Know Thy Self!

Can you list your 10 strongest assets? Can you name your 10 biggest weaknesses? How about 5? If you can't identify clearly your assets and liabilities, how can you know what you are worth? How can you move forward in your life? And by forward I refer to progress and growth; improved job, lifestyle, and most important, satisfaction and fulfillment. I don't mean forward by the passing of years in to old age.

Personally I can't identify 10 assets and weaknesses. I can probably do 5 and 5 each, which is a start; but to not know myself completely is a liability in-and-of itself that I would not have listed. Napoleon Hill states "You should know all of your weaknesses in order that you may either bridge them or eliminate them entirely." If I am not intimately familiar with my strengths, abilities, and areas of weaknesses then I can in no way identify a path to improve.

Further, with out knowing I can in no way know what my actual worth is. And without knowing what my true worth is, I cannot fairly and accurately evaluate the opportunities placed in front of me because I will only choose what "sounds good" rather than choose the opportunity that rewards me (monetarily, spiritually, et al) the most for my worth. Hill continues:

"Your financial requirements or wants have nothing to do with your worth. Your value is established entirely by your ability to render useful service or your capacity to induce others to render such service."

In other words, its not what I feel I should "make" rather it's a question of what I provide and the value others place on that service. Instead of saying "I should be making more money" I need to reframe that to "I should be delivering more value." The focus on providing, is empowering because the situation is in my control. The idea of being paid or "making" money is disenfranchising because it is based on someone's opinion of my worth. If I feel I should "make" more I should immediately think "What can I do to deliver more value?" Focus on that will instantly create the "make"; because I will be worth more to others.

Combining the two thoughts: by identifying my strengths and weaknesses I can more effectively move forward and in-turn constantly improve the quality and quantity of the value I am providing; as that delivered-value increases so will my worth to others and the commiserate fees that are associated with that ever-increasing value-creation.

Let's go create some value!!!