Most towns in the United States spent last night trick-or-treating, with kids, and parents roaming their neighborhood streets decked out in clever and creative Halloween costumes. We were no exception.
Dressing up and pretending to play a character or imitating a famous person can be fun. And as a social experiment, it can be pretty telling based on the characters and people chosen. Are they funny, scary, admirable, sometimes all of the above at once?
As I was roaming from house to house, sneaking mini Twizzlers from my son’s stash of loot, my mind began to wonder about the qualities and character attributes of those we admire. Furthermore, if we admire those qualities and character attributes enough, how do we make those qualities part of our aspirational selves? How can WE become more by aspiring to emulate those qualities and attributes? (There is a possibility I may have had more sugar than I realized as my mind seems to have taken a deep turn here, but please follow along if you don’t mind.)
How do we become more of our aspirational selves? Let’s Play!
1. Make a list of 3 people you admire (minimum of 3). Write their names and write a distinguishing quality about them you admire. Make it easy and keep it simple; for example:
- Mother Theresa – Loving
- Mary J. Blige – Resilient
- Marie Curie – Intelligent
2. Given the aspirational qualities you identified, ask yourself the following questions:
- How would my aspirational self handle the current situation I’m facing drawing on (love, resilience, and intelligence)?
- How do these aspirational qualities inform how I want to show up today?
- What decision today best reflects and helps me achieve the aspirational person I want to be tomorrow?
How do we become more?
We figure out how we aspire to behave and then we practice.
No costume necessary.
