What do I really want from life? {Day 3}

Hello there and welcome to Day 3 of ‘What do I really want from life?’.
{Did you miss Day 0, Day 1 and Day 2?}

Today your task is simple: ask five family members or close friends (ie people who know you really well) these two questions:

  • What three qualities do you most admire in me?
  • What three things do you think I am best at?

What you’re probably going to find is there will be answers in there that will make you go ‘duh, yeah I knew that already’. But some answers will really surprise you.

When I did this exercise it was a huge to surprise to me to hear that people thought I was really good at connecting people/bringing people together. Because I’m a massive introvert I’d always had it in my head that I’m quite anti-social and don’t really like being around people (!!). But when my friends pointed out to me that I was the one who was always organising dinners and outings so we could all see each other, I could see that, yes, they were right! I do love bringing people together. And not just my friends. I also love organising things like seminars and any kind of event where like-minded people are brought together. Ever since I’ve had this pointed out to me, I’ve had a bit of fun exploring this ‘new-found’ trait and enjoying the ‘buzziness’ that comes with it.

The other thing that popped up when I did this exercise was recognition of my willingness to set a goal and then work my arse off in pursuit of that goal. Interestingly I’d tended to see that trait as a bit of a failing, mostly because in the past I’d always go very single-minded when in pursuit of a goal (not great for my loved ones). So I’ve tried to tamp down on that aspect of my personality. But I have since come to realise that having a goal and being able to go after it is something that is very important to me with regard to feeling happy and fulfilled. So I’ve learned how to have goals and strive for them, but without the single-mindedness.

So … back to you!

Once you’ve gotten the responses back from your family and friends (try and get them back today … they really shouldn’t have to think too hard about their answers!), ask yourself:

  • Which of these did I know already?
  • What surprised me? Is there something untapped there?

While an underlying theme of this series is to ensure we’re in charge of who we are (rather than letting other people’s agendas shape us) … it’s always interesting to find out what strengths other people perceive in us because those strengths are either:

  • Things we tend to take completely for granted (so don’t think they are all that special), or are;
  • Things we de-emphasise in an attempt to not seem ‘up ourselves’!

These things provide big clues about the things that really make us tick. So it’s important to take notice of them once they are pointed out!

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Did anything really surprise you in the answers you got? I’d love you to share those things in our private Facebook group. You can also download a worksheet that will help you summarise the findings from the above here.