Who you are and what you do

What We Do vs. Who We Are

Do you ever have days where you question what your purpose is and feel overwhelmed by the thought that maybe there are a hundred other things you should be doing instead of what you are doing right now?

>>Relax, you are normal if you have days like this. <<

Thanks to my pastor, one day I received a message of clarity in regards to this topic.  He made it seem so simple, yet vital.  No matter what your spiritual beliefs are, we can all find some common ground in the idea of wanting to live according to our purpose, right? Discovering this is what makes life so challenging, yet beautiful.

Take bees, for instance.  I have no expertise on the topic of bees at all, but I do know that they have a very important purpose of pollination and producing honey and beeswax .  I also know that there is a decline in the amount of bees so because pollination is important ecologically and commercially, the value of what bees do has increased all the more.

Think about what you do and how it is valuable to others. Do you enjoy what you do? Do you see the positive impact of what you do?

Now, think about a specific time in your life when you feel that you made the most memorable and substantial impact on others. It could have been just one short moment, or it could have been something that happened over time or somewhere in between.  Recall the details of this specific time in your life.  How did that make you and the people you impacted feel?  

Here is something to consider: what we do is important, of course, but even more important than what we do, is who we are.  When I paused to let this idea settle in during my pastor’s message, I immediately wrote down ten different roles that I play.  This I call the “who” of me.  Within each of the roles are different qualities of me that come out, some of which I like and some that I don’t like.  Some qualities that I always want to have are to be kind, loving, humble, helpful and honest.   What are your “who’s” and what qualities do you strive to possess unconditionally?

 I recommend you take a few moments to view Tim McGraw’s beautiful song called  “Humble and Kind.”  In a world that often feels overwhelming and full of conflict, this song summons up feelings of simplicity, hope and unification.  

Some final words of wisdom that I am paraphrasing from my pastor are, “Before you think about what you are going to do in the future, think about who are you in the present.  If you are becoming the right who, you can pray and be led to the right place you need to be to do what you need to be doing in a way that makes you fulfilled!”

With that, I share with you that I am a mother who loves to dance! I never took one dance class as a child. In high school, I was a cheerleader for wrestling and my friends would tease me about how I couldn’t move my hips to save my life. As an adult, I decided to stop worrying about how I look when I dance, and I just started leading cardio dance classes for anyone who wanted to come get a fun workout with me. It continues to be my favorite class to lead, and my kids continue to tease me sometimes about my silly dance moves.

I dare you to join me in this dance I created. With a few minutes of getting into your body, you might be met with a moment of clarity about who you are in this present moment. If you like how energizing and uplifting it is to move your body this way, here are some more energizing tips….because after all…you deserve to feel your best!