Know Yourself
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Lesson One
1. There are many different theories about leadership and professional development. Regardless of what methodology or theory is used, there is always one factor that is consistent in its importance to the overall idea of leadership. Do you know what that factor is? Several choices are listed below:
a. Other people.
b. The environment.
c. You.
d. All of the above.
2. For the purpose of this discussion the correct answer is ‘c’ (You)! You are the most important factor in being a consistent, fair, unbiased, and even-tempered leader, associate, or assistant. After reading that last sentence, you may be wondering if those words are applicable to your situation. Let me assure you that they are, but the first step in making them work for you, is to know yourself!
3. Before you can treat other people with respect and be respected in the work place. You need to respect yourself. That means you need to be comfortable with the person that looks back at you each and every time you look in the mirror. That’s no easy task, especially if you’re unsure of how you fit into the world, or if you’ve never had the love and support of a family unit that taught you to believe in yourself. Even with a healthy upbringing, the world is a tough place to make a living and to forge new relationships. Those relationships or life experiences are very important because as a young person these experiences are the ‘pool of knowledge’ you will pick from to make decisions that will affect the rest of your life. The goal of each and every one of us is to have a good knowledge base of life experiences to choose from as we develop the basic idea or plan to get what we want from life.
4. However, that’s not always easy, especially since every time you turn on the television or radio; or listen to that music CD, or person you call a friend. You are bombarded with messages that seep into your subconscious mind and affect the way you view yourself and your place in the world. You’re constantly told it’s not O.K. to be this or to be that. You’re told you’re selling out if you do this or you do that. You’re not good enough if your skin is not free of pimples or your teeth are not sparkly and bright. These same media outlets also expose you to legal drugs of every sort in addition to those that you may already be aware of and some you and your friends may have used. But where is the infomercial, text message, or T.V. pitchman telling you that you’re a valuable member of society, a good person in an otherwise crazy place and that being a young person can be confusing and difficult but you’re going to be just fine?
5. Sometimes there isn’t one! Sometimes there just isn’t anyone telling you that you are on this planet for a reason and that your life is not meaningless. So guess what? If you find yourself in this situation you will have to learn to depend on yourself. You must understand that each of us has an inner strength and the capacity to live our lives to the fullest. But to do that you must have some core beliefs or a system of values (which we will talk about later) that allows you to be successful in many different environments…not just the one you currently live in.
6. Here’s a quick test to give you an idea of what we’re discussing:
a. Is it ever o.k. to lie, cheat, or steal?
b. You have the choice to do something painful and right.
c. Or you can remain silent and wrong.
d. Which would you choose?
7. Arguably, the choices you made could be considered a reflection of your value system and personal level of integrity. However, what I want you to take away from this is the fact that whatever answers you came up with. You have the capacity to change, grow, and make a difference in your life or that of someone else. To remind you of this I’ve included a personal formula that you may find helpful:
POWER
P = Pride, never be ashamed of who you are or where you’re from. Hold your head up and always walk with a purpose and grace (don’t shuffle). Never settle for less.
O = Ownership, take charge of your life and be in control at all times. Your peers do not make decisions for you, you do! If what others are doing is wrong, then you need to find something else to do. Your life is important and you have the right to treat yourself with dignity and respect. If you don’t, won’t, or can’t do this for yourself then why should you expect others to?
W= Wealth, amass a fortune of knowledge. Regardless of your age, know what’s going on around you. Familiarize yourself with the history of the world, your neighborhood, and life in general. Read, study, and learn things for yourself because if you don’t, you’re doomed to be spoonfed knowledge from someone else’s perspective; and others are not always right. People are counting on you to be ignorant, uninformed, and unconcerned about the very things you need to make your life a success. Surprise them; always know a little about everything until you can become an expert in whatever field of endeavor you choose for yourself.
E= Education, the world runs on knowledge. You’re doing yourself a grave injustice if you’re not applying yourself in school. Not everyone can be a ‘Rocket Scientist’ however; you may very well be one, but if you don’t apply yourself you’ll never know. Quite often our peers or friends criticize us for ‘talking proper’ or enjoying math and other studies. This serious breech of common sense and logic can sometimes have unintended consequences like slurring your words or dumbing yourself down. However, if you read sections ‘P’ and ‘O’ then you know that’s not what you should be doing. Remember never let others dictate the way you will live your life. Our education system is free, take advantage of it!
R= Respect, finally that word…respect. Respect does not come at the end of a gun. You can’t get it by talking the loudest nor will it magically appear because of the type of wheels you put on your ride. Respect is earned. Respect is earned through the continued application and hard work that you put into being knowledgeable, honest, and disciplined. Some may call that being ‘soft’ or again, ‘selling out’ but remember to be successful in this world you must have the ability to work successfully in environments different from the one you live in. So who really is the sell out, you or those that would hold you back?
POWER=Pride, ownership, wealth, education, and respect.
Conclusion: In Lesson One, we talked a little bit about self-awareness and the fact you owe it to yourself to be the best and most successful person you can be. No one can take that away from you unless you let them…never forget that! Let me know if this article was of use to you by leaving a comment.
V/r
Ronald Peeler
Back to: Professional Development