Who Are You?

Today is December 1, 2014...12 days from my 50th birthday on December 12th.    Who Are You?    "This above all; to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." William Shakespeare     Happy Monday!   As I countdown to the milestone of 50, I have been deeply reflective, nostalgic and contemplative on my life to this point.  Make no mistake, I am not sensing my mortality (there is a whole lot more life to live!)...   but I am highly sensitive to time.   I want to make the most of it.  I don't want to waste any more of it.  I want to be purposeful and focused with every second.  That may not be possible, but I can try.   That does not mean hustling and bustling every moment, but more a conscious recognition and enjoyment of each moment.  Like yesterday, I got to hold my granddaughter, Judah, for a long time.  Peaceful, surreal...joy.   For me, that is an accomplishment!   I have done a lot in the first 50 years, but I have also wasted a lot of time.  In looking back, I recognize that most of the time wasted was me getting pulled into other people's lives, drama, ideas, visions and agendas.  I am not talking about being social and having fun.  It's all the other stuff...I think you know what I mean.   What I realize is that anytime I veer off my path, my passions and my purpose, I waste time.  I also understand that there were times I did not recognize I was being pulled off course.  The only way that could happen is not knowing myself well enough to see the warning signs that I was about to take a dangerous detour.   Have you ever taken a detour?   Some of those detours cost us days, some cost us weeks...yes, some cost us years.  We then spend double or triple the energy trying to, as the Beatles said, "Get Back to Where You Belong".   Who are you?   Answering that question is the surest way to make sure you don't get pulled off path again.  That means knowing your values, goals, likes and dislikes...the entire you.   "Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living?" Bob Marley   I am using my countdown to 50 to re-evaluate who I am, what my values are, what I like and don't like and what I am truly committed to doing the rest of my life. The more fiercely protective I am of being true to myself, the more I can accomplish.    That doesn't mean I lock people out of my life...it means I draw in the people who are connected to me in purpose and passion.  We enrich each others lives, mutually.  I make better choices which means wasting less of the precious commodity and the gift of time.   "As you become more clear about who you really are, you'll be better able to decide what is best for you - the first time around."  Oprah Winfrey   I invite you to reassess with me.  The next few days we are going to define, refine and align our lives in such a way that we will do more than we ever thought possible.  The first question you have to ask and answer...   Who are you?   Until tomorrow, I wish you Money, Power, Success!