Breathtaking beauty in the heart of the Rocky Mountains – in Canmore, AB
Photo taken by the author
“The greatest thing about tomorrow is, I will be better than I am today. And that’s how I look at my life. I will be a better golfer, I will be a better person, I will be a better father, I will be a better husband, I will be a better friend. That’s the beauty of tomorrow.”
– Tiger Woods
Becoming is what we are all after. To become a better person, son or daughter, friend, husband or wife, father or mother – a family member. It could also mean to become a better worker, more skilled at our craft, more excellent in our hobbies, and more graceful with our free time. The search of life is just that: a search. Nothing more and nothing less. It’s really one big search over the course of a number of decades, which defines our lifetime, with lots and lots of other searches in between. In other words, it is a lifelong search in discovering and really understanding who we actually are – our individual selves. Once we’ve discovered that, it becomes about having the courage to live that out in the public forum of who we truly are.
Of course this doesn’t come naturally or easily for anyone who has ever walked the earth. It’s a process, after all. Like all great searches, and any search for that matter, it takes time and it gets unveiled over a sequence of time, in many different ways. This is easier to write, much less live out, let me tell you. Becoming who you are doesn’t take place in the blink of an eye or the click of a finger, even though we would all wish to have our own personal genie, with a lot more than three wishes to be granted. Instead, it takes place in layers. As one layer is removed, or unearthed, we gain a greater, deeper, and more insightful understanding of who we are; thus, becoming more of, well, you. The goal of this process is to be as complete of you as you can possibly be during your lifetime.
“Every day I become a better person. Not for anyone, but for myself.”
– Author unknown
The 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio has come and gone. The 100-yard dash is without a doubt one of the most premier events to watch as the winner who crosses the finish line first is declared “the fastest man on earth.” The champion holds this distinct title for four years until the next Olympic Games comes around. For those who recall this highly anticipated event, Usain Bolt, who runs as fast as a lightning bolt, became the bearer of this prestigious gold medal title three times in a row, which is a first in Olympic history in this event. Over the past 12 years Bolt became all he could be as a sprinter and rose to the upper echelon in his area of expertise. This is one such example of a person becoming and reaching all of who they were (in this case, athletics.) Perhaps you could be the next example in becoming all of who you can be.
Dwight Van Middlesworth 