I have had a chance to reflect on my life during different seasons and have been thinking more and more about my legacy. As you and I go through experiences we learn and should grow. I would have to say that there were seasons in my life that I was unaware of my legacy while other times I was keenly aware of the actions that I took and how they affected the bigger picture of my life. I love the picture of the two guys standing over the number which the guy looking at the number on one side it is a nine and the guy on the other side sees a six. There were and still are times when I look at one side and I can say that I am right. I believe that I have matured enough that, I can more times than not, look at the number from on top and see both sides of the situation. Are you stuck on one side and unable to step back and be open and humble enough to look at the other side?
As I have matured, I believe that I have gained perspective. This is another word for maturity. As I thought about that I had to do a quick search to see what the synonyms were for the word maturity. Here are three words. Capability. Experience. Wisdom. Let me tell you what they mean to mean in terms of maturity and then you can give me your thoughts.
Capability –
One of the ideas behind the meaning of capability is that it can be used or developed. I have done quite a few different things in my life. There are different statistics, but most seem to fall around 12 jobs in a lifetime. I think I have used those up and more, but each step was important and was part of making me who I am today. Thinking about the way capability is used I can say that I have been able to use my capability to its capacity in many ways. Further the definition indicates a development aspect which I feel I am still learning and growing and also able to use my capability to develop others through 1 on 1 interactions and coaching and also through mentoring and leading the different segments of my life right now. Are you developing your capability?
Experience –
This really piggy backs off of the capability idea which going through trials and struggles of life have given me experiences that I can use to help others. Gaining experience means going through seasons and situations that are not comfortable and often have led to mistakes or times when I have had to course correct. Even this last year I have been faced with challenges that have caused me to grow through a situation that was hard. Maturing means that you will have to do the work and go through some experiences and struggles which will give you perspective and help you grow along your journey to maturity.
“Just because you are right, does not mean, I am wrong. You just haven’t seen life from my side.”
Wisdom –
This is what maturity is working towards. I do have to say though that I don’t think it is an end game but a destination. Each experience and as you gain capability you are moving towards wisdom. I do think there are ways to accelerate wisdom and that is through reading and having a mentor or coach or someone who will guide, push, and hold you accountable as you venture through life. The person may change as you go through different seasons of life or for the different areas of your life. In other words, as a young adult there are challenges that can be addressed and worked through by a mentor. There may be another or different person who can guide you through the parenting years and maybe a separate person who can coach and help you through your business challenges. I would challenge you to seek out a person who can be a sage for you during the season of life you are in. That is a struggle for me, but I have had different people that I have had that have done this for me throughout my life. They have been invaluable to make me who I am today.
The big question is are you maturing and gaining perspective? Many challenges others have gone through in their lives. One of the tenants of a coach is to ask good questions. In the challenge please at least take some time to pause and think about your life and what you desire your legacy to be. Ask yourself some hard question. If you are not sure of the questions to ask yourself, contact me for a free “zero” pressure consultation. But please take the time to think about your view of life because life is short, and you can have a huge impact on the people around you!