Being Your Best Self, A Young Adult's Guide to Conscious Living

INTRODUCTION

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The only person you are destined to become is the person you 

decide to be.       ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Don't you wish you had a dollar for every time someone asked you ... "What do you want to be when you grow up"? And don't you wish you had another dollar for every time you gave some random answer just so they would stop asking? Now, just think how broke you would be if you had a dollar for every time someone asked you ... "Who do you want to be when you grow up"?When was the last time someone asked you ... "What kind of person do you want to be?" "What kind of life do you want to live?" "What kind of relationships do you want to have?" "How do you want people to treat you?" And if someone did ask, do you know how you would answer?

Just as you need to plan a course of action to attain any goal, you also need a plan for becoming the kind of person you want to be. At the time when I was growing up, young adults didn't have to think too much about the kind of person they wanted to be because they had people around them who served as role models, who took them under their wing, mentored them and gave good advice. Usually one parent stayed at home so they had much more time to spend with their kids and could talk with them more often. They had time to share their experiences, teach life lessons and give encouragement. Kids looked up to sports figures because they represented perseverance and strength. Religious leaders were highly respected and revered. They offered comfort and guidance in times of need. Teachers and coaches were mentors to their students and players and had time to give a little extra when they could see there was someone in need of a little more attention. My husband coached middle school and high school sports. He was a true mentor to his players and taught them a lot about life through sports. He taught them about respect, cooperation, loyalty and fair play. When one of his players was having a tough time at home, he would stay with us for a while until things improved. We loved helping them and the parents appreciated it as well.

It pains me to say that today, in the 21st century, these role models are the exception rather than the rule. In America, fifty percent of children live in a divorce situation where they only have access to one parent at a time. Due to tough economic times, that parent usually needs to work full-time and may have more than one job just to make ends meet. Often, the most advice they have time to give is "do your homework" and "brush your teeth." You may or may not see your parent before everyone leaves home for the day, and in the evening everyone is busy taking care of their own needs. There's little time for discussing the day, let alone life in general.

Today, when you read or listen to the news reports, its seems like there is another story about a sports figure who's been banned from participating due to doping or cheating or sometimes something even worse. Many religious figures are far from the pillars of righteousness we once thought they were. Unfortunately, because of their own weaknesses, they are hardly the ones to be offering advice about virtuous living. When teachers have to deal with large classes of 40 students in a period, they hardly have time to teach, let alone take an interest in each individual student. Coaches are forced to focus on athletic performance and winning rather than what's going on in their players' heads.

So where does this leave you? Hopefully, you do have at least one person you can count on as a role model, who can guide you and be there for you.  If you don't, then I want you to know I'm here for you, communicating through this book with you. This book will be like your personal GPS, to get you on course and keep you there, helping you become your best self. However, if you want to learn from me and my experiences, you need to know that it's not enough for me that you become a decent, caring human being. I also want you to learn how to live what's called "a conscious life." Reach for the stars! Learn to stretch beyond your limits of today and attain all that you desire.