fireman

photo by: nojhan

“If you aim at nothing, you’re sure to hit it.” ~ Danny Hall

It has certainly been a while since I have written a post.  I’ve been doing a lot of traveling, teaching and writing -  just not in the form of blog posts.  I’ve even done some speaking - something I thought I would never do - and I enjoyed it!  I’ve had some great adventures.

It is always my goal to make people think when I write or teach - to cause people to live more consciously.  I’ve been accused of doing just that many times over and I consider it a real compliment each time I hear it.  For much of my life I didn’t do a lot of “thinking” and it was very detrimental to me.  I’ve learned from personal experience that “thinking” - or living consciously makes me happier and helps me to have more peace so I enjoy sharing this gift with others.

Keeping this in mind,

Do you know who you want to be when you grow up?

We often ask children this question:  What do you want to do when you grow up?   Usually we get an occupation response like a fireman or doctor or football player.

My question for you goes deeper than an occupation.

Do you know WHO you want to be when you grow up?  - Do you know who you want to be today?

Do you know what kind of person you want to be?  For what do you want to be known or remembered?  What qualities and characteristics do you want others to see in you?  What is it that would really bring you satisfaction in your old age?  Is it fame and fortune or are other things more important?

My Experience:

A while back when I was studying Think and Grow Rich (It’s a book that I continue to read and learn a lot from at different stages and levels.), I decided to do one of the exercises that Mr. Hill recommended.  (I did more than one, but this one has had a huge impact and is what we’re focusing on today.)  In the Self-Confidence Formula, Mr. Hill recommends setting aside time daily to think of the person you intend to become and to create in your mind a clear mental picture of that person.

I decided to take some time to write in my journal a clear description of the person I wanted to be and intended to become and to read over it daily.  I like to read over it twice daily, but I shoot for at least once a day.  Honestly, I can say that I haven’t done it every single day, but at least several times a week.  And a word of caution, when I skip several days I slip and become less of this person I want to be.  That is a reminder to me to do it more often.  Sometimes I will lie down and concentrate on who I want to be for a few minutes.

This simple exercise has made a huge difference in my life.  It gives me direction and clarity and much peace as I’m moving in the direction I want to go and not just letting life “happen” to me or pass me by.  It changes the thoughts I have and the actions I take, my priorities and the decisions I make.  I found the most important thing in my description was to first of all live my life for God and to please Him.  I figured out the hard way that simply living for me brought me a lot of emptiness.  As I have focused more and more on pleasing God then I gained more and more peace and happiness.

So now the turn is yours:

Would it make a difference in your life if you knew exactly who you wanted to be?  Do you think you would have more peace with this knowledge and by actively and consciously working toward it?  How specifically would this help you?  Would it be worth an hour or so of your time to write out the description and then five to thirty minutes a day to read over it and think about/concentrate on it?  Would it help you make better use of your time/your life?  Would it help you make better decisions?  How would your life change?

The choice is yours….  The life you want is waiting for you.

Things to think about as you write your description:

  • Who are you living for? (tip: Living for yourself brings emptiness.)
  • Your priorities
  • The values and characteristics and qualities that are important to you and that you want to possess.
  • What things do you admire in others and why?
  • Your natural God-given talents (Ex.-  Do you have a gift for encouraging others?)
  • How you want your relationships to be
  • At your 80th birthday what do you want people to say about you - or as you picture yourself kicked back in your ripe old age feeling satisfied about the life you’ve lived what would give you that sense of satisfaction?

I’m curious….  Have you ever written a description like this before?  If so, how did it affect your life?