I wish I could tell you the most important things. The most important things though, are the ones you'll learn from observation alone. Be a great listener. Ask a lot of questions. And then ask more questions.
You're going to have to teach yourself, how to be yourself, over and over again. Lean into a community who loves you enough to help with these reminders. Calling Nana is a good start.
My future, if I were to offer any advice it would be this:
Don’t take yourself so damn seriously.
The self that isn’t you, the self that promotes inadequacy or the self that lies to you saying that you are worth less than you are.
Don’t misquote me here, take heed of what I am saying to you. Don’t take yourself so damn seriously, but take the man who you want to be tomorrow, or the next day very seriously.
Always ask yourself: What am I doing today that will help shape me to be the man I want to be tomorrow. Take God’s love for you seriously, take that self seriously. The real self, the real you that can only be you by allowing God to be in you and a good, good Father.
Fall in love with goodness, and you'll more clearly see God's greatness.
And once you find Jesus, the real Jesus, I promise you will find yourself. The real self. And when you meet him shake his hand, and quote the best last line in the history of cinema:
“I think this is the beginning of a really great friendship”
Never lose sight of him and take care of him. Treat him right, don’t neglect him, be kind to him, and invest in this man.
If you're not in love with this man, to everyone else, you'll be an impostor. A very good one.
Get to know Jesus because he will give you the greatest guidance on how to live the most fulfilling life and to be that man. Take this very seriously.
{ Sojourn podcast is launching July 4 weekend. Tune in. I wrote most of this piece three years ago. I used the word "damn." }