Before the beginning of time, when you were just a dream, your
purpose had already been assigned by our loving God. Purposefully
created, and created for a purpose, you are here at this very moment
to become the-best-version-of-yourself—not to become some poor
imitation of your parents, your friends, your siblings, or your colleagues—
but to become perfectly yourself (cf. Psalm 139:13–18).
Life is not about doing and having; it is about becoming.
Could you have a better dream for your children than to want
them to become the-best-version-of-themselves? Could you have a
better dream for your spouse than to want him or her to become the best-
version-of-him-or-herself? It is the ultimate dream—and when
we turn our attention to living this dream, our lives are flooded with
energy, enthusiasm, passion, purpose, and a real and sustainable joy.
The dream is God-given. It is his dream for you. It is time to start
living the dream.
When we are healthy in a holistic sense, or in any one aspect of
our lives, we are driven by God’s dream for us to become the-best-version-
of-ourselves. Why are there so many products and programs
available that help people transform different areas of their lives? Because
there is an enormous demand for them. Marketers know that
people have this insatiable desire to improve themselves. This desire
is what drives us when we are healthiest. Unfortunately, so many of
these programs and products divorce themselves from God and in
doing so lose their connection with grace, and no great change happens
without grace.
When we are unhealthy, we tend to abandon our true selves, often
wishing we were more like someone else or that we were someone else
altogether. This is often most noticeable during adolescence, when
people grapple with identity issues. But many of us develop a permanent
contempt for ourselves (or for certain aspects of ourselves)
during this period of development. This contempt for self stifles our
dreams.
Living the dream God has for you and striving to become all you
are capable of being is all you ever truly need to answer for. Our only
regrets come from abandoning our true selves. Are you celebrating
your true self, or are you still trying to be the person you think other
people want you to be—or the person you think other people will like?
Now is your time. There will never be a better time to begin. It
is time now to peel back the layers of conditioning and expectations
that have encrusted your heart and mind. It is time to become perfectly
yourself.
Matthew Kelly
From Perfectly Yourself
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