The poem titled “Who am I?,” by an unknown author, serves as a poignant reminder as we wrap up a month of new year's resolutions to change in various aspects of our lives.
I am your constant companion.
I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden.
I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.
I am completely at your command.
Half of the things you do you might just as well turn over to me, and I will be able to do them—quickly and correctly.
I learned about the theory of goal setting in school and like many of us, learned about the mechanics of goal setting on the job.
When my middle daughter, Grace, was seven years old I surprisingly experienced first-hand the power of thinking big. It came at the hands of someone quite small. Grace loved to play catch with Dad. The object we threw mattered little- a tennis ball, football, one of those squishy balls - but the challenge of consecutive catches mattered very much to her.
Today's hyperactive and attention-demanding world makes reflection no easy task. Nonetheless, we still must find a way to carve out "mental space" so we can think clearly, plan, reflect, dream.
Peter Drucker expressed the value of reflection years ago, even when the world was not so information-rich and time-poor. He said, "Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action."
A significant problem in today's society is that people's level of success is greater than their character can sustain.
We see it every day in professional sports, entertainment, business and politics. People lack the personal character to gracefully handle their success, power, influence and wealth. It's a character chasm.
