My lessons learned, between deep waters and safe shores

We often look back and reflect on our personal accomplishments, and how we have got as far as we have got, whether in glamorous times and in bumpy ones. If we don’t pause and reflect, we kind of lose ourselves into a much more diluted versions of who we really are. Our self-image will then greatly depend on how those around us define us and our success, and that’s too risky cause we might be around the wrong bunch and risk a distorted self-image.

I have been blessed by a variety of leaders who taught me a great deal, and others who taught me by not wanting to be like them. In both cases, I owe them a lot of my current experiences. Experts claim that sharing experiences with others makes them more intense, whether they are good or bad, and that’s what got me to package my learning and reflections:

• Prioritization requires sacrifice: Many mistake prioritization with ordering your priorities. As long as you are just shuffling the order of those handful number of things that you think are all your priorities, then you haven’t prioritized yet. You have only prioritized when you consciously decide to drop those which ended up with the lowest ranking in your ordering exercise. Otherwise, you are just emptying a bottle in a glass, and no wonder a lot would spill out!

• Self awareness is a priceless virtue: As it’s known, the difference between awareness and knowledge is that awareness indicates the level of consciousness, while knowledge is the obsolete acknowledgment. Many believe they are self-aware just because they know their points of strength and weakness. To claim self-awareness, you need to establish open channels with your full being, and have clear definitions of what you call happiness, satisfaction or success. Otherwise, you would end up borrowing from those around you standards for such major terms that define your existence.

• Influence beats authority: If I am to choose between them, I know my pick!! I would rather influence people (the ability to inspire change and affect ideas and actions) than have the authority over them (be given the power or right to give orders and make decisions).If you are in any leadership position (including parenting), consider which one you are adopting and leaning on.

I picked those to be my first sharing. They come in slick bullets, yet they have been carved inside of me over the years of laughter and tears.

I hope you have had a good read.