"Concentrate on the future and what you will
accomplish, the opportunities you own, the dreams you will
form, the life you will live." — Anonymous Wise Person
Who else might I have been?  Posted
Aug-06-2006
Response to Sunday
Scribblings #19
I’ve been sitting here for 10 minutes thinking
about this question wondering how to use it as productively as
possible. Meanwhile, a different part of my brain is reviewing
the circumstances, situations, decisions, and experiences that
have made up the last 30-some years of my life. And it is the
deeper knowing part of me that fully understands that every one
of those things has made me the person I am right now. How did
I arrive at this very moment engaged in a Sunday morning writing
prompt? The answer is in the map that is dynamically generated
by each step I take on this unique path — journey — of
mine.
“Who else might I have been if…?” As
I try to grab onto the end of a thread of thought to respond
to this, it occurs to me that answering the question whether
hypothetically or realistically is an exercise likened to “which
came first, the chicken or the egg?” A million answers
wouldn’t satisfy the million hypothetical desires and
longings — potential possibilities — lying inside
of my soul like unhatched eggs in a nest. I get hung
up on simple thoughts such as “If my mom married a different
man — I wouldn’t be here at all!"
I could have been born into royalty or into poverty.
I could have been raised with more of some influences and
less of others.
I could have lived in a different country, had a different
religion, or inherited a different ethnicity. But the simple
truth about my life is that it all is what it is. Wondering
about things otherwise seems like a moot point. Who's the guy
pushing the rock up the hill? Sisyphus?
However, in regards to the future, rephrasing the question “Who
else might I have been?” to “Who else can I become?” has
a whole different ring to it. This is actually a cool way to
reassess goals and priorities, interests and passions and realize
the potential of becoming the person you desire by positively
influencing your life towards an outcome (see Acting
As If).
For example, rework this:
Q: Who else might I have been if I didn’t give up
on my art after high school?
A: A professional gallery-showing artist. Ah, too late now!
To this:
Q: Who else can I become if I begin pursuing
my artistic aspirations again 15 years after high school?
A. If I’m serious about developing
my artistic side, I can design and follow a firm plan of
action. When I do, I have the potential of becoming a professional
gallery-showing artist. Meanwhile, I’ll enjoy doing
my art again and have a new, wonderful, healthy outlet
for my creativity.
That’s right. There's no reason to resign our lives
to a
“have
been” when
endless opportunities exist for us to being “can
becomes.” What unhatched eggs are laying in your nest?
Who else might you become if you decide to crack
one open? •
© 2006 Chris Dunmire www.chrisdunmire.com.
All rights reserved. |
