What You Do Always Counts
Abstract: Answering the question of who am I is the key to
personal growth and reaching full potential. Observing what I do
is what counts in my personal growth. I am what I do.
Coming out of the library the other day, I saw a man in front
of me with a tee-shirt emblazoned with the words, "You are what
you do when it counts." And the first thing that popped into my
mind was that it always counts. Everything we do defines who we
are. It may not define who we can be, our best qualities, or our
highest self, but what we do always defines who we are being at
that specific time.
Whether you feel fully or partially self empowered, or are just
exploring the self empowerment landscape, this is true: at this
instant what you are doing reflects who you are being.
Pretty heavy stuff this; if you're serious about self
improvement, the knowledge that what you are now doing reflects
who you are being can take some of the fun out of just hanging
around, for hanging around implies a state of being without
specific purpose. Now, there's nothing wrong with just being. In
fact, just being present in the moment can offer opportunity for
insight, reflection, and appreciation of your surroundings. But
it's important to be aware that you're just hanging around at
this moment and consciously choose to continue or withdraw. This
awareness sharpens consciousness and reinforces self empowerment.
I'm certain the tee-shirt phrase is meant to address how we
behave under difficult and stressful conditions. For example,
I'm writing this just after the Gulf states of the US were hit
hard by the category 4 hurricane, Katrina, which caused
widespread destruction and loss of life. In the terrible
aftermath of Katrina, we saw a full range of human behavior.
Some rose to heroic heights, rescuing other survivors though
they, too, had lost much. Others behaved much differently, using
the opportunity for lawless and harmful behavior. Though perhaps
not consciously, people chose who to be and demonstrated their
choices by their behavior.
It is true that what we do under stressful conditions shows much
about the strength of our convictions of who we are. I can be
generous and giving when I have plenty. Can I still be generous
and giving when nearly all I have is lost? I can if my
conviction is strong.
If you want a good dose of reality sometime, try this: At both
lunch and dinner time, take a few moments to reflect on what you
did during the past four hours. Observe not only what you did,
but who you were being that sponsored what you did.
For example, let's say I became angry at a co-worker this
morning. I might be tempted in my lunch-time reflection to
describe the argument as something she caused. As the old saying
goes, it takes two to tangle, so healthy reflection on this
event would acknowledge that I must have had some part in the
argument.
Was I being defensive, grumpy, jealous, petty, or patronizing?
Who was I being just before and during the argument. What might
have caused my anger? Was it fear, which is generally a sponsor
of anger? Does her work threaten me in some way? I must be open
to all possibilities to truly benefit from this reflection.
If you actually reflect as I've suggested and do so with an open
mind, I think you'll be surprised to realize the wide range of
behaviors you exhibit in just a four hour period. And a wide
range of behaviors means your states of being ranged widely,
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too. How much of the time were your behaviors reflecting the
person that you really choose to be? How often were you at your
best?
In writing this article I began thinking about the percentage of
time that my behaviors align with my view of who I choose to be.
I asked myself if I more often than not act as my highest self.
If I'm making progress toward living my true purpose in life,
which is being my highest self, the best that I can be, my
behaviors should be largely those that reflect me at my very
best. I should be doing highest self things more often than not.
I have been on a spiritual, self-empowerment growth path for
several years now. Yet I'm dismayed that what I sometimes do is
inconsistent with who I believe I am. Sometimes I act in ways
that stem less from my highest self and more from my selfish,
inconsiderate, non-aware self. Perhaps I will begin to keep a
"who am I being" log, a brief diary of my states of being to
sharpen my awareness and consciousness. Perhaps you will want to
do the same.
I must remember that I am what I do all the time--it always
counts.
This article first appeared at Suite101.com
About the author:
Copywrite 2005, all rights reserved. Jerry Lopper is an author,
personal coach, and consultant. Find your true purpose in life
at http://www.YourCoachtoSuccess.com. Review his latest book at
http://jumpforjoy.yourcoachtosuccess.com.
If you are a peaceful person, or someone seeking peace amidst
chaos, visit http://livingpeace.YourCoachtoSuccess.com.
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