We become who we practice becoming. Who we are today is a result of the countless choices made yesterday. And the man we become tomorrow will be the result of the decisions we make today.
Certainly, we understand athletes and musicians become great through the hours of practice they put into their craft.
And, without a doubt, marriage also takes a lot of hard work and practice to move toward God’s best.
Likewise, we must dedicate ourselves to the practice of love in order to become love.
But much of our daily practice is not consciously chosen. We simply go through the motions of life following our usual habits. But these habitual thoughts, feelings, and actions are our practice.
And so we become cynical and ungrateful, for example, when griping and complaining are our daily practice.
We become fearful when we practice playing it safe and avoiding reasonable risks.
And we become lazy and ineffective when we practice taking the path of least resistance or working simply to appease others.
In short, our practice becomes whatever we regularly consume, turn our attention to, and spend time engaging.
On the surface, our habits might seem harmless. But it’s here our souls are forged.
And so, if we want to become joyful we must practice joy. And if we want to become hopeful we must practice hope.
Likewise, we must practice offering our strength daily in order to be a force of life and goodness in the world around us.
Whatever virtues we hold in esteem we must incorporate into our practice everyday.
And more often than not this is the practice of mundane goodness – decisions otherwise unremarkable but nonetheless significant in shaping the man we become.
Pay attention to the man you’re becoming. For better or worse, the daily habits you practice will tell the story.
Photo by Mariano Nocetti on Unsplash
