“I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.” ― Oscar Wilde
Going back to the year 2020—it was lockdown + death anxiety for me. I was tired of being stuck indoors, tired of the voices in my head telling me I was going to die soon. So when a friend invited me to some church, I tagged along, hoping for a change of scene.
We got there, and the prophetess or whatever title she preferred, looked at me and said she saw a vision: I’d die in 2023.
Many people believe they need others’ approval to feel good about themselves, but real confidence isn’t something others can give you; it’s something you cultivate from within.
In this post, we’ll explore why external validation is harmful and 7 useful strategies to build unquestionably strong confidence.
putting your imperfect authentic self into the world invites the necessary feedback that helps you build a less imperfect authentic self.
The paradox is this: because being wrong publicly sucks, you become right faster by being wrong publicly.
You won’t find great friends in the library, church, or some group. You become a great person, and then great people resonate with you wherever you are. But, more importantly, you help yourselves stay great.
It is not always easy
Just as truly educated people go beyond what is taught in the University to be knowledgeable, so too we must go beyond religion to be good humans.
Critical thinking requires you to be mindful about what claims/ideas you accept as true. You have to cultivate curiosity; be open to constructive criticism; allocate time for reflection, avoid snap judgments; and embrace complexity and nuance.
Developing critical thinking is important because it helps you discern between ideas and improve your decision-making which can have a positive ripple effect in all areas of your life, making it better.
I used to introduce myself at networking events with “I’m a marketer” and leave it at that. But one day, a client came to me totally frustrated with their marketing results. Instead of jumping straight into campaign strategies, I spent time helping them get clear on their bigger mission. Two hours later, they had tears … Read more
Here is the thing, deep down we know we are not perfect. It is impossible to be perfect. No one has looks, finances, relationships, and all nailed to the T (at least, not all the time). And even those who manage to score high in seemingly all domains of their lives, do so at a great cost – they are under constant pressure; and in some cases, might even feel a sort of second-hand embarrassment from those around them who think this whole charade of perfection is absolute madness and want to just be themselves.
the best thing about you can also be the worst thing about you, because every trait we value has a counterpart we struggle to accept.
The extraordinary qualities you admire in others often come with a shadow side that’s harder to acknowledge. Just like one person’s guardian angel may be another’s angel of death.
They have always tried to reveal themselves to me in fragments, but my own expectations have often warped my interpretation of their intentions. I’ve seen them as malevolent at times, and indifferent at others. But this year, I guess I was able to see that it was all beyond good and bad, and about shaping me into someone better.
