Wherever You Go, There You Are: Becoming the Best Version of You

“Wherever you go, there you are.”

I first heard this phrase from my second father, Jerry, decades ago. I remember rolling my eyes and thinking, “well, duh, where else would I be?” A man with deep conviction about going all-in with whatever he was doing, Jerry is a model for resilience, devotion, and persistence. So much so, he would repeat this phrase from time to time, until I finally asked him what it meant. He responded by repeating the phrase. Honestly, it was a bit frustrating. If he kept repeating it, obviously it was important, right?

After visiting Jerry several times over the last few months (and hearing him say this phrase again), I became inspired to revisit this “quote puzzle” and connect with its meaning. As I researched this phrase, results displayed:

“cannot escape yourself or thoughts,”

“one cannot run from one’s problems indefinitely,”

“being present in the moment,”

“may as well focus on improving oneself.”

Having matured over the decades since I first heard this phrase, and with my deep passion for discovering how we transform, the puzzle pieces came together. What I found was inspiring: its meaning is the mindset needed for sustainable and measurable growth.

Regardless of the role you play in an organization, the phase you are in your career, or the challenges you face, success starts with you. How you navigate experiences – particularly in times of adversity – begins with how you view your growth. Showing up with the right mindset will fuel you with the power to define what success means for you, become the best version of yourself, and claim your legacy.

Using “wherever you go, there you are” as inspiration, below are four mindset shifts you can try as you pursue meaningful growth:

Lead with curiosity: Explore “what else”, embrace “what if”, and accept “not yet”, knowing your situation can be different if you expand your thinking. You move from: “I don’t know how” to “I don’t know how, yet”; “I failed” to “What can I learn from this”; “It’s not my fault” to “What part did I play in this”.

Connect with joy: Get to the heart of what lights you up. Even if your current job is a means to an end, explore what you can bring into your work and life experiences to see how each step you take is one step closer to reaching your long-term goals.

Replace “a sense of urgency” with “a sense of purpose”: Competition, the fear of missing out, or the need to be first can set the expectation that everything is urgent and important. That is not realistic, sustainable, or inspiring. Of course, we all want to be successful. Get there by focusing on the impact you want to have and how it benefits you and those that count on you. You will accomplish more than you ever thought possible.

Value being still: Make space for silence and look inward to become more skillful in how you respond in times of adversity. One way to do this is by understanding your tendencies and how they serve you or hold you back. What are your triggers, and how do you deal with them? This knowledge will shape your understanding, and, by extension, you make wiser choices.

Shifting your mindset will help you model resilience, devotion, and persistence, all in the interest of living to a greater purpose. Growth is not easy. Nothing worth doing is easy. But imagine what you will experience when you unearth your true potential, see what is possible, and discover your growth point: what you can do today to be even better tomorrow. Imagine when wherever you go, there you are, becomes the best version of you.

Keep growing.