Who Do You Think You Are?
Frank Manfre Job Search Sherpa and Career Transition Coach
A job should be more than a paycheck. Land a job providing the Psychic Salary? you deserve.
Is there any statement a person in a position of respect or power can make that’s potentially more damaging to a person’s spirit, especially to an adolescent than "Who do you think you are?"?Sadly, many of us have heard just that or its partner, “You’re getting too big for your britches”. Other disparaging terms that can easily deflate someone include “You're getting a big head” and “Stop attracting attention to yourself”.?Talk about taking someone “down a notch”! Perhaps the speaker feels they are helping the listener, but bursting the balloon for someone daring to aspire to something, especially something bigger than themselves, is a petty and despicable thing to do.
Perhaps that’s why so many of us have found it hard to own and share our gifts. But there is nothing wrong with saying "I'm really good at _____". First off, it isn’t bragging if it's true, and secondly we should share what we are good at; these gifts are not meant to be kept under wraps. So, do so without reservation and don't worry about the people, for their own selfish reasons, that want to hold you back. Shine and shine brightly.
It's totally OK to be all of you even when you are viewed as “different” or “rebellious”. ?As the old saying goes, “Even a dead fish can swim downstream. It takes a live one to swim upstream; to go against the flow”.
Many people will urge you to “fit in”, i.e., conform and not “go against the flow”. But how many great things have been achieved by conformists??The fact is it doesn’t take much effort to do what everyone else is doing. It’s easy to be common and conform. The pressure comes when you decide to be uncommon and take a unique approach. This makes many folks uneasy.
Lastly, remember the adage, “Your friends want you to do well, but not that well”. The message here is to only share your dreams and plans with people you know will encourage and support you in bringing them to fruition. Don’t waste any time with the naysayers and avowed conformists – they’d rather you didn’t make waves…
Frank Manfre www.frankmanfre.com/career-coaching