Practicing Self-Awareness

One of the beautiful things in life is our ability, as human beings, to be intimately aware of our own existence.  We have the capacity to reflect on our lives and to be self-aware.  And this gives us the ability to see ourselves as we really are, but only if we take the time to consider it.

We have the cognitive skills to think, to plan, to reflect, to choose.  We can choose to be happy or choose to be sad.  We can choose to be kind or choose to be mean.  We can choose to be grateful or choose to be ungrateful.  Often, we don’t choose because we simply react.  Yet we have the capacity to do, and to be, so much more.

We need to know who we are, where we’re going, and how we’re going to get there.  Sadly, many of us never take the time to reflect on these thoughts.  When we can’t (or don’t) define ourselves, we run the risk allowing other people or our circumstances to define us.  That’s a situation I would never want to happen to me, and I doubt you would want it either.

So after reading this, consider practicing self-awareness every day.  It will make a difference in how you think, how you treat others, and how you deal with the circumstances in business and in life.

What Are We Selling?

In the jewelry industry, we have been lulled into thinking that the most important thing we do is sell jewelry.  Okay, that’s important, but what are we really selling?  Dreams, aspirations, status, love.  And it’s not just what we sell.  How we sell it and what we stand for are vitally important.

People may be initially attracted to our business because of the romance of gems and jewelry.  But that won’t hold them long if the way we conduct our business and the way we treat people (both employees and customers) doesn’t fit with the image of what someone is looking for.

People stay in an atmosphere of integrity and trust.  They leave when the walk doesn’t match the talk.  They also leave when leaders aren’t serious about competing, winning, and profiting from their business.  The energy and commitment that result from such focus are strong motivations in attracting and retaining great people.

So the next time you think you’re selling jewelry, think again.  You’re selling yourself, your store, your brand, your method of operation, your honesty and integrity, to both customers and employees.  Everything you do matters.

 
Here are a few Business & Life Tips to think about…..

Business Tips:

• Short-term successes mean little compared to long-term significance. Beware of shortcuts. Stay the course to make real impact.
• Interpersonal relations are a key to your leadership. Unfortunately, many leaders put more time into trivia than into people.
• Preparation is the key to effective execution, whether you’re giving a speech, counseling an employee, or cooking a gourmet meal.

Life Tips:

• Let go of whatever (or whoever) is holding you back from moving forward. Life’s too short to let a “blocker” get in the way.
• Knowledge and experience build quiet confidence. Unbridled excitement intrigues, but may not be sustainable.
• Submitting to authority isn’t a sign of weakness, but one of maturity. Choose maturity as a virtuous personal trait.

Tags: Advice, Business, Business Development, Business Tips, Character, Determination, Developing Leaders, Dreams, Drive, Ethics, Integrity, Knowledge, Leaders, Leadership Excellence, Leadership Skills, Life Tips, Motivation, Reality, Relationships, Reputation, Responsibility, Sales, Success, The Mind of a Leader, Vision, Wisdom