Know Thyself!

 

Know thyself. That’s one of the most powerful two-word admonishments I’ve ever considered. Equally powerful is Aristotle’s suggestion that “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”

It may seem selfish to start with knowing yourself, but you can’t give what you don’t have. And if you don’t know what you have, you won’t be able to share it. If you don’t work on you, it doesn’t matter what you try to do for others. What you see is what you’ll be and what THEY see is what THEY’LL be!

How do you see yourself? What is your self-vision. You have to be confident in who you are if you’re going to lead others. People will not follow a leader who is not confident. Now, there’s a difference between confident and cocky. Don’t be cocky. No one will follow you then. Confidence requires humility. We often confuse humility with ego. There’s a huge difference between a strong ego and a big ego. People who have a big ego go around telling others how great they are. People who have a strong ego don’t have to tell anyone anything, they just show how good they are and share their talents with those they lead.  

Here’s the bottom line…if you see yourself as weak, as incompetent, as a dirtbag, you’ll fulfill that prophesy. You’ll act like that and soon become it. If you see yourself as strong, humble, competent, as a leader who helps others empower themselves to fulfill their purpose, you’ll become that the more you practice it! It's your choice.

Back in the day, we were taught to work on our weaknesses until they became strengths. I’ve been there and tried that. It doesn’t work! If you’re naturally weak at some things, all the work in the world won’t make them strengths. New thinking suggests that you should work on your weaknesses so that they’re not deficits, but invest yourself in developing your strengths. Do what you’re best at and hire someone to do what you’re weak at. You may even help others in your strength areas that are weaknesses to them. That’s win-win thinking.

We see others more clearly than we see ourselves. Why? Because we see ourselves by our intentions. We see others by their actions. We may mean to do something, but not do it. Others did do it. Effective leading begins with YOU! How well do you know yourself? How do you see yourself? See yourself as a Shining Star! See yourself as competent and confident. And then you can see your followers as such, too. 

Until next time, Be GREAT! You ARE!

¡HEIRPOWER!

bob vásquez!