Life is harsh. There are people that are living large, successful lives and those that are struggling to get through the day. Some have huge influence, but are dying inside from boredom and tiredness. Some have started hundreds of initiatives, but have never been able to finish them. Some have taken years to work through emotional baggage before even being able to think about doing something meaningful. Some find it easier to react in anger than start doing what they can to change their situation. Some are truly helpless – and that helplessness is as real in the mansion with the curtains drawn as it is on the street.
No matter what the circumstance, challenge presents itself to all of us in some areas of our lives. But I have been looking at some of the people that I admire – those who are living large, exciting lives – and I have seen them live beyond these challenges. In a world where everything is about achievement and glory, there is a different mindset that I think sets these people apart. It may sound simple, but I ask that you actually consider the full meaning behind it:
My success in life is not about what I achieve, it’s about who I am.
Realistically, what will last longer? What you do, or who you were? Even looking at some of the most successful, long-lasting companies in the world, it is either completely different in vision from that of it’s founder, or it is thriving off of the identity established through who the founder actually was. A great example is Apple and Steve Jobs. The way that Jobs thought and saw life is still very evident in the company. Admittedly there are a few things that would not be Steve’s cup of tea now, but the very essence of the brand remains solidly under Jobs’ legacy.
Will our children remember us for the house we bought or for who we were in that house? Will they remember the school books we bought for them, or the encouragement we gave when they were about to write the test? Who we are will outlast what we do. It will have effect (positive or negative) on the generations to come after us.
So who are you? If you are anything like me, you could possibly be caught so busy with “doing” that you haven’t even thought about who you are “being”. You might say that what you are busy with is an expression of who you are. But then all that you are is wrapped tightly in the intentions of tasks that some people will never understand or appreciate. What you do may speak of who you are, but it is not the substance of who you are.
Who you actually are is exposed when you are challenged, or caught off-guard. It is revealed more in your reaction than in your calculated response. Who you are is unique and colourful and refreshing. It is the combination of characteristics that people around you find refreshing. Who you are is something that you need to work on constantly. How you speak, what you allow yourself to think and how you make others feel are all elements of you that will outlast your achievement.
The Bible speaks of the nature of our hearts – the core of our existence. It says that others may be impressed by the exterior appearance of people, but God looks at our heart. After you have reached your goals, ticked off your bucket list and “changed the world”, what will be left? That is when “who you are” will really count.
I pray that you dream big and shake this world. I believe that the current generation of young people will redefine life – for the better. But who will we all be once it all has been done? Will you be comfortable with yourself in the afterglow of success – when there is nothing more to be done and all the excitement has passed? The value of being an excellent “you” will far outweigh being an excellent achiever of anything else. The only way I can truly understand and celebrate who I have been created to be is by knowing Jesus. The more I know him, the more I have been able to know who he made me to be.
God doesn’t want you for what you can do. He wants you for who you are. In fact, He doesn’t care what you have done, He still wants you. To find out more click on the link below.