Inspirational Sunday: What Kind of Person Will You Be?

I haven't done Inspirational Sunday posts in a while. I figured I should pick up some old series that I miss. As someone who has coached and sponsored people for over 20 years with anxiety disorders, I have learned to be a good life coach, but also a person who has learned a helluva lot in her years on earth, enough to make me a wise old soul.

Sometimes, we are faced with nasty realities about ourselves, whether it's a propensity for making vows to lose weight and not doing it, or tuning out a loved one's requests and procrastinating.

It's helpful to sit down and ask yourself, NOT what kind of person you wish to be, BUT what kind of person you will be from this moment on.


You might get caught up in the concept of "I see myself as a fun-loving guy who has a big heart," but then your actions show things like being uptight and snappy when in a rush and forgetting other people's plights to discuss your issues.  You must first be real with yourself so that you can change your priorities to match your reality.

How do we merge what we will be from what we wish to be?

It's as simple as stopping and asking yourself when you make decisions, "is this the decision that he would make?" "is this the priority he would set?" and "will this lead to his ultimate goal in some way?"

When I was a kid, my father got heart disease. He was a very successful man, rushing around, traveling, running his business that was growing at leaps and bounds. The first chest pains were a twinge of what was to come if he didn't prioritize. But, he continued on as he was doing and died by the time I was 16. He saw himself as a businessman in which relationships with family and even his own health were of lesser importance than the next day's deal. So, his health failed from neglect. He was a success. But, he died at 59. He thought he was securing our financial future and that of his employees, but instead he actually made us all lose his support--forever.

So, let's backtrack for my father, shall we? 

My father saw himself as a successful businessman that many depended upon.  If he ignored the doctor's orders that he choose better meals, take his medications and exercise regularly, how did that jive with his priority?

Is this a decision a successful businessman would make?
As a successful businessman does not ignore potentially devastating news, ignoring reality is not compatible with securing the future.

Is ignoring the doctor's orders a priority he would set? 
A man who wanted to provide jobs and income for his family would not disregard orders to alter his lifestyle because it would threaten the very thing he desired.

Would this lead to his ultimate goal? 
If the ultimate goal was everyone's financial security, him being either incapacitated or dead would not benefit anyone.

Sit down now and write a simple few sentences about the person you WILL be.

Example, "I am a faithful partner, patient parent, and seeker of answers in the world of medicine."

Now, from this moment on, make decisions that support that sort of person and his goals.