Who Do You Think YOU are…
Who Do You Think YOU are…
The Answer Just Might Surprise You
In this issue: Who Do You Think YOU are…/ When Shifting Strategy, Don’t Lose Sight of Your Long-Term Vision / How Empathy and Competence Promote a Diverse Leadership Culture / The Lighter Side of Identity
Who Do You Think YOU are…The Answer Just Might Surprise You
In life, we take on different identities, roles, and personas.
It begins early, almost immediately after we’re born.
She was a happy baby.
He was a curious child.
It’s so subtle that we don’t question it (until we do), almost as if because people said we were, we are.
But what if you could start again and wipe the slate clean.
What if YOU get to choose?
Mornings Become You
During my morning walk, I see runners, walkers, dog owners, etc.
We all show up and do our “thing”.
Then, the other day, I had a vague memory… I remembered that this wasn’t always my thing.
I used to be different. I was a runner.
Though I wasn’t particularly fast or good at it, I loved to run.
But a few injuries and metallic parts later, it was no longer possible.
So, I took on different identities.
Walker.
Yogi.
Meditator.
Managing my metal/mettle meant changing who I had believed I was.
Though I’d struggled most of my life with poor food choices, I became something of a health nut (family members might argue about the first part).
I knew I had to choose a new identity.
Do I choose it all the time…I wish!
But it’s who I want to be and who I now believe I am, so now, (most of the time) I make choices based on that identity … and have a whole lot of self-compassion for the times I don’t.
Who Do YOU Want to be?
Every day we’re surrounded by people who have very different identities from us.
Occasionally this might create a bit of jealousy…
As you wonder, “why them and not me?”
Or perhaps, if not for ___, it would’ve, could’ve, should’ve been me?
What if, all this time, you’ve been asking the wrong questions?
What if, instead, you asked “how can that be me?”
Though, before you do that, I’d suggest you’d check and find out if, that really, is YOU?
For that matter, is that even really them (I feel an existential crisis coming on :)?
This takes us back to where we began, how these identities were formed in the first place…
If you remove the layers, upon layers of sh*t that’s been piled upon the diamond that is at the core of who you truly are, and took the time to ask yourself is that really who I want to be, the response might be surprising?
Seriously, take a few minutes or hours or days…I’ll wait.
In a world filled with endless FOMO, it’s easy to confuse someone else’s “great” life for what would actually be great for you.
Not everyone would be happy being a CEO, an Influencer, or insert your dream job/life title here.
It’s kind of like winning a prize that you really don’t want…it should make you happy, but instead you waste a whole lot of time trying to figure out what to do with it.
So instead of wasting your most precious resource of time, why not make the investment in getting clear about who you really are and what you really want.
The answers might surprise you.
A Few (Hopefully) Helpful Questions
What childhood/adolescent activity did you love doing and would you do now, just for the fun of it?
What do you enjoy doing so much that you lose track of time?
What’s worth the sacrifice of your most precious commodity, your time?
Knowing what you know now, how can you make the biggest difference or have the greatest impact?
How Do You Want to Be Remembered?
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RECOMMENDED LISTENS, READS
When Shifting Strategy, Don’t Lose Sight of Your Long-Term Vision:
When introducing new strategies in response to the ever-shifting business landscape, executives must take care to align them with the larger picture of where their organization is heading — the company’s “vision.” That’s because when vision and strategy are at odds, employees, shareholders, and customers may lose confidence. To achieve this alignment, executives need to evaluate whether proposed short-term strategic shifts are consistent with the longer-term vision and resist the pressure to those strategies that run counter to it.
How Empathy and Competence Promote a Diverse Leadership Culture
Achieving gender balance in management teams requires focusing on the role that the leadership environment plays in shaping ambitions, opportunities, and experience.
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The Lighter Side of Identity
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Are there any other subjects you want me to cover? Have Questions? Or, Need a Coach to Help You Create Your Wild and Precious Life… Hit “Reply” and tell me!
I love hearing from you :)!
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Andrea J. Miller
+1 (646) 556-5401 (Whatsapp)