Reappraisal

It is human nature to make our meaning and interpretations out of events. Our interpretation is not fact-based but based on assumptions and our habitual thinking. Sometimes, these can be self-limiting and self-defeating. Reappraisal is a way to break patterns of interpretation. It requires us to notice the self-defeating interpretations and replace them with those which are helpful and encouraging. For instance, someone who was worried about not being given a chance to speak at an event reappraised it as using the event to interact with others and know them. It is not the thoughts that we can control but the meanings we give to it.

“While you can’t control your experiences, you can control your explanations.” – Martin E.P. Seligman

Personal branding 101

Would you want to be a rare gem that only expert jewelers can spot and value?
or
Would you want to be the useful gold that every common man understands and values?

How you answer this question could reveal the mental model you have for creating your visibility. Both have their own merits and consequences. However, it is important that your model matches the purpose you want to fulfill.

“Personal branding is the art of becoming knowable, likable, and trustable.” – John Jantsch

Overcoming progress blindness

In a coaching journey, it is initially hard to see internal and external growth. Sometimes coachees can be slow to notice and acknowledge their progress. In the expectation of ideal transformation, they fail to notice tiny changes which could be a shift in perspective or a small change in approach to how things are done. However, a coach who is witness to these changes reinforces them by spotting them on time and drawing the coachee’s attention to it. Every transformation begins with a tiny step. It requires appreciative eyes and a sharp mind to notice, call out, and nurture it.

“Each step you take reveals a new horizon.” – Don Poynter