Last week, I shared with you a common excuse for most people failing to do what they really want to do. They are too concerned about what others think.
If you read the article closely, you noticed that I mentioned in those teenage years we were prone to “what others think” as we were trying to figure out who we were and what we were meant to contribute to this world. Although most of us do eventually grow up, and establish families and careers, we still may have never figured out who we are and our contribution to the world.
That missing piece can make us far more prone to “what others think”. Our decisions about our lives then are not fueled by an internal passion that pulls us forward. Rather our decisions reflect other people’s thoughts about who we should be and how we should contribute.
These thoughts from other people can come from those who have our very interests at heart: people such as parents and other family members, teachers, ministers and other people of influence. While their goal is to help shape and prepare us for life, they may unintentionally seed our minds with their preferences. They think little Johnny should be a doctor because it is a prestigious profession and will provide a good income for Johnny’s future family. The fact that Johnny has no interest in understanding how the human body functions, but would rather build elaborate Tinker Toy models, is irrelevant.
What we think we know about ourselves may reflect other people far more than we realize. Investing time and energy to understand your strengths, values and your vision for life will pay off in many ways, not the least of which is to excise some of those voices in your head. To find out how to discover your true self, contact me at 713-705-3815 or barbara@acceluspartners.com.