How to Become the Best You Ever

Life has a particular way of making some think about those with whom they may owe a debt.  Individuals like, their parents, their children, their mentors, their families and even their country but one person that we often forget is the debt that we owe ourselves.    We often forget this because many of us try our best not to be or even appear to be selfish and we feel that any attempts to re-pay ourselves will create that impression.  What we forget or often times refuse to acknowledge is in the Bible, Book of Matthew Chapter 7, paragraph 3 and 5 Jesus tells us “Why worry about a speck in the eye of your brother when you have a board in yours.” “Hypocrite, first get rid of the board.” “Then you can see to help your brother.”   Now who else knows more about our better angels and what is required to be the best that we can than the Son of God. 

I was having a conversation with my second oldest son, Jermar yesterday.  I call him my son because he was the oldest of the foster kids that we took custody of and for those who many not have heard, were also my nieces and nephews.  We spoke about his role as the senior statesman of that group and how he is required to reconcile his deep, dark feelings of abandonment in order for him to become the best that he can be.  Now it must be made clear, this is a man who is now supervisor of three (3) stores in a Fortune 500 corporation yet he still needs to do this as we all must by contacting those who you believe may have wronged us and say just three (3) words.  “I FORGIVE YOU”.  I informed him that we all grow not by years or inches but by how much restraint we have on our spirit.  It’s the spirit that truly allows us to live.  When we damper down our spirit, we damper down our lives.  If you have ever wondered why you seem to be stuck in the mud and gaining no traction at all, it is because your spirit is trapped in that same mud.  The body is but a shell and we spend so much time taking care of it.  We make sure it’s washed and clean in order not to offend others or ourselves.  We make sure that the hair style is just right in order to impress and gain favor.  We make sure that the body is fit and trim and if we are not the poster model type, we strive to do whatever we can and pay whatever amount we have to achieve that end.    We also spend time, demeaning and degrading others who may never be able to afford that which we strive so hard to obtain.  We do all this in hopes of making our lives better and making us feel better about ourselves.  We paint, remodel and re-arrange this shell all the while forgetting about the most important and the truly only thing that can make our lives better.  The true essence of who we are, we forget to nourish and nurture the spirit.

How do we do this?  Simple, we can choose to be the person we were born to be.  We refuse to listen or except anything which would go against our true spirit.  The spirit is what really drives you and why you feel bad when you ignore it.  The spirit is what makes you run into a burning building to save a child.  The spirit is what makes you stop on side of the road to help a complete stranger when their car is broken down.  The spirit is what makes you give a beggar your last bit of change when you see them on the street without thinking about what they will do with it or if you will see this very same person tomorrow.  The spirit is the better angels that many speak about but fail to tell you more about them or inform you how you can unleash them.  Your spirit is what actually runs your life and not the media or your pastor in the church.  Your spirit is what tells you what is right and what is wrong and if you listen to it, you’ll never regret one instant and will be happier for it.  Your spirit is what asks you to take responsibility for your actions and treat others as you wish to be treated.  Then and only then will you be able to become the best that you can be and experience the happiness that we all search so hard to find.  As it says in the Book of Matthew Chapter 5, paragraph 14, 15 and 16 “You are the world’s light-a city on a hill, glowing in the night for all to see.”  “Don’t hide you light!”  “Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father.”  No need in letting others see the good that you do because true happiness can not be witnessed, it can only be felt.

Many find blame in others for things that happen with little or no understanding.  I say that first one must seek and discover his/her mistake before attempting to correct another.   Our current situation in this nation is not due to the lack of anything from those in power now but the price we pay for not doing the job when it was before us.  The price we pay for kicking the can down the road.  The events of today, tomorrow and years to come are shaped by those right here right now.  We can either choose to begin to fix them now or spend all our time and energy looking for someone to blame.  At what point are going to finally realize that finding someone to blame is a wasted effort?  The event for which we seek to blame is happening now and time will not turn back because we have the right person to blame.   This nation deserves better, the people deserve better but most importantly you deserve better.