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I read several blog posts yesterday about the new year, resolutions, and what to do with the rest of your life, blah, blah, blah, but one of them actually said something that struck me. I may not do him justice, but the author (Dr. Boyce Watkins) said that every day we should be moving forward. We should be striving to better ourselves in some way, even if that is just a small thing. His exact words were "We are all becoming something, and it is our day to day actions that determine what that thing is." In other words, what we do every day reflects where we want to be. If I have a goal, shouldn't I be working toward that goal, even if it is only a tiny step, every day?
Another blogger mentioned CANI (Constant And Never-ending Improvement). I've never heard this phrase before, but it is definitely a philosophy I subscribe to, primarily because I have a never-ending thirst for knowledge. I can't say that everything I dive into is an improvement, but I do love to learn. At the end of the day, learning something new gives my day value, even if the knowledge serves no discernible purpose.
I'm a long way from making every day count, or living each day purposefully, but I am trying to get there. I yearn for a time when I can recognize something meaningful or valuable in every single day. Until then, I'll keep moving forward.
What about you? Do you have a goal you are working toward? Is it obvious to you in your daily life? It doesn't have to be obvious to everyone, in my opinion, as long as you know you are moving forward.
In Dr. Boyce's words: "Ask yourself honestly: based on my day to day actions, what am I becoming? Are my words in line with my activities, or am I lying to myself?"
4 comments:
I understand what you're saying, but the problem I have is, if you feel like you ALWAYS need to be improving, could you be living your day to day life with a feeling of 'malcontent' or feeling like things are/will never be good enough? It feels a little like not being able to live in the moment, but always looking for better things in the future.
I agree. That is why for the longest time I felt discontented and lacking. I'm not sure I know how to live in the moment. However, I think there could be a fine line drawn between being malcontent with current circumstance and wanting better, and enjoying the process of learning. I'm not sure I expressed it well in my entry, because I tend to waffle back and forth between being happy with what I have, and striving to do/be better. Thank you for the comment and keeping me on my toes!
Oh yes, I do agree with that. There is a fine line between 'being lazy' and just letting things be, and actively trying to improve things if they need to be. It certainly does bug me when people whine about things but then never do anything to try to change it. ( I hate when I see myself being guilty of that!) I wonder if it's possible to ever really find the right balance between being content with what is and striving to change? Maybe we need to think on the Serenity Prayer once in awhile?
Absolutely. I might need to give that some thought, and possibly blog about it!
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