Who do you want to look like
Dear Younger Me,
I wish I could find where all these dang letters end up. Maybe that’s where I could find a letter addressed to current me.
I ended up at the doctors recently for one thing to discover it was a symptom of a larger root. All of life continued to spin in other areas. Life has kept on keeping on. As much as I want answers or to read that letter from future me, I find myself sitting here in the in between and continuous crossroads.
As big, fast or continuous these changes feel, I hold to this encouragement that says, “life is 5% what happens to us and 95% of how we respond.” Elements out of our control are and will always exist. How I respond today is 95% of what I will get out of this situation and shape the future that waits before me.
What if we aren’t defined by the tests life gives us? What if we take those tests as information and direction to where we want to go? What if you take back control in how you respond?
“How would the person I want to be respond right now?,” is a question I have started asking myself continuously.
I am grabbing every opportunity presented to respond. From an outside perspective, I was wronged and there was this human response in me that didn’t want to give the other individual the time of day, but I simply asked myself this question. I realized how I would want to be treated was with a conversation, so I chose to soften my heart and offer that. Or when I got hard news, and I wanted to crumble to the weight of life and chose to pause to ask myself this. I thought, “I want to recognize how fast things change, take this opportunity and choose to make the most of moments. I am going to be more intentional than ever before and chase my dreams with all I have. I am going to choose the hard thing. I am going to take opportunities to love others well. Why? That’s how the person I want to be would live/respond.”
Gratitude is the biggest emotion I feel for moments that felt like breaking points because they opened my eyes to make this mental leap. Life can throw curveballs and fast balls as it pleases, but I am choosing to make the most out of my 95%.
You don’t need to have all the answers right now, what if you simply thought about this question when you find yourself making a decision. Personally, it has allowed me to care more about/ love others better because the person I want to be treats others the way they would want to be treated, they are interested, assume the best, value others above themselves. Also, I am living out my values because the person I want to be makes healthy choices, takes time to write, slows down and chooses to learn/grow.
I believe who I am today is the combination of all my yesterdays. I believe today and all my tomorrows are shaping me into who I want to be in the days to follow.
I wonder if I saw a letter from future me, if she would care to update me about the 5% or if she would be updating me on how my responses are what shaped who she became, the places she ended up, the paths of individuals she crossed. I believe if we keep asking ourselves this simple question that we will see that individual/character develop before our very eyes.
What has life thrown at you lately? Have you been wrestling in a certain situation? How would the person you want to be respond?
With Love,
Older You