I am a work in progress – and so are you. We rarely acknowledge this to ourselves because of our love affair with certainty – “this is just the way I am”. But if you know human biology or psychology at all, you understand that being in the process of becoming is the only way we can be.
And yet, when we are asked to describe ‘who we are’, most of us have a pretty consistent, clear response that we’ve honed over the years and has varied only minimally. This will usually happen in a setting where we are meeting new people. “What do you do?” or “Tell me about yourself.” typically precede your readied answer. Responses may vary depending on the setting and who’s doing the asking – “I’m a department manager at XYZ” or “I’m Mark’s mom”, are typical and when said often enough, become a container that is difficult to step beyond.
What would happen if instead we asked people, “Who are you becoming?”? I like to believe that by shifting the conversation this way, we open up space for folks to give words to their dreams, enhancing the possibility of them coming to life! Look at the role you get to play in this wondrous event! And just imagine if you asked yourself the same question and shared the answer – out loud – to someone who has earned the right to hear it.
Keep Painting!
