Day 50: Be, Do, Have

Genesis 1 v 1 : "In the beginning God created Heaven and Earth."

There it is, Done!  The blueprint for everything that matters. Before anything else happened, God had to BE God. Then He DID the creating. Only after that did He HAVE Heaven and Earth.

That's the end of the blog folks go ahead and be someone great, do some grand works and have incredible things!

The Backwards Brigade

Let's be honest, shall we? Most of us are walking around with our priorities completely twitsed. We're obsessed with the "having" part - the nice car, the fancy flat, the Instagram-worthy holiday, the perfect relationship.

But here's the rub, we spend almost zero time becoming the sort of person who naturally attracts those things. We want the distinction at university without putting in the hours. We want the six-pack abs without breaking a sweat. We want the thriving side hustle without the sleepless nights.

It reminds me of the ancient Greek myth of Icarus. The lad wanted to HAVE freedom so badly that he flew too close to the sun. But he wasn't willing to BE patient and heed warnings, nor was he willing to DO the hard work of finding another way. He wanted the result without the process, and we all know how that ended a proper splashdown in the sea below.

The Equation That Changes Everything

This "Be, Do, Have" business isn't just some fluffy self-help nonsense (although you'll find it in plenty of those books). It's the fundamental operating system of reality.

Dr. Carol Dweck, in her book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success," calls this the growth mindset. It's the understanding that your abilities and character aren't fixed traits but can be developed through dedication and hard work. In other words, you can BE different, which will change what you DO, which will transform what you HAVE.

Think about it:

Want to HAVE a successful business? First, BE an entrepreneur (in mindset, values, discipline). Then DO the work of building, failing, learning, and pivoting.

Want to HAVE deep friendships? First, BE a loyal friend (patient, kind, selfless). Then DO the actions that demonstrate friendship consistently.

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." - James 1:22

A study from the University of California found that people who visualised themselves as the type of person who exercises regularly (the BE part) were far more likely to actually stick with exercise programmes (the DO part), which led to better health outcomes (the HAVE part).

Lesson from the Prison

Think about Nelson Mandela. The man spent 27 years in prison, much of it breaking rocks on Robben Island. But what makes his story remarkable isn't just what he HAD to endure, but who he chose to BE during that time.

He could have been bitter. Vengeful. Hardened. Instead, he BECAME a man of reconciliation and wisdom. He DID the work of forgiveness and learning (even mastering Afrikaans, the language of his captors). And eventually, he HAD not just freedom but also the moral authority to lead a nation through one of history's most remarkable transitions.

Mandela understood that his circumstances didn't define him. His response to them did.

The Uncomfortable Truth

Here's the bit that's proper uncomfortable: Most of us are trying to HAVE things that we haven't earned because we haven't DONE the necessary work because we haven't BEEN the right person.

And I'm including myself in this, alright? Just last month I was moaning about not having enough clients for my side hustle. But had I BEEN a dedicated hustler? Had I DONE the networking, the content creation, the follow-ups? Had I heck!

It's like that mate we all have who complains about not getting distinctions. "Lecturers don't like me," he says, while skipping tutorials and submitting assignments at 11:58 PM for a midnight deadline. No mate, it's not the lecturers. It's that you haven't BEEN a dedicated student who DOES the readings and attends the classes.

"You reap what you sow." - Galatians 6:7

No farmer expects to HAVE a harvest without DOING the planting, which requires BEING patient and hardworking.

The Stoic Emperor's Wisdom

Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor and philosopher, wrote in his journal (later published as "Meditations"): "Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one."

That's the BE-DO-HAVE formula in ancient form. He didn't say "Have the reputation of a good man" or even "Do good deeds so you'll be seen as good." He said BE good. The doing and having will follow naturally.

Even as Emperor of the most powerful empire on Earth, with nearly unlimited resources at his disposal, Aurelius understood that external possessions (HAVING) meant nothing without internal character (BEING).

Practical Steps to Fix Your Equation

So how do we get this equation the right way round? Here's what's been working for me:

1. Start with identity. Instead of saying "I want to have a successful business," say "I am becoming a successful entrepreneur." BE first.
2. Small, consistent actions. What would that person DO? Do those things daily, no matter how small.
3. Celebrate progress, not just results. The HAVING will come in its own time.

When I started writing regularly, I didn't focus on HAVING a popular blog. I focused on BEING a writer (showing up at the keyboard even when I didn't feel like it) and DOING the writing (even when it was rubbish). The readership came later.

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9

The Folder of Unfinished Projects

We all have what I would call "the folder of unfinished projects." It's full of half-baked ideas, courses you've started but abandoned, essays I've outlined but never written.

Each one represents a time when I wanted to HAVE something without BEING the person who would DO what was necessary. I wanted the results without the process.

Sound familiar?

The thing is, the universe doesn't work that way. It never has. It never will.

In Closing

Next time you find yourself yearning for something - a qualification, a career opportunity, a skill, whatever - ask yourself:

"Who do I need to BE to have this?" "What do I need to DO consistently?"

Then get on with it. Because that's how it works. That's how it's always worked.

BE. DO. HAVE.

In that order. No shortcuts. No exceptions.

Because This is What we Do Now.