If you are anything like me, at the start of a new year I list out all of my goals and dreams that I want to have accomplished by year’s end. I buy planners, journals, and all the works to ensure I will stay organized and productive throughout the year. I am pretty skilled at list-making. I give myself maybe 3 goals in specific categories like Physical Health, Finances, Relationships, and Business. After that, I have to break down each goal into action steps. This process gives me a clear guide and charted course for the next 6-12 months.

Now, this is all well and good, but year after year there seems to be one critical question I rarely ask myself during these yearly planning sessions. Who do I want to BE?

The question of who I want to BE? I first heard asked of me a few years ago at a Real Women session. Before then, I had only heard this as a child. Most people ask us that question when we are children and our answer always consisted of what profession we wanted to enter as adults. I always said doctor or lawyer because I knew that’s what my family hoped. So you can imagine that a question of this nature caused me to have to do some soul searching.

This question truly stretches us to think outside of our normal list and goal driven selves. I have to dig deeper in order to know what resonates within my spirit. Once we can answer this question our DOING changes. Everything we do, must then reflect what the BE is at our core.  We begin to intentionally live and breathe out of our BEING. I mean we aren’t called human BEINGS for no reason. We were designed to fill our days with meaningful moments. Each day should be intentional and from the soul.

In order to BE authentic and live abundant, fulfilling lives, each year we have to ask the question who do I want to BE? Then and only then should we fill our planners with realistic goals that align with our BEING.

Trenace challenged us on the “Real Women Community ALL Call” to find our one word for the year. I immediately knew mine would be PEACE. Even as I type it out, I feel something shift inside my spirit. This year, if it doesn’t align with peace it has to GO! Trenace also urged us to recognize that who we need to be is already within us; We just need to walk it out.

However, if I am honest, the notion that peace is already within me is hard to believe. I mean, it feels most days I am reaching out externally to find peace everywhere else but inside of me! . But what just hit me as I am writing, is the issue may be that all I am DOING doesn’t align with PEACE and in order for peace to be drawn out from my core, I have to only DO things that bring peace and align with my core.

As a full time mother, wife, and entrepreneur many times I get put on the back burner. This year I know in order to BE peace I have to be intentional about my self care. I have strategically planned out monthly outings and activities specifically for me to breathe in peace and release stress. I am excited for the fruit in my life that will grow as a result of focusing on me!

I urge you to ask yourself the question Who do I want to BE? And to make every effort to walk out of that authenticity every moment and every breath God gives you.

“As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world – that is the myth of the atomic age – as in being able to remake ourselves.”

― Mahatma Gandhi

Ashley Gilbert is a full time wife, mother, and Life Coach whose passion is to see women healed and families restored. If you would like to read more of Ashley’s personal blogs please visit her at www.ashleygilbert.net.

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