Doing Vs. Being: Totally Different!

As I walked my little Logan around the neighborhood this morning, I began thinking about how much I've changed in the last 14 months. When we strolled around town the first few months, I felt as if this is what I did. I even felt a little self conscious, knowing people were looking at the "new daddy with his little baby -- how cute."

Again, I felt this is something that I did.

Walking with Logan this morning, I realized this isn't something I do anymore... this is who I am! I'm her father, she's my daughter - I need her as much as she needs me. We're connected by a force that's unexplainable to those who haven't experienced parenthood. I'm now being a dad, rather than doing fatherhood. Every minute of the day is spent as "dada" (as she likes to remind me), which means it's as much a part of me as my heart, blood, and oxygen I breathe.

Being a father isn't something I do from the outside... it's who I am from the inside!

Looking at our daily lives, what can we switch from doing to becoming? When we wake up in the morning, are we eating a healthier breakfast because we have to, or because this is now who we are and who we've become? When it's time to workout, are we doing or being, meaning is it something that we force on ourselves, or has it become part of our souls?

I have a student who wants to run a marathon, but knows it's going to take a large amount of change in her mind and body to accomplish. My daily question for her is, "are you becoming the runner from the inside-out... or are you simply doing your daily workouts from the outside-in? When will this marathon become part of your DNA?" 


Doing and being don't sound very different, but truly are from different worlds. It's easy to do what you need to do, but becoming that person... living those goals and motivations is what really creates that 'new us' for the long term. 

Let me ask again: What are we doing on a daily basis that we should be mentally switching to becoming, living, being? When we turn down that soda because it has 46g of sugar, are we doing it because we know too much sugar isn't a good thing... or are we living a life without it because it's who we are now, and who we'll always be? The two don't sound very different, but the first is a short term adjustment... the latter is a long term, life altering decision.

I look at Logan, and I see myself... I see who I've become!

You?