My three moderators…

The voices of masters, mentors, and antagonists tend to shape the language we use in inner dialogue. These powerful lessons shape and mold our character and path, but we must maintain a connection to self. There are three judges I have continued to count on during this introspection:

1. The 8 year old – The child in all of us is always present beneath the programming, training and development. At the core, we should still have synchrony with the purity of our youth.
2. The 80 year old – How will the future version of me judge the decisions I have been making? What can I do to better align to the wiser, developed version of myself?
3. Me, tomorrow – When you reflect on what was accomplished in the previous day, am I energized? What habits am I forming or extending with my actions today?

Ending with a lens that is grounded in the present ensures that we don’t live too far beyond the current state. Youth and wisdom are guides, but the span of control is in the moment. There are definitively those who may show appreciation, pride and a vested interest in the individual they see; but the three stakeholders above will typically generate the cleanest reflection of progress and misalignments.

“You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself,”