly perfect plans only to meet the unexpected along the way. That's life. Nobody is immune to challenges. Expect to face obstacles and be prepared to find a way around them. Remember, there is always a way. Thank you for reading and always stay safe, keep well and remember to become the best version of yourself. Richard Fontanie Adapted from “Build Your Vision” found in the Storefront. |
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