Become what you already are.
A bishop used this phrase on the radio this week, and it has stayed with me.
We are more than half way through the year now, and the summer season, whatever that means to you, is here.
For me, that means less time writing and shorter musings.
The year is progressing, and the summer season can also be a time that brings perhaps a little more space for reflection.
When you think back to the start of the year, what were your hopes for the summer?
What has happened since then, and how is that changing and shaping you?
And as we enjoy this summer season, and think of the rest of the year, it strikes me that this is a noble end to reflect on:
What does it mean to become what you already are?
Who do I know myself to be at my best?
What is most important to me, and do my priorities and time use reflect that?
Who is most important to me, and how am I showing up to them?
Am I living now in a way that minimises potential regrets I might have in the future? More on that here.
I had an interesting conversation with a client recently about making values-based decisions. She was thinking through her internal scripts that told her that serving others was the most important thing regardless of how that fits who she is.
We identified that the contrary is actually true – when we understand what is most important to us, what our skills and gifting is, and how we best use those skills, we generally bring the best of ourselves to whatever we are doing.
So a question to ask yourself this week:
Who do you know yourself to be?
What are the characteristics of you at your best?
And what would it look like to agree to choose to live as that person, day in day out, throughout this coming year, to become – and celebrate being – who you already are?