Who You Are.

In the past year I have learned that you can make plans. 

I have also learned that those plans can fail, and you can watch what you thought were your "hopes and dreams" crumble right before your eyes. 

So as I stand here looking at all of the broken pieces, I wonder what will become of me.

What will I do?

Sometimes you don't know what direction your life is headed. 

You don't really even know how to begin to find which direction is up.

And you know what?

That's okay.

I think in today's world, we are absolutely obsessed with climbing the ladder of success. The first thing we ask upon meeting someone new is "So, what do you do?" What a snobby question! Based on those five words, we develop an idea of "who they are." 

We assume a lawyer is a con and a crook.

We assume a psychologist is analyzing our every word.

We assume a historian is boring.

We assume an oil field worker clearly wasn't motivated enough to go to college.

We assume a teacher is kind and probably didn't have the grades to pursue a degree in the medical field. 

Geez, we assume a lot.

We pretend that we can completely determine their character, their passions, their finances based upon what they do. When in reality, we know nothing about them except their occupation.

who you are is more important that what you do.

As my eyes fill with tears, I hold these words close to my heart.

It doesn't matter what I do. I truly doesn't.

I could be a pharmacist, a nurse, an electrical engineer, a car salesman, an insurance agent, or a teacher. 

I could do anything. 

But would that be "who I am?"

No! It would be what I do.

"What I do" might pay the bills. 

Sure, it might get me into certain doors or associate me with a group of people. 

But when I lay down my head each night, I don't want "what I do" to consume me.

I don't want what I do to take over "who I am."

Who I am is going to stick with me even when jobs fail, or grades come in lower than expected. It will be something I can cling to during times when all the doors seem to be closed and there isn't a window in sight. Who I am will accompany me as a sit down on the couch and read a book, or when I'm driving in my car and a wonderful song comes on. It gives me the ability to sing, carefree and uninhibited. It lets me sing, without judgement and without the fear of failure. It just lets me sing, because it's who I am.

My heart will keep beating, and remind me that success is in the eye of the beholder.

I just want to wake up each day and be me.