Comments on: Be Who You Want to Become http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/10/be-who-you-want-to-become/ Better Ways to Live, Work, and Change the World Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:27:59 -0500 hourly 1 By: Francesca http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/10/be-who-you-want-to-become/comment-page-1/#comment-2298 Francesca Wed, 19 May 2010 09:54:32 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1391#comment-2298 Fantastic post. I completely connected with what you were saying. The realisation that "someday" is never going to come dawned on me a few years back and initially I panicked. I had to find some meaning to my life and finally I found it. I'm now training to be a doctor and run a self-development blog to encourage others to find themselves too. I think that everyone needs to come to this realisation before they can truely achieve anything in their lives. Fantastic post. I completely connected with what you were saying. The realisation that “someday” is never going to come dawned on me a few years back and initially I panicked. I had to find some meaning to my life and finally I found it. I’m now training to be a doctor and run a self-development blog to encourage others to find themselves too. I think that everyone needs to come to this realisation before they can truely achieve anything in their lives.

]]> By: Lessons learned from being a Chicken http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/10/be-who-you-want-to-become/comment-page-1/#comment-2121 Lessons learned from being a Chicken Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:53:57 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1391#comment-2121 [...] Jeffrey Tan at Art of Great Things on Being who you want to become Share and Enjoy: [...] [...] Jeffrey Tan at Art of Great Things on Being who you want to become Share and Enjoy: [...]

]]> By: Aarne Talman http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/10/be-who-you-want-to-become/comment-page-1/#comment-1218 Aarne Talman Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:24:38 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1391#comment-1218 Great post. I think you have written something here that we all could learn from. I find myself too often thinking about my goals for the future and when I reach my goal I already have a new goal set. What we kind of forget is that we live in the present not in the future. Great post. I think you have written something here that we all could learn from. I find myself too often thinking about my goals for the future and when I reach my goal I already have a new goal set. What we kind of forget is that we live in the present not in the future.

]]> By: Kendra http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/10/be-who-you-want-to-become/comment-page-1/#comment-915 Kendra Sat, 06 Feb 2010 04:43:09 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1391#comment-915 I really enjoyed this post. The "someday" mentality is something that I deal struggle with quite often and you did a great job of bringing to mind that today, this moment, is what we have to work with. I like your way of thinking. Keep writing, I dig it. I really enjoyed this post. The “someday” mentality is something that I deal struggle with quite often and you did a great job of bringing to mind that today, this moment, is what we have to work with. I like your way of thinking. Keep writing, I dig it.

]]> By: DaphneandDonald http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/10/be-who-you-want-to-become/comment-page-1/#comment-540 DaphneandDonald Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:57:04 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1391#comment-540 This is something I have struggled with. I like defined goals, something that shows clear progress, something that has structure. I'm a planner, an organizer. I like to see the process and know where I am in the timeline.<br><br>The things I really want in life won't ever be like that, though. I keep looking for someTHING when I should simply be DOING. If it's important, I'll make time for it. If I don't, it's probably not that important.<br><br>Thank you for your words of wisdom. This is something I have struggled with. I like defined goals, something that shows clear progress, something that has structure. I'm a planner, an organizer. I like to see the process and know where I am in the timeline.

The things I really want in life won't ever be like that, though. I keep looking for someTHING when I should simply be DOING. If it's important, I'll make time for it. If I don't, it's probably not that important.

Thank you for your words of wisdom.

]]> By: Name http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/10/be-who-you-want-to-become/comment-page-1/#comment-530 Name Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:19:18 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1391#comment-530 Practice is continuous, not a means to an end. A goal is an ending, of sorts. Practice is continuous, not a means to an end. A goal is an ending, of sorts.

]]> By: Madeleine http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/10/be-who-you-want-to-become/comment-page-1/#comment-507 Madeleine Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:20:49 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1391#comment-507 Hi Jefff,<br>I love your new blog and the idea of a 12 Great Commandments series. I like the idea of hearing the inspiring story and being "driven into passivity by it." Unfortunately, that tends to happen. <br><br>For me, though, a good thing about growing old is that I'm aware that--if I'm to be what I want to become--I need to do it now. Thanks for the eccouragement. Hi Jefff,
I love your new blog and the idea of a 12 Great Commandments series. I like the idea of hearing the inspiring story and being “driven into passivity by it.” Unfortunately, that tends to happen.

For me, though, a good thing about growing old is that I'm aware that–if I'm to be what I want to become–I need to do it now. Thanks for the eccouragement.

]]> By: John Duffield http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/10/be-who-you-want-to-become/comment-page-1/#comment-505 John Duffield Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:54:10 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1391#comment-505 Good morning Jeff from Hamilton Canada! I’m away from the farm today, visiting the “big city”! I thought I’d say a bit more about the kind of judgment that keeps us from coming alive. You might say there are a “billion plus one” kinds of judgment…only one of which keeps our dreams from us. First a few examples of those first billion. As a perfectionist, you might take a peek at what you’re working on at the moment and judge it “not yet done to my liking”. A few more bells and whistles then, and it’s done. Good judgment there if you were working on an airplane and made sure the last bolts on the wings were screwed tight. You might use your powers of judgment to provide guidance to your kids too. Knowing drugs are bad, you might make a judgment call and prohibit them from hanging with the wrong crowd. One final kind of “good judgment example” now. You and I can easily, using our brains, judge whether one person’s house is bigger than another or whether some gal’s car is smallest on the block. O.K., there’s nothing wrong with all those ways of “judging”. But there is one way we “pass judgment” that limits life everywhere. It’s where we judge the life of one person worth less than that of another….for a gazillion reasons. People judge others less worthy because they’re black, white, green, big, small, pr poor. People’s lives are found wanting just because they live on the other side of the tracks. These kinds of judging our souls, makes us fear failing, making mistakes, loving, and just plain getting out there to live life. Terrified of being pronounced worthless, we’ll stay locked up inside our shells forever. But the worst part is, all this judging teaches us to judge ourselves. So many fearful messages of judgment surround us, that….eventually….we don’t even need other folks to call us worthless. We’ll judge ourselves less worthy than others for all the same reasons. Anyhow, in answer to your question. Maybe ten years ago I discovered how to begin removing my fears of being judged….and I’ve been “un-learning” the bad behavior ever since. I still catch myself doing it on occasion. Here’s something else to think about too. If those inhibiting fears are removed, something stunning happens. In short, like opening a tap to let water out, your authentic person gushes into the world. You begin to see who you are and what to do with your life. Believe it or not….you discover your calling. Speaking of callings, I hear people calling for breakfast around here. Gotta go. Ciao Jeff. John Duffield Good morning Jeff from Hamilton Canada! I’m away from the farm today, visiting the “big city”! I thought I’d say a bit more about the kind of judgment that keeps us from coming alive. You might say there are a “billion plus one” kinds of judgment…only one of which keeps our dreams from us. First a few examples of those first billion. As a perfectionist, you might take a peek at what you’re working on at the moment and judge it “not yet done to my liking”. A few more bells and whistles then, and it’s done. Good judgment there if you were working on an airplane and made sure the last bolts on the wings were screwed tight. You might use your powers of judgment to provide guidance to your kids too. Knowing drugs are bad, you might make a judgment call and prohibit them from hanging with the wrong crowd. One final kind of “good judgment example” now. You and I can easily, using our brains, judge whether one person’s house is bigger than another or whether some gal’s car is smallest on the block. O.K., there’s nothing wrong with all those ways of “judging”. But there is one way we “pass judgment” that limits life everywhere. It’s where we judge the life of one person worth less than that of another….for a gazillion reasons. People judge others less worthy because they’re black, white, green, big, small, pr poor. People’s lives are found wanting just because they live on the other side of the tracks. These kinds of judging our souls, makes us fear failing, making mistakes, loving, and just plain getting out there to live life. Terrified of being pronounced worthless, we’ll stay locked up inside our shells forever. But the worst part is, all this judging teaches us to judge ourselves. So many fearful messages of judgment surround us, that….eventually….we don’t even need other folks to call us worthless. We’ll judge ourselves less worthy than others for all the same reasons. Anyhow, in answer to your question. Maybe ten years ago I discovered how to begin removing my fears of being judged….and I’ve been “un-learning” the bad behavior ever since. I still catch myself doing it on occasion. Here’s something else to think about too. If those inhibiting fears are removed, something stunning happens. In short, like opening a tap to let water out, your authentic person gushes into the world. You begin to see who you are and what to do with your life. Believe it or not….you discover your calling. Speaking of callings, I hear people calling for breakfast around here. Gotta go. Ciao Jeff. John Duffield

]]> By: Jeffrey Tang http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/10/be-who-you-want-to-become/comment-page-1/#comment-504 Jeffrey Tang Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:18:47 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1391#comment-504 It's hard for me not to get caught up in self-judging, especially since I'm a huge perfectionist most of the time. And I can definitely see how perfectionism holds me back, ironically enough. Does that ever happen to you? It's hard for me not to get caught up in self-judging, especially since I'm a huge perfectionist most of the time. And I can definitely see how perfectionism holds me back, ironically enough. Does that ever happen to you?

]]> By: Jeffrey Tang http://artofgreatthings.com/2009/10/be-who-you-want-to-become/comment-page-1/#comment-500 Jeffrey Tang Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:16:39 +0000 http://artofgreatthings.com/?p=1391#comment-500 That's a good point, LPC. Do you think it was the newly found space in your life that made the little voice get louder? That's a good point, LPC. Do you think it was the newly found space in your life that made the little voice get louder?

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