"you" (a poem)


YOU.
Yeah, you.
You are the most important person in your life.
Uncomfortable?
It’s okay—truth often is.
But hear this:
Prioritizing you is not selfish.
Dismissing your Self? That is.

We’ve been taught to give,
To shrink,
To serve from an empty well.
But you can’t pour from what you don’t have.
Your peace, your joy, your health—
They matter.
Because you matter.

So tell me…
What version of your Self are you living?
One you chose?
Or one handed down?

Did you pick your path?
Or just follow the signs someone else planted?
Career.
City.
Beliefs.
Relationships.
If you could do it over, would you choose the same?

Ram Dass once said:
“I can do nothing for you but work on myself…
You can do nothing for me but work on yourself.”

That’s not ego.
That’s alignment.

A candle only lights others if it’s lit.
A cup only pours if it’s full.
You serve best from overflow.
Not depletion.

I learned this the hard way.
Doing too much.
Saying “yes” to everything except my Self.
Told myself I was “balancing.”
But I was lying.
To you.
To them.
Mostly…to me.

Until a mentor asked:
“What’s your ideal day?”

And when I dared to answer honestly,
I saw that my ideal life was just one decision away.
I left the noise,
Returned to my Self.
And everything changed.

Now I ask you:
What does your ideal day look like?
No “but’s.”
Just truth.
No filter.
No fear.
Just YOU.

Because alignment—
Spirit, Mind, Body—
That’s where your answers live.
Not out there.
In here.

So write it down.
What grounds your spirit?
What sharpens your mind?
What strengthens your body?
What ignites your creativity?

Because the greatest gift you’ll ever give the world
Is a YOU that loves your Self.
Fully. Deeply. Unapologetically.

If today were your last day—
Who didn’t you get to become?

Let the answer never be “Me.”

Because everything good,
Everything true,
Everything lasting—
Starts first,
With YOU.

See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,

JC

connect spirit, mind, body, and money w/ Justin Castelli

I'm on a mission to help more people find and live their authentic life. Check out my Daily Notes where I write a short note each day about the connection of spirit, mind, body and money on the Pursuit of your authentic life.

Read more from connect spirit, mind, body, and money w/ Justin Castelli

“Authenticity doesn’t guarantee everyone will like you. It guarantees that you will like you.” -Unknown See you tomorrow and keep pursuing, JC

“You are your own teacher. Investigate yourself to find the truth–inside, not outside. Knowing yourself is most important.” -Ajahn Chah As I prepare for tomorrow night’s Keep Pursuing Series talk, “you” I couldn’t help but smile when the Open App (the meditation app I use) shared Chah’s quote this morning–part of the talk, an important part of it, is about how all of the answers to living your authentic life are found within, not in the outside world. The outside world might play a part in...

Last night I put “home” into my car’s GPS, and for reasons unknown to me, the route home was one that it never suggests. My initial response was to override the recommendation and choose the route I usually take, but then I thought to my Self that it may have suggested the alternate route for a reason–after all, I believe less and less in coincidence and “chance.” I was curious to see if I could tell why my car wanted me to take a different route, so I checked to see if there was anything...