Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities.
The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence.
- Albert Einstein
The older I get the more I relate to this wonderful Einstein quote.
So many times in my early years at work I was influenced and even led down a path by other people's prejudices, opinions or views.
Maybe that was a weakness in me.
Or was it just I had not yet formed my own views?
As I became more confident about my own values and beliefs I realised that following my own instincts - informed by my own values - is always the best way to live and work.
And there is no feeling on earth like proving negative cynics wrong is there?
All of this is not to be confused with arrogance - I am simply talking about having beliefs that matter to you.
Personal and professional accountability is best measured by the person you see when you look in the mirror - not by hereditary prejudices as Einstein puts it.
Amen Albert!!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I think most people in the early going of their careers are overly interested in power. We tend to seek out power or higher positions of status. In doing so I think we are often swayed by the opinions of others. We usually equate power with the popular opinion of others. As we grow older and more mature physically and professionally we tend to develop a sense of character. We learn to base decisions on our values rather than on a search of status. At least most of the time. There are many cases when the desire for power and status stay with people throughout their careers. I am currently reading a book titled 'The 48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene. It is a fascinating book. It challenges all of my values and often feels uncomfortable and yet has a ring of truth to it in terms of traditional power, both personal and professional. It is quite interesting reading.
Thank you so much for the book reference - it sounds a great book - I will get it.
As I get older I become more convinced that material and explicit status we strive for in management is actually LESS IMPORTANT than inner contentment that we have ALWAYS done our best. Nowadays that is good enough for me and the rest will fall into place.
A few short years ago I was desperate to become a Chief Executive - I now know it was merely the title I wanted.
Nowadays I want to share what I have learned and allow fate and destiny to take me where I end up.
Of course I have a vision and a plan but I now beleive more in serendipity and connections.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful response - I wish I knew who you were
Regards
Trevor
Post a Comment