I’ve been thinking about something that doesn’t always show up in one moment—the kind of person you choose to be over time. I want you to understand that this is built through your choices, your words, and how you treat people every day.
I think back to a moment when I was younger, when I said something that didn’t reflect who I wanted to be. I remember the feeling right after—the kind of feeling where you know you didn’t show up the right way.
That moment stayed with me because it made me realize something. You don’t just become a certain kind of person one day. You become that person through the choices you make over and over again.
You’re going to have moments where you mess up. What matters is what you do after. Learn from it, take responsibility, and choose to be better. That’s how you become the person you want to be.
SHOW NOTES
A letter to all three kids
Character and personal choices
Learning from mistakes
Growth over time
A message from Dad
Transcripts
Mr. Funky Teacher:
This is Mr. Funky Teacher. And this is Funky Letters to My Kids.
Today’s episode is called The Kind of Person You Choose to Be.
This one is for all three of you—Mya, Carter, and Gavin.
I want to talk to you about something that doesn’t always show up in one moment…
But gets built over time.
The kind of person you choose to be.
And I want to take a second and say something that I’m thankful for.
I’m thankful for the moments in my life that made me stop and really look at myself.
Even the ones that weren’t easy.
Because those moments are the ones that shape you.
I’ll never forget something from when I was in seventh grade.
There was a student…
And I remember thinking she smelled… like she hadn’t bathed in several days… like her clothes were dirty.
And when she walked past me…
I said it out loud.
I said, “Ew… you’re nasty.”
And right after that—
Right after I said it…
I didn’t feel good.
I remember that feeling.
That kind of pit in your stomach where you know—
That’s not who you want to be.
And that moment stuck with me.
Because it made me realize something early on:
You don’t just become a certain kind of person one day.
You become that person through your choices…
Through your words…
Through how you treat people.
And I knew in that moment—
That wasn’t the kind of person I wanted to be.
You’re going to have moments like that.
Moments where you mess up…
Moments where you say something you wish you could take back…
Moments where you don’t show up the way you want to.
That’s part of growing.
But what matters is what you do after.
Do you learn from it?
Do you take responsibility?
Do you decide to be better next time?
Because every moment like that is a chance to choose again.
And over time…
Those choices add up.
They shape your character.
They shape your reputation.
They shape the way people experience you.
And more importantly…
They shape how you feel about yourself.
If there’s one thing I want you to take from this, it’s this:
You get to choose the kind of person you become.
Not all at once…
But moment by moment…
Choice by choice…
Word by word.
And at the end of the day, this is what it comes down to:
Be who you are.
Treat people right.
Keep growing.
And remember—
You can change the world by how you live every day.
