Keep an eye on your real self...

·      The one person you can’t lie to is yourself.

·      You may try, but it will always fail.

·      And that’s for your own good.

 

We’re told to brush our teeth twice a day – ostensibly for good oral health. But my grandmother taught me that it’s two chances per day to look at yourself in the mirror and assess what you see. Some days you may not like it, but it’s always a chance to take stock, learn something new about yourself, and make some course corrections before you get too far down the wrong road. Good advice. Tough love. Nowadays, employees are empowered to make judgments daily about us… for the same reasons. To keep us on our toes. Don’t get me wrong – this is a good thing: not just the self-reflection but also the self-correction part (if needed). The longer you put these things off, the worse it gets. In the old days it was our conscience that kept us in check; now everyone is our judge. If you or they see something, say something. And don’t ignore it or lie to yourself. The trick is not to give yourself or anyone else cause to think poorly of you or your habits. It’s called ethics and integrity. It’s called doing what’s right. Every time, all the time. That way you can put all your energy and efforts into doing good work and great things today.

 

Paulo Coelho de Souza (born 1947): Brazilian lyricist and novelist and a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters since 2002. His 1988 novel The Alchemist was an international best-seller.