Being You

I have a poor memory. Lists are a way of life – and I like them! I like ordering my thoughts to make that list. I like ticking things off the list as they are completed. I like adding extras, things that didn’t make it onto the list, but got done. So I’ll write them down just to scratch them out. Yay for getting shit done!

I’ll categorize my lists. I’ll have a ‘domestic’ list, for household chores and errands. I’ll have a ‘work’ list – this very post was on that list, and by the time you’re reading it, it’s been scratched out! I’ll have a ‘self-care’ list. They’re all ‘to do’ lists, of course.

I love to-do lists. They’re great for organizing my time. They’re great markers of productivity and focus. Love ‘em.

But you know what? There’s an even better kind of list, less urgent but far more important. The “to be” list.

What do I want to be? I want to be focussed. I want to be intentional. Compassionate. Strong. I want to be more playful. All those ideas lead to the larger question: Who do I want to be?

We often think that ‘who we are’ is just, well, who we are. This isn’t false, but we also have an awful lot of influence. We control our thoughts (or we can!), we control our responses, we make decisions. Are we doing these things mindlessly, or with intention?

We can drift through life, reacting to the things we encounter. Goodness knows I’ve done too much of that in my life. Or we can set our sights on who we want to be, and do what that person would do. Not drift. Not just react. But rather, respond proactively, intentionally, in a way that inches us, moment by moment, response by response, decision by decision, towards the person we want to be.

Do you know who that is? Can you complete this sentence? “I want to be the kind of person who … ”

What’s on your “To Be” list?

Who do you want to be?