You can’t build a reputation on “I’m going to.”

Reputation is a sore subject for people.  I can go on about your reputation doesn’t define you completely. You are more than what others think of you.  This viewpoint from others towards yourself are outside of your control. Therefore, it is not your responsibility to waste your time on how others think of you.  Instead, the statement is more across a line of self-awareness and view of how you wish to be seen and your expectations of self. Are you excited for the person that stares back from the mirror? Do you say you are this type of person or that type of person?

You are in control of the thoughts you have and the actions you take. Even inaction is still action. So if you think of yourself as a good person, what actions have you made to match that of a “good” person? If I proceed to claim I’m going to be a “good” person and yet every action I take is that of greed or hate or envy or oppression, then how dare I consider myself “good” unless I consider greed or hate as good qualities.  People don’t inherently think this way. No person actively thinks they are “bad”. We try to make decisions of what would be perceived as good, but good for whom?

Please don’t take this as never say “I’m going to”. It’s a great thing to set up the path you wish to walk while setting up the rest of your life. I’m going to do good things in life is not a blasphemous sentence. However, stating that you are one thing and doing the opposite is the definition of hypocrite. I cannot call myself generous and steal.  Those actions do not align.

While making a mistake will happen, you will eventually need to justify that to yourself. I like to think I’m a hardworking, driven person, but I have had days where I refused to get out of bed. In this, I recognize perfection is not the goal, but improvement is. Going to bed at night is not a sign of not being driven and ambitious. It’s in the preparing of the next steps. So the next time you want to decide the person you want to become, take personal time. Think about the person you want to become today or tomorrow or even a year from now. How does that person act? What does that person do? How does that person make decisions? Over time, the tough choices we need to make get easier as it’s not even ourselves choosing. It’s the person we wish to become.