Category: Self

Who Do You Want To Be Today?

Each day is an opportunity: where to go, what to do, how to act, and so on. Have you given any thought to what today will bring?

The typical lifespan will include nearly 30,000 days. That’s a lot of days! And while some heavily-scheduled days may leave little room for improvisation, for most we have choice regarding the details.

You might, for instance, get up early; you might stay up late.  You could spend your time working, or maximize your personal time. Even if you have little flexibility, you can at least decide how to dress.

The decisions you make in the course of your day will help to define, ultimately, who you are. And the best part is that with 30,000 todays to choose from, there is plenty of opportunity to experiment with different choices. You are not locked in to one decision, and you can find what works best for you.

To make the most of all these choices, however, you might want to have some strategy going in. So rather than start each day wondering how you might want it to unfold, you may want to have a plan. Who do you want to be? Then make choices to make that person come into being.

For instance, let’s say you decide you are a little overweight, and in general not in good shape. You might decide to use a chunk of those 30,000 days to exercise more and eat more healthy food. Then you can make changes on a daily basis to reach that outcome.

In conclusion, who do you want to be today? And what decisions can you make this morning, to make that person come into being, both for today, as well as for the next month or more?

Related questions: What do you hope to learn today? Who are you? What is one thing you feel the need to do every day?

What Are The Benefits Of Forgiveness?

Forgiveness is hard work. It doesn’t come naturally, so it is worthwhile to ask: why should we be forgiving?

One of the biggest hurdles is that forgiving someone feels like you have abandoned your principles. If someone has wronged you, to forgive them seems like an endorsement of the wrongdoing. There should be consequences for betrayal, not approval.

Of course, that’s not the way forgiveness works, even if it might seem like it. Your principles are intact. You believe the behavior is wrong, and therefore you would not do it. What is at question is how you treat someone else.

Another issue is that when you forgive someone, it feels like it is an external action. “Give” is, in fact, part of the word! You are giving something to someone, and they may not even understand or care about the hurt that they caused. That seems wrong.

But again, that is a misconception. If you hold on to a grudge or keep close resentment over something, that is, at heart, a self-harm. You’re the one who is impacted. You think about it, you change your behavior, you stew over it.

Forgiveness allows you to let go. Acknowledge that it was a bad thing, but don’t let it continue to have a hold over you. It may be that the other person is privately ashamed of their behavior, and to forgive them might mean that you both are the better for it. You both get to move on with your lives.

There are other benefits as well. Can you think of additional ones? When was the last time you forgave someone, even under trying or difficult circumstances?

Related questions: Forgive or forget? When was the last time you apologized to someone? How do you deal with someone with whom you don’t get along? What gives a person value?

Becoming Or Revealing?

When you learn something new or grow as a person, are you becoming someone knew, or revealing what was already there?

Share why if you wish.

Becoming Or Revealing?
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How Do You Deal With Suffering?

Regardless of your lot in life, you will have to deal with suffering at some point, either your own or someone else’s. How will you handle it?

There are many different ways to go through difficult times. “Suffering” can be defined in many different ways.

One common type is to go through an emotional grieving process at the loss of a family member or other loved one. Because everyone dies eventually, we will all need to handle grief and the wave of emotions that can come with it several times over throughout the course of an average lifespan.

Similarly, the longer you live, the more likely you will have some sort of health problem. These can run the gamut from minor but intense to long-term, chronic issues.

There is yet another wrinkle thrown in when you have to deal not with your own, but the suffering of someone close to you. Even if you don’t experience the pain directly, either physical or emotional, watching a loved one go through it and being unable to do anything to ease that pain can be very difficult.

So how do you deal with it? Chances are, you have had the experience a number of times already, and will have many more in the future. So how did you handle it in the past, and how will you approach future events? Do you keep things bottled up, or share with others? Are you more likely to experience anger, grim resignation, or black humor? How do you deal with suffering?

Related questions: What is the worst pain you’ve ever experienced? What is the right amount of emotion? How do you deal with loss? What can you learn from loss? What are our responsibilities to others?

Look Inward Or Look Outward?

When you give credit or assign blame, are you more likely to look to yourself or someone else? Do you look inward or outward?

Share why if you wish.

Look Inward Or Look Outward?
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