“Every thought you produce, anything you say, any action you do, it bears your signature.” ~~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Have you ever thought about your signature? I’m not talking about how you sign your name on documents. I’m talking about what it is that defines you. What others remember about you after you’ve been introduced into their lives. It’s what you leave behind.
Many of us are working towards being our signature self. It’s can be quite a struggle for some of us, as it’s not always easy to close the gap between who we are and who we want to be. Some of us don’t even fully know who we want to be…we just know we aren’t quite there yet. So the task is to figure out what it is that will bring true happiness to our lives, that place where there is a healthy balance to all the pieces and parts of our lives.
I’ve been working on this for my own self quite a bit this year. It’s been interesting to witness how the process of discovering what I really want out of life has ebbed and flowed over these past few months. There have been days where everything just seems totally dialed in, and then there are days where I feel like a big ball of confusion and frustration. It seems like on the days where I am not totally honest with my thoughts and feelings — those days when I veer towards things/people that aren’t truly and authentically meant for me — those are the days when I notice I get really down and frustrated. Sometimes I guess I just want something so badly to be the thing I need, I don’t see the truth surrounding it, letting me know it’s not the best thing for ME. Maybe for someone else. Just not for me.
It’s been no easy task to pay such close attention to my thoughts and feelings, I won’t lie. I have always been quick in my responses to things, and very emotionally attached to everything in my life. I hate giving up on something, even if it’s something that may not be good for me, because I used to think it meant I was a failure.
But over these past few months, I’ve noticed that it’s getting easier and easier to make decisions — the right decisions — because I am actually taking the time more and more to pay attention to the signals. When I pay attention to my breath, my thoughts, and my body’s physical reactions to situations, I’m able to make more rational and solid decisions. I’m able to more fully define who I want to be, and then put in place a plan as to how to get there.
As I said above, this hasn’t been easy for me. But it’s important to me. It’s important for me to know who I want to be, and then to be that person. And then for others to see me in the same way. 100% of the time. I’m slowly getting there, and am enjoying the process, even though it isn’t always a smooth one.
What about you? Have you already figured out who you want to be? If so, are you there yet? Are you living as that person 100% of the time? Don’t beat yourself up if, like me, you’re still a work in progress or haven’t even begun to think about this yet. Many times, life gets in the way and doesn’t give us a chance to do this kind of self analysis often enough. Just start now, wherever you are, and go from there. It’s never too late to be the YOU that you were meant to be.
SC Yoga Girl 