I came to a fundamental insight that would guide my future work: our potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another.
— Angela Duckworth
You may have heard the phrase “To thine own self be true”. This often repeated line from the Shakespeare play Hamlet is often taken to mean that you need to be you and that you shouldn’t act in a way that only pleases others. But what version of you are you being true to?
Every one of us is a complicated mix of intentions, wants, hopes, dreams and habits. We are all many different versions of ourselves living in the same body and these different versions of ourselves are constantly vying for control of our actions.
We have all experienced this struggle for power. Do I eat the cookie or stay on the diet? Do I get off the couch and exercise or sit and watch reality TV while downing a bag of potato chips? Do I reach out to help someone in need or ignore them and focus on my own problems? Do I work to reach my true potential or do I languish in my current rut?
These are the kinds of decisions we all need to make every day. The decisions we make determine which version of ourselves we are choosing to be true to. Are we true to the best version of ourselves that is loving, kind and striving to become better or are we true to the version of ourselves that is unmotivated, lazy and stuck in the journey of life. Each day we must choose and each choice is a vote for the future we are willing to accept.
What choice will you make?
What choices did you make today that kept you stuck in the past? What choices did you make today to help you be the best version of yourself? How can you make more choices that help you grow and be better?