Think back through your life: at the age of 16 you were not the same person you had been when you were six. Nor were you the same at 16 as you later became (or will become) at 26, 36, 46, or 56. Throughout our lives, in different ways, we are always changing and becoming.
We are not just human beings, we are human becomings.
Like a caterpillar, we do not stay the same. But unlike a caterpillar, we are able to make our becoming a deliberate, conscious process: with self-awareness we can choose who we work towards becoming.
The Churning, Inner Leadership recommends several ways to increase this self-awareness, including:
- Spending time in nature
- Meditation and exercise
- Creativity
- Identifying the people we most admire and the reasons why we admire them
- Clarifying what it will take for us to live a worthwhile life
- Finding what we love
- Getting clear on our purpose and values
The more we do these things, the more clarity we gain about who we want to become, and the more we deliberately we can focus our actions on becoming that person — no matter what is going on around us. The more adaptable we then become. And the more energy and enthusiasm we have to take us where we want to go.
In this time of change, simply realising that we are human becomings and taking our best next step to become who we most want to become are two more ways that we can become antifragile: able to use change to become stronger and more valuable, in the ways that matter most to us.
Are you clear who you most want to become? Are you actively taking even small steps to transform yourself to become that person?
Adapted from Inner Leadership: a framework and tools for building inspiration in times of change.
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Photo By Magnus Hagdorn via StockPholio.net