Kind and True

"What are two words that define who you want to be known as?" DW asked me as we were driving home from Toronto, last week.

"As in, character traits?"

"Yes," she said. "They are qualities that define how you want to live your life, like 'courageous.'"

"Kind," I said, without hesitation. "I try to always be kind. I don't always succeed but I'm making great efforts to be kind toward others and to be kind to myself." (I'm my own worst critic.)

DW has been listening to an audiobook about self-improvement, and apparently this is one of the questions that the author addresses. She listed more traits: adventurous, honest, fun, trustworthy, and smart, to name a few.

I liked fun and smart, but to me, those are qualities that I can't hold for myself. Only other people can think of me as being fun to be around or intelligent. My actions would cause people to hold those opinions of me.

"I'd never want people to think I was phony or insincere," I said. "I always want to be true to who I am."

"Authentic," she said. "That's one of the listed traits."

"That's what I strive to be. I won't pretend to be someone I'm not (though, I did pretend to be Roland Axam, years ago). And if I'm true to myself—authentic, as the book calls it—I hope that others will see that I'm fun, caring, kind, smart, and a good person. I want to be remembered as a good person for all of the traits that I hold true and for the actions that come of those values."

"Yeah, you're a pretty good guy," she said, warmly.

"I have my moments."

What about you? What are the two words that you think define your qualities? How would you like to be known?

Happy Monday!