Self Assessment and self Knowledge

There’s a persistent belief that “nice guys finish last.” Not only do they not finish last, but they ultimately finish at or near the top, while the “bad guys” consistently finish behind the 8-ball, behind bars, or near the bottom (Zig Ziglar (from the foreword to my honor, I will by randy Pennington and Marce Bockmon)) 

You may have read that you should be tightly focused, that the time for the Renaissance man was during the renaissance, Consider, however, that we are living in a new Renaissance, and that learning as broadly as possible will enhance your creativity. 

George Valliant, a Harvard University psychologist, followed a group of Harvard graduates for more than three decades. He found that those with a better sense of humor, which he measured by assigning a value for HQ, for humor quotient, were healthier, wealthier and more likely to be promoted, that their humor-challenged compatriots. After you’ve read sports and business, turn to the comics; learn a new joke every week. 

There’s an age-old debate about what must come first: a change in your attitude or a change in your behavior. Why take a chance? If something in your life is not working satisfactorily, change both, starting right now. 

Read the book act now! By dale L. Anderson, M.D. Building upon the scientific evidence of a strong mind-body connection, Anderson describes how you can use acting techniques to break bad habits, build good habits and improve your attitude. Your success at accomplishing this, he says, will dramatically improve your health, wealth and relationships. All the world’s a stage, said the bard, so why not write your own script? 

I cannot stress too much the need for self-invention. To be authentic is literally to be your own author … to discover your own native energies and desires, and desires, and then to find your own way of acting on them. (Warren Bennis, On Becoming a leader) 

Mary Jane Murphy, a career counselor and psychotherapist in Atlanta, says that about 30% of the people she sees end up with at least a brief period of psychotherapy before plunging into the job search. There is, she says, often a pattern of failure showing up in work and personal life, causing them to repeat the same tragic mistakes. If your career has hit the rocks, consider whether a period of self-evaluation might help you avoid a replay in the future. 

Wendell hall quit General Motors after being asked to move for the thirteenth time in 31 years. In assessing his own skills and interests, he realized that he loved the process of buying and selling homes in all those moves. He earned a real estate license and started at the bottom of the profession. Now, 10 Years later, he owns a real estate brokerage firm- prudential Lambert Real Estate Inc. – in Oakland, Now Jersey, and employs dozens of sales associates. He enjoys both the work and the fact that he’s directly rewarded- via commissions for his performance.

Self Assessment and self Knowledge: Part-5