I would love to share a chapter from a book that I listened to last year on audible, called The 15 invaluable laws of growth by John Maxwell. A great read. It is a book that you can go back and just read the parts that you need for that moment. I really like John Maxwell, I do follow and read his work, he adds a lot of value.
One of the chapter’s I believe that relates to our topic this month, “Discovering the real you” is Chapter 2 – The law of Awareness – You must know yourself to grow yourself!
“To reach your potential, you must know where you want to go and where you currently are. Without both of these pieces of information, you’re liable to get lost”
John Maxwell talks about 3 kinds of people when it comes to direction in life. I found this interesting to relate to myself. After I came back from maternity leave into work, I believe I was a person who didn’t know what they would like to do, I was a bit confused. Then I started looking for some training. I become a person who knew a bit more about what I would like to do but I didn’t do it. Becoming a bit frustrated. Now I can say I am a lot clearer on what it is I would like to do and am finding ways of doing it and learning along the way. Not always being successful but trying different ways.
It would be interesting to relate and understand where you are in life right now?
People who don’t know what they would like to do?
People who know what they would like to do but don’t do it?
People who know what they would like to do and do it.
He explains “to grow you must know yourself: your strengths and weakness, your interests and opportunities. You must be able to gauge not only where you have been, but also where you are now. Otherwise you cannot set a course for where you want to go.”
Bit of a catch 22, you have to know who you are to grow, but you have to grow to know who you are. This is why sometimes knowing yourself isn’t as easy for everyone to do.
I love how he said that the first step toward change in awareness. The second step is acceptance. If you would like to change yourself you need to accept yourself for who you are right now before you can go any further.
John Maxwell provides 10 questions to help find your passion and purpose and get to know you a bit more:
Do you like what you are doing now? – if you’re not enjoying what you do for a living, you need to take some time to examine why.
What would you like to do? – As he explains, successful people have a strong sense of their own abilities and aspirations. They are leaders in their own lives. When you tap into your passion it gives you the E&E factor: energy and excellence. This reminds me at a leadership talk I was once at when the presenter said a quote that I haven’t forgotten…”Ignorance on fire is better than knowledge on ice”.
3. Can you do what you would like to do? Reminder here that there is a big difference between having a dream that moves you forward to achievement and pulling an idea out of nowhere which has no connection to you or who you are?
4. Do you know why you want to do what you would like to do? “Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.” Carl Jung
5. Do you know what to do so you can do what you want to do? This is all about a process. John Maxwell mentions: awareness, action, accountability, attraction.
6. Do you know people who do what you’d like to do? You cannot get where you want to go on your own. Get help from others who are ahead of you and guide you.
7. Should you do what you’d like to do with them? This follows on from the question above. Ensuring you take responsibility to grow your relationship with the person or people in question 6.
8. Will you pay the price to do what you want to do? Will you keep learning, growing and changing and not give up?
9. When can you start doing what you’d like to do? Nobody ever got ready by waiting. You only get ready by starting. Even something small can start you on your journey.
10. What will it be like when you get to do what you’d like to do? John said there are two great days in a person’s life: the day you were born and the day you discover why.
John Maxwell does get your thinking and once again I do recommend this book.
Would love to hear if going through the 10 questions bought up any thoughts or feelings for you?
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