Shedding the Cloak: being accountable for authenticity

San Diego brought me a new sense of enlightenment when I passed a beautiful work of art one morning while running. This sculpture, entitled Shedding the Cloak, made me ask, “What mask am I hiding behind?”

I believe that being truly authentic leads to the road of success. You need to feel good about yourself before anyone else can. Perhaps this is the reason that many successful people are not happy with their lives: they are hiding under a false cloak.

And in Popeye’s words, “I am what I am.”  Feeling self-assured and confident does not always come naturally, so think about what you do to make yourself feel good about YOU. Developing internal communication to speak positively about you is a good place to start. This increased awareness helps improve your decision-making skills and certainly helps your conflict resolution techniques, both internally and externally.

Just like the metal sculpture, there’s gold under there! So what is the cloak you will shed?

Marsha

Giving back (live your mission statement)

Al and I worked this weekend cleaning a water tank for the conservation of elk herds and other animals in the Big Lake, Arizona area.  I don’t think I have ever been this dirty – but the day was rewarding, and fun. This will provide much-needed water retention areas for the animals. Read more

Dump the non-essentials

I am packing for our trip to Namibia, Africa, and I am working to eliminate the non-essentials. Do you carry around a bunch of junk in your head that clutters your judgment and choices? I think we need to do the same for our brain, thinking and planning.

I know that for me, the extra stuff can get in the way of my making the best choices. This personal responsibility will help keep the trash away from our business success. And think about what the junk does to our communications!

So how about you?  What non-essentials could you leave behind to unclutter your thinking?

Off to the wild blue yonder…
Marsha
www.MarshaPetrieSue.com

Personal Responsibility and YOU

In this age of entitlement, bailouts and apathy, it becomes more important than ever to  to stand up for your rights and beliefs while not violating the rights of others.  The challenge is to take responsibility for every element of your personal and professional life.  Two of the topics at the top of my list right now are social networking and challenging myself to stay up in down times, especially with the negatives heard every day through the media.

Social Media?  Yep.  Learn about it and use it.  Begin by following Chris Brogan. He is cutting edge and will help you see the application of these dynamic tools for your business and personal relationships.

Join my Personal Responsibility for Success Club on Facebook. Follow me at mpsue and others on Twitter. These tools cost you nothing but time, and I guarantee that when you pledge to yourself to take personal responsibility for your success, you will open doors that you didn’t even know were there!

What is your take on personal responsibility?

~Marsha Petrie Sue