While in Florida for the
FOCUS convention Mathew Kelly was the opening speaker and his talk focused on
becoming the best version of ourselves. A lot is us probably think, ‘well ya we
want that,’ but how many of us actually take the steps to become that person?
What is required of us to be the Best version of ourselves? Let’s be honest and
say that there are many things in our lives that need changing, but God doesn't
expect us to be able to change everything at once. This is a new semester; it's
time to start working on the new you, the best version of you. The first
step is to think about the biggest thing that is preventing you from becoming
the best version of yourself; what is it that thing that we put first before
our relationship with God…..(pause and think).
Now think about what that
thing was that came to your head that you tried to shut out and argue with
yourself that it really isn't that big of a deal. What was that sin that came
to your mind that you get to much pleasure from so you tried to immediately
stop thinking about it so you didn’t have to admit it is wrong and interfering
with your relationship with God?
This is what God is calling
us to change right now in our lives. By changing our lives in this way we are
saying ‘yes God’. Yes God I do believe you know what is
right for me. Yes God I love you more
than worldly pleasures. Yes God I
want to give my life totally to you because you are the reason for my existence.
Momentary pleasure does not create everlasting happiness. I can almost guarantee
that whatever it was that you thought about gives you pleasure during it, but
that next day guilt sets in and you have to start denying to yourself that you
did anything wrong. You start trying to prove to yourself that you are still a
good person because “hey at least I didn’t do what Bob did last night, that’s way
worse.”
I know this seems like a
lot to handle and how do we go about becoming the best version of ourselves and
turning away from our favorite sin? Well in Mathew Kelly's book, The Rhythm of Life, he says that it is
as simple as simply 'doing the next right thing.' You don't have fight giant
battles all at once and expect to never be tempted to sin again. All you have
to do is tell yourself that in every situation you come across you are simply
going to do the next right thing. It
makes our battles seem a lot more manageable.
Someone asks you if you
want a drink even though you are underage, or if you are of age and that next
drink that will put you past your limit, you don't have to try to decide if you
will look stupid not doing what everyone else is doing or if someone will judge
you, all you have to do is the next
right thing and say no thanks. What about when see that last cookie sitting
on the counter temping you even though you just had two and are full. It's not
World War Two with yourself; it's simply doing the next right thing and showing a little self control and walking
away. Is that pleasure of ten seconds of eating the cookie worth the guilt you
feel the next few hours as your stomach is complaining because you ate too much?
Or maybe it’s trying to decide if you should go to mass or do your homework.
You could argue for thirty minutes with yourself and say you don’t have time
for mass when in reality you should do
the next right thing and go to mass because you will end up spending that
hour on facebook anyways.
I hope that as humans aware
of God’s love and as students wanting to change the culture and grow
closer to God, that we will all take this step to face the individual challenge
that separates us from God; so that together we may grow to become the best
version of ourselves and therefore producing the best version of the world we live in.
