When I was a little girl, my mom always told me to make my bed because it would be my first accomplishment of the day and because when someone walked into my room, it was a representation of me.

 When I got older, my Mom told me to be careful how I made my bed because one day, I might have to lie in it.

 When I first heard her say this, I thought, what is mom’s obsession with beds about? However, as I grew up and life happened to me, I realized my mom really was not teaching me about making beds but rather my mom was teaching me some important life lessons.

 Lesson 1) Making my bed in the morning was really about the importance of having a goal and then putting forth the effort to achieve it; it was also about the power of image – how what we present to the world through our words and actions creates a perception of who we are.

 Lesson 2) Being careful about how I made my bed because one day I might have to lie in it was just a gentle reminder that every action has a reaction. When we do what is right because it’s the right thing to do, we gain so much more – sometimes, we are not the direct benefactor but it may be a family member, a friend, or co-worker that does; however, when we focus on doing what is wrong, or doing whatever it takes to achieve a goal even when we know it’s wrong, there are consequences in that people view us in a negative light.

 There may be times when we see people who are intimidators or not forthright in their interactions  who appear to be achieving their goals but at what cost.  So always remember that achieving goals is great but how you achieve them is of greater importance. As you go about achieving your goals, be mindful of who you are being and becoming.

Lesson 3)  The final lesson that I learned is that our actions are really just a reflection of our thoughts.  If we focus on what we don’t want or like, we get more of it. However, if we focus on what’s in our control, what we want, we can achieve more than we ever believed that we could.

 At the end of each day, ask yourself, have you been mindful of who you are as a person? Have you lived that day by doing what is right toward the people in your life –  both personally and professionally? Have you lived that day knowing that your actions and words reflect who you are? Have you lived that day where you can say “I was here”.