I had today’s Daily Dose all planned out. And then I got a really special message from one of my daughters that made me throw it out the window. A God nudge, for sure. Because at least one of you needs to hear this message today.
The message was about an exercise that she had gone through about imagining your mother as a young child and the images that come when you imagine your mother now. A lot of the focus was actually about dealing with complicated emotions that can revolve around parental relationships. So this can be fathers, too. And how she didn’t feel those complicated emotions but instead felt warmth and care and trust and overwhelming love. There was more but the point I want to make here follows up on our Daily Dose from yesterday. About imagining your best future self.
I’ve shared before about my upbringing. About how it was not the postcard perfect life. There was some good about my growing up but there was also a lot of challenge. Experiences that young children should never have to experience. I knew that I wanted to bring my own children up a different way. And I worked really hard to do that. I didn’t know at the time but I was already working on my personal development. Because I imagined what I wanted my parenting to look like. Then I studied and learned and tried new things so that I could BE that parent, that mother that I envisioned. I certainly failed, many times I failed. But today, I read a message that spoke of my child knowing that I had worked to take the best parts of my childhood and bring them forward but also being brave and courageous enough to step forward and create the environment that I wanted and valued for my family. The life that I had wished for myself.
I cried. Because what was reinforced for me today is that, just like I shared yesterday – when you are intentional, when you imagine what you want your best self to be and then take steps to BE that person it changes your life. It changes generations.
So, my encouragement for you today is to start being intentional, start imaging your best future self. Start taking steps to BE that person. Today. NOW. Because if you’re sitting there reading this and feeling like you’re NOT living your best life, I want you to feel hope. I want you to feel encouraged. I want you to know, that you know, that you KNOW – that you can have this to. You can have the life you dream of. I believe that. I believe in you. Please know that.