EVER HEAR PEOPLE SAY: “WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?”

This is Part 34 in a series of articles about the “self.”

IT IS SAID OF PEOPLE WHO OTHERS FEEL ARE “GETTING TOO BIG FOR THEIR BRITCHES.”

It is said of people who may have said something good about a thing they did and people are accusing them of bragging.

“Wow! Does that tell you anything?

If person knows who he is but he can’t mention it?

Are we so afraid of our ‘selves’ that we can’t even acknowledge ourselves when we’re good at something?

We sure can do it when we don’t feel competent.

Here’s a little test.

Write down all the things you are really good at. It doesn’t matter what it is: cooking singing, math, whatever.

Just write down as many things as you can that you are terrific in or at.

Now, write down as many things as you can that you are not good at.

Which list is longer?

Most peoples’ list of things they’re good at is shorter (sometimes much shorter) than the ‘not good at’ list.

And it takes them longer to write down the ‘good at’ list.

Again, this is not only not healthy it’s probably not even true.

Not true, but still accepted as one of our ‘presenting’ selves.

In most cases when the talents are recognized early and nurtured early the child will develop best.

THINK OF SPORTS FIGURES

Look at Tiger Woods who was playing golf at two or three years of age.

Look at all the Olympic swimmers and gymnasts who have been training since they were small children.

Is it all luck? Can they not admit they’re good at what they do without somebody calling them on it for being prideful?

This is ridiculous on its face but our society operates this way a lot of the time.

Did you display any talent in any of the arts such as painting, dancing, acting, music?

Did you develop any of these?

Do you still want to?

Do you have a desire to do something different, not ‘normal’?

Did you not pursue something because somebody thought it was ‘weird’?

Examine your life.

Imagine you are standing on a chair, looking down at the floor on which is a chart of your life to this day.

Do you see patterns, associations, and connections between things you thought you were good at, things people told you you were good at, activities you know you were good at?

WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GOOD AT?

Think of your accomplishments in school or out.
Think of your ‘wins,’ your distinctions, your great moments.
Think of what people praised you for, complimented you for
Think of when people said “You are so good at ‘x.’
Write them downWhat attracts you?
Good at science?
Repels you?
What came easily to you as a child and still does?
What do you do easily that other people struggle with?
What do you love to do?
What would you do even if nobody knew about it?
What would you do even if they didn’t pay you to do it?
What wouldn’t you do even if they paid you a lot of money?

Think of other areas where you indicated special knowledge or gifts. Business? Interpersonal skills? Anything at all because it isn’t just the thing itself that’s important it’s what it reveals, what it leads to, what it suggests.

Of great interest is the combinations of things you are drawn to.

One woman I know wanted to be a teacher but not exactly; she wanted work in public relations but not exactly; she wanted to do marketing but not exactly. She also wanted to help poor people in developing countries. What did she come up with? She thinks she’d like to be a teacher of teachers. She’d like to take her expertise in public relations and marketing and teach people in developing countries who themselves would teach burgeoning entrepreneurs about public relations and marketing!

How brilliant is that! That is creativity at a high level!

Then you have to combine all your gifts and talents.