Today is January 22 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is “How often do you think about your three possible selves?”
Navigating the chaos requires one to understand that your current self has the potential to develop into a future self that you have envisioned.
When you create your future self you then start to understand the concept of your three possible selves.
The work of Hazel Rose Markus and Paula Nurius introduced the concept of three possible selves: the ideal self that we would like to become, that we could become, and that we are afraid of becoming.
“To suggest that there is a single self to which one ‘can be true’ or an authentic self that one can know is to deny the rich network of potential that surrounds individuals and that is important in identifying and descriptive of them.”
Joan Didion phrased this concept a bit differently when she wrote "I have already lost touch with a couple of people I used to be."
Additionally, author Lewis Carroll observed “It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.”
What a beautiful concept! Have you lost touch with a couple of people you used to be? Doing so requires courage, faith in yourself, and a belief that who you are is no longer who you want to be.
Robert Downey Jr. is someone who understands this concept of possible selves as he has lost touch with a couple of people he used to be.
After appearing in various theater and movie performances during the 1980s into the early 1990s, Downey was one of the most sought after actors during this time.
During this time he also engaged in hard partying, reckless behavior, and drug use.
He would eventually spend time in a Los Angeles county jail and a year in rehab; two events that would spell the end of most careers.
For Downey, however, he was cast on Ally McBeal seven days after leaving rehab.
Billed as the ultimate comeback the once golden boy of Hollywood was ready to show the world he was a changed man.
For a while it worked as he helped increased the show’s ratings and won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in 2001.
But Downey Jr. continued his previous ways and was arrested two more times. He got fired from Ally McBeal and hit rock bottom and checked himself into emergency rehab.
For the second time in his career he began to tackle his demons and get clean for good. Unfortunately, his legal and drug issues prevented him from getting insurance as an actor.
Mel Gibson cast Downey in a small movie called The Singing Detective in 2003 and put himself on the line to get Downey insured. Downey’s second personal turnaround must also be credited to his now wife Susan Levin.
Between 2003 and 2008 Downey appeared in a variety of movies demonstrating to Hollywood that he was reliable and clean for good.
In 2008 he appeared in his first Iron Man film which would become a blockbuster. By 2015, he was one of the industry’s highest paid actors.
As you go about your day, consider asking yourself how often do you think about the person you would like to become, that you could become, and that you are afraid of becoming?