“Know yourself. Don’t accept your dog’s admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.”

Ann Landers

The great temptation is to surround myself with, not just the loyal and loving pup, but with the people with whom I get along, (i.e. folks that confirm my belief that I am wonderful).  I had a Lieutenant, at the U.S. Capitol Police, tell me, “Wittman, people either love you or hate you. Nobody says, ‘that Wittman guy is just okay.’”  It was one of those epiphany moments, one in which I truly began the quest to know myself.

Why do those who love me, love me? Why do those who hate me, hate me? Why is nobody “just okay” with me?

I began asking myself these types of questions, taking an honest assessment of who I really was, and why I acted and behaved the way that I did.  It’s been 15 years or more since that statement by my commander, and my journey continues, but getting to know myself has helped me grow more than any other single thing under the sun.   I assessed what I liked about me and what I didn’t, what my strengths were and what my weaknesses were, and then I went to work, playing to my strengths and improving on my weaknesses.

It’s often not a pleasant process, honestly getting to know oneself, but the benefits and results are more than worth the hard look in the mirror.  You can’t maximize your strengths if you don’t know what they are, and your weaknesses will eat you alive if you are delusional about them, and just believe your adoring puppy that you are wonderful.

Listen to what others (not just your posse) are saying about you.  At your next performance evaluation in your career, (whether it be from your boss, if you are an employee, or an irate customer survey, if you are an owner), objectively listen to what is said.  Don’t blow it off or get defensive, remove your emotional bias, and look at yourself through their eyes.

If you don’t honestly know yourself, can you ever truly be successful?

Boo Yah!