In December of 2018, I graduated college a semester earlier than I intended. I had eight months off between the end of school and the beginning of my full-time job. It was the first time I truly had nothing to do. People would ask, “aren’t you bored?” Not working a full-time job or being a full-time student warrants people to wonder what you’re occupying your time with during the lull.
Those eight months were some of the most important months of my life. I didn’t have a single excuse for pushing anything off. I had all the time in the world to do what I pleased, and I decided that if I had eight months to myself, I was going to use them as productively as I could.
I signed up for a five-day, online course taught by Jay Shetty. If you’re not familiar with Jay Shetty, I highly recommend you look him up (https://jayshetty.me). He’s one of my role models and an inspiration to millions of people around the world. He was a monk for three years but then reentered the world as we know it to preach what he learned in a digestible, actionable way. He has a podcast, a book, a large presence on social media, a coaching service, and much more. It’s safe to say I am a big fan of his.
During his five-day seminar on how to live a more purposeful life, he brought up an astounding point that really shook me to my core. He said, “You can't be anything you want, but you can be everything you are”. This is very contrary to what I’ve been told my whole life. It’s really common to hear, “you can be anything you want to be,” and although the point of that statement is to encourage people to dream limitlessly, I think it also comes with a whole lot of possibility that can be paralyzing.
I know that for me, it’s overwhelming to think about every possible avenue I could take. I’m a firm believer that ambition and focus are two deadly components for success, and the truth is, it’s not that hard to cultivate either of those two. A lot of people have both. With those two factors, you can be a doctor, lawyer, teacher, entrepreneur, scientist, CEO, you name it. The world is your oyster when you are a determined, eager individual. But with every possibility floating around out there, how do you know which one to pick?
That’s where Jay Shetty’s wisdom comes into play. It may be nice for some people to be told they can be anything they want to be, but I think there’s way more clarity in understanding that you are going to excel while being everything that comes to you, naturally. I remember sighing with relief when he said this during the course. It was like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders.
We see it all the time, everyday. People trying to fit a mold to appease others or to blend in with the crowd. People who neglect parts of themselves for the sole sake of appearing to be “one of them”. It is something that if you don’t feel now, you probably felt in the past. Instead of trying to be something other than what comes effortlessly to you, maybe take a second and realize that you’ll serve a lot more people being who you are naturally, one of them being yourself.
Some people spend their whole lives trying to become good at what they’re average at instead of becoming the best at what they’re good at. It doesn't matter if you’re 18 or 88, you still have time to be everything you naturally are.
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