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.
0 Comments
Sometimes we get stuck and feel less motivated to move forward. This is especially true for anyone set on living a life of fulfillment and achievement. Our experience tells us that motivation is a primary intrinsic factor responsible for moving us to action.
Motivation is the one variable that allows us to push ourselves when those around us give up. It fires up our energy to seek out and conquer one challenge after another. If you are currently experiencing a dry spell in the way of motivation or even if you have never thought of yourself as a driven individual, but would like to become one, continue reading. Here we will explore 5 helpful steps that, in no particular order, are an effective way to enhance your overall motivation and drive to achieve the goals you have set for yourself! Know Your Why While it may seem obvious, knowing your reasoning and passion behind anything you pursue is critical. When you first set out on a goal or achievement, your “why” for doing so typically starts out pretty clear. However, somewhere in the daily grind of working towards this goal, this foundation can quickly become obscured. Make no mistake; any time you are tirelessly working towards something worthwhile, no matter how important, there WILL be days in which you feel less motivated than others. Remaining conscientious of why you started in this first place serves as your second (or third, or fourth) wind to get back up and keep pushing. Know Your Direction Extreme motivation has a tendency to cause one to put their head down and work like a maniac. While there are times that this mindset is beneficial, some sense of direction must be maintained. Big goals rarely consist of going from point A to point B without detours in between. Always keep general overview of what you want to accomplish in mind as well as the specific steps toward your destination. So yes, while keeping your nose to the grindstone is a must, looking up every now and then to adjust and begin the next phase of your blueprint is the only way to continue heading in the right direction! Allow Small Victories No matter how much (or little) motivation you have towards a goal, failing to enjoy small successes in pursuit of the finish line is a sure fire way to run out of gas before you get there. While resting on your laurels and settling for less than what you want must be avoided, depriving yourself of fulfillment along the way is also detrimental. In pursuit of your goals, take some time to reward yourself when you accomplish one of the (often many) small steps to get there. And, don't forget to celebrate the mistakes along the way. They are the stuff that allows us to learn and improve. It's really about You Versus You, Not You Versus Them This is a factor that most of us need to hear. Keep in mind that your goals are YOUR goals. Letting other people’s pursuits dictate what you strive for is a slippery slope. After all, you will never find the motivation required to achieve anything great without a personal conviction to do so. Whatever it is you want, the only comparison to be made is to the person you were the day before. Controlled Tunnel Vision Consider this fact: whatever big goal or achievement you are after most likely involves only one facet of your life. Whether this goal is career, athletic or personally oriented, the rest of your life is not going to stop while you go after it. It is inevitable that much of your motivation and energy is going to be focused on the biggest victory in front of you at any given time. However, I can assure you that your sense of fulfillment will be diminished upon reaching the finish line and realizing you have neglected every other facet of who you are to get there. Balance is always key. Don’t let the rest of your life fall to the wayside while you chase one dream! Thanks for Reading, Richard Fontanie |
Categories
All
Archives
February 2024
|