Technical Documents/Job Applications/Interviewing/Personal Statement Work
People often talk about the importance of ‘getting to know’ someone before you make a judgment about them. Well, let’s flip that around for a second - how well do you know yourself? How self-aware are you? What are others thinking when they are in the process of ‘getting to know’ you? In Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, he offers a list of questions that are aimed at getting to know your true self as closely as possible.
1. Do you like your present situation? If not, why? And what would you like to see change?
2. To which do you devote most time: thinking of success or of failure?
3. Who has the most inspiring influence upon you? What is the result?
4. Have you learned how to “drown your troubles” by being too busy to be annoyed by them?
5. Do you have a definite major purpose, and if so, what is it, and what plans have you for achieving it?
6. Which do you value most, your material possessions or your privilege of controlling your own thoughts?
7. Do others easily influence you, against your own judgment?
8. Can you name at lease one of your most damaging weaknesses? What are you doing to correct them?
9. Do you feel it your duty to share other people’s worries? And If so, why?
10. Who among your acquaintances: a) encourages you the most b) cautions you most c) discourages you most d)helps you the most in other ways?
11. What, above all else, do you most desire?
12. Are you easily influenced by what other people think or say of you?
1. Do you like your present situation? If not, why? And what would you like to see change?
2. To which do you devote most time: thinking of success or of failure?
3. Who has the most inspiring influence upon you? What is the result?
4. Have you learned how to “drown your troubles” by being too busy to be annoyed by them?
5. Do you have a definite major purpose, and if so, what is it, and what plans have you for achieving it?
6. Which do you value most, your material possessions or your privilege of controlling your own thoughts?
7. Do others easily influence you, against your own judgment?
8. Can you name at lease one of your most damaging weaknesses? What are you doing to correct them?
9. Do you feel it your duty to share other people’s worries? And If so, why?
10. Who among your acquaintances: a) encourages you the most b) cautions you most c) discourages you most d)helps you the most in other ways?
11. What, above all else, do you most desire?
12. Are you easily influenced by what other people think or say of you?
Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
We are all guilty of it; it’s hard to stop yourself from doing it. You see that celebrity on TV with the newest car or that famous athlete who seems to have it all and then some. You look at your friends who are getting married, getting engaged, while you are still single (wait…that last one is me). It is easy to compare yourself to others in your peer group to try to gauge where you think you should be at in life or what you 'should' be doing. That isn't the right answer though. It is pretty simple, really - just focus on where you are at and where you want to go. Then take the next step in the direction you want to go. You are the only one living your life, do what makes you happy. Stop comparing yourself to every one of your friends on Facebook. Don’t underestimate yourself and overestimate everyone else. We all have our own insecurities and our own strengths and weaknesses.
It is important to internalize that even though you think it might be, "the grass isn’t always greener on the other side." You don’t always know someone’s situation beyond what it appears to be on the surface. A famous actor may not have anyone they consider a ‘real’ friend, just sycophants drawn to their money and fame. Perhaps that rock-star musician doesn’t speak with their father. Maybe that TV personality has a sibling with an addiction problem. That lawyer is driving a red BMW but perhaps their lucrative job is costing them some of their personal relationships.
Realizing that you don’t know the entire story makes it useless to compare yourself with other people, because you don’t know their full life situation. Everyone has their own individual problems and issues to deal with; it is a part of being human. It is easy to look at somebody and think they have it better than you, but there is a good chance there is a part of your life that they would like to have. Like I wrote about in a previous post, take the time to be grateful for what you do have in your life, and make the choice to be happy.
“Don’t focus on how you rank in comparison to others — life is not a competition. It’s a journey. We are all on a journey, to find something, to become something, to learn, to create. That journey has nothing to do with how well other people are doing, or what they have. It has everything to do with what we want to do, and where we want to go. That’s all you need to worry about.” –Leo Babatua
“Focus on your own journey. Your journey is no better or any worse than anybody else’s. It’s yours alone… Focus on what you want and only what YOU want. That’s it. It’s your journey. Other people will have their own to follow.” –Brian Kim
It is important to internalize that even though you think it might be, "the grass isn’t always greener on the other side." You don’t always know someone’s situation beyond what it appears to be on the surface. A famous actor may not have anyone they consider a ‘real’ friend, just sycophants drawn to their money and fame. Perhaps that rock-star musician doesn’t speak with their father. Maybe that TV personality has a sibling with an addiction problem. That lawyer is driving a red BMW but perhaps their lucrative job is costing them some of their personal relationships.
Realizing that you don’t know the entire story makes it useless to compare yourself with other people, because you don’t know their full life situation. Everyone has their own individual problems and issues to deal with; it is a part of being human. It is easy to look at somebody and think they have it better than you, but there is a good chance there is a part of your life that they would like to have. Like I wrote about in a previous post, take the time to be grateful for what you do have in your life, and make the choice to be happy.
“Don’t focus on how you rank in comparison to others — life is not a competition. It’s a journey. We are all on a journey, to find something, to become something, to learn, to create. That journey has nothing to do with how well other people are doing, or what they have. It has everything to do with what we want to do, and where we want to go. That’s all you need to worry about.” –Leo Babatua
“Focus on your own journey. Your journey is no better or any worse than anybody else’s. It’s yours alone… Focus on what you want and only what YOU want. That’s it. It’s your journey. Other people will have their own to follow.” –Brian Kim