The Power of Choice
The most important facet of all my research and practice, however, is individual choice. The moment people recognize the power of their minds—the individuality of their thinking and how they have control over their lives—they are truly able to transform their world. When people see themselves the way God sees them, as his wonderful works and particular reflections of his image, then they see what is inside of them and perceive the universe in a different way (Ps. 139:14). Each of us is meant to bear his glory in our own unique way—we all have a beautiful way of stewarding eternity (Eccles. 3:11; Gen. 1–2). True self-awareness comes from recognizing the Perfect You—the true you. It changes you from the inside out. You are unlocked. This is so much more than “finding your purpose.” It is about finding yourself.
We all want to know who God is. We reflect his image. The world will lose out if you do not operate in your Perfect You: you are a specific part of his reflection, the missing piece that brings a unique perspective and hope to the world. There is no one like you, which means there is something you can do that no one else can do. Because of your Perfect You, your experience of life will enhance mine. When you are not you, we all miss out on knowing God better, because you reflect his image in a unique and beautiful way!
Only you can be you with your special type of “youness.” You are an observer with your own unique Perfect You making your own unique choices. I, in turn, have my unique Perfect You and make my own choices. We enrich each other’s experience; that is, we enrich each other’s Perfect You by walking alongside each other and celebrating our differences.
And operating in your Perfect You is also a way for you to celebrate who you are. In a world where we are often told that we are not worthy or do not live up to a particular standard, this celebration is critical. We cannot truly live for God or transform our societies if we hate what we see in the mirror. Your Perfect You is so deeply and intrinsically wired into the fabric of who you are that when you recognize it, you develop an intimate awareness of and desire for the need to be yourself. You recognize that who you are is fundamentally good (Gen. 1:31).
Furthermore, your own Perfect You is more than enough. Once you begin to understand your Perfect You and its structure—because truly getting to fully understand your Perfect You is a lifelong journey—you can walk in anticipation and freedom through life, rejoicing despite the circumstances. Your Perfect You sets you free to be who you are and to do what you love. Operating in your Perfect You brings satisfaction and contentment. It reveals your innermost qualities, which are bound in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22–23). It is hopeful—it never gives up, enduring through every circumstance.
Your Perfect You is dynamic and ever-changing. It is the key to understanding life experiences and the lessons you’ve learned, updating your mindset and giving you the opportunity to walk into the future with unlimited potential to grow into your own success. You, as the observer, keep updating your experiences as new data comes to light, shaping the way you approach the world.
Operating in your Perfect You is the way you choose to see your world filled with love instead of fear. It is what we all crave, so that impatience and unkindness, irritability, pride and boastfulness, bitterness, unforgiveness, wrong choices, and trauma—all of which disrupt this fulfillment—cause us to seek to recapture this Perfect You “feeling” in an attempt to restore order in our minds and bodies. The Perfect You also removes you from the mindsets of shame and guilt, the “did-I, should-have, could-have, would-have.” You can enter into a mindset of hope, of the endless possibilities and attitudes you can choose as new opportunities come to light.
The Perfect You will take you from missing the mark of being made in God’s image to stepping into who you truly are. In this way, you will move from trauma to freedom, from pain to peace, from indecision to action, from confusion to clarity, from envy to celebration, from frustration to anticipation, from being overwhelmed to being set free, from fear to courage, from suppressing issues to having the courage to face them, from numbing thoughts to capturing them, from passivity to passion, and from hopelessness to hope. It will help you understand what you are stewarding and how to remain a good steward of your life no matter what comes your way. If you understand your Perfect You, you will understand how you think, feel, and choose and therefore how to renew your mind, enabling you to face life’s challenges (Rom. 12:2).
Of course we all think, feel, and choose, but your Perfect You will help you understand how you specifically think, feel, and choose. It is our identity, our way of being authentic to ourselves. Identity is intrinsic to our nature, so we are always seeking after the Perfect You. It is the core of who we are, and it will need to be satisfied in some way or another.
Excerpt from Chapter 1 of “The Perfect You” by Dr. Caroline Leaf, published by “Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group,” ©2017, Used with permission.
