Who do want to be?



Who do you want to be?


What a central question, one that my brain has been buzzing around for years. It has been in the forefront a lot lately, partly because I just finished the book Atomic Habits (which I totally recommend). It makes total sense now, but I hadn't really thought about the fact that my sense of self dictates the habits that I take on or that don't stick. What we choose/ don't choose to do largely depends on our values and how we see ourselves. Consequently, when we shift our view of our identity that automatically changes our habits.

Seeing as how January is generally accepted as the hot spot of resolutions, it's the perfect moment to write down my ideas for my ideal self:

*creative    *musically inclined    *sympathetic

*nice    *polite    *giving (time + resources)

*empathetic    *a good person    *caring

*energetic yet grounded    *an avid reader

*someone you can count on    *a person you want to be with 

*healthy    

*cultured    *knowledgeable but not a know it all

*a person who supports the arts, who supports people in the arts, who supports people in general

*good at languages    *eloquent    

*self-confident, but not cocky

*a person who notices other people and makes them feel noticed

*a person who keeps in touch with family

*wise   *talented   *a good dancer

*a warm hugger    *warm in general

*economically stable so I can stop worrying about money

*a person deeply in touch with themselves and their body

*a person who takes care of their body

*someone willing to take risks, albeit calculated ones

*a writer    *someone good with words at the right moment

*someone you can confide in

*a good listener

*someone who faces their fears

*someone who truly lives emotions and lets them come in with the tide and out when the ride is over

*understanding

*someone who connects

*someone truly in the moment


Is that a tall order? Yup. Looking back at what I've written, it feels like a lot to ask of myself...do I have enough time, energy, and strength to be all of these ideals? I can feel the description shining through the page, the golden best I could be...

Yes, it is a lot, but I also see in looking back that I am most of these qualities some of the time. There are only a few ideals that elude me or that I truly struggle with. Maybe I should concentrate on those, but honestly just the idea that I want to be a good person all the time connects all my values and supports them.

We can't be everything all the time, and what's more, we don't have to. I suppose what makes us feel like "ourselves" is when we act according to our values when the situation arises.



Text: Kristen Mastromarchi


Photo: Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/johnhain-352999/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=511555">John Hain</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=511555">Pixabay</a>


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