Thursday, April 8, 2010

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?

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Sometimes I think I walk the walk, talk the talk, but am I still doing? In some cases I think I am still doing, and not being and you have given me something to think about when I see myself making those doing choices. I've got to make sure it is a "Life" choice and that I am being from now on.
Great post!

Annie, The Amazing Shrinking Girl said...

Great post and your daughter is simply adorable! I want to see more picts of her!

Annie, The Amazing Shrinking Girl said...

And once again, thank you for making me rethink the way I'm doing things. I think I'm kinda just 'going through the motions' but I still don't believe that I'm actually a fitness person. It's just so hard to think like that.

I'm working on it every day thanks to you and your posts!

spldbch said...

Very thought provoking. I think this is something I can apply to my work. For a while now I've been thinking about it as something I do -- often begrudgingly. If I can begin to make it part of who I am I would learn to enjoy it more and to be more passionate about it.