“You can be whatever you want.” We have all heard it a million times. It’s a cliche that epitomizes the American Dream. Yet, it’s not entirely accurate.

Yes, if you set your mind to it, you can chase dreams and obtain goals. However, there is a point where being whatever you want may lie outside your control. “Whatever” will be dictated by a certain level of accomplishment or attainment and you can’t always force external results. And, while you will have influence, you can’t decide who makes the sale, who gets the award, or who wins the game. You can’t always be whatever you want. The good news though, is that you can be whoever you choose.

“Whoever” is measured by your character, your drive, and your disposition. You control your attitude, your work ethic, and your desire. These internal behaviors and results are entirely up to you. You get to decide what’s important. You get to decide what’s funny, what’s cool, and what’s interesting. By doing so, you decide who you want to be.

It sounds pretty simple because, well, it’s pretty simple. You choose who you are. Doing this won’t mean you are fake. It won’t mean you lack authenticity and it won’t mean that you’re “trying to be someone you’re not”. It’ll mean you’ve thought hard about what you value. It’ll mean you’ve identified the type of person you want to be. And, it’ll mean you’ve decided how you want to live your life.

Ultimately, you may end up becoming whatever it is you wanted and those dreams might be achieved. But, you’ll be more proud of the person who achieves them. You’ll be more proud of whoever you chose to be.