Who Am I?

The book I referred to last week is called Dancing on the Glass Ceiling by Deemer & Fredericks. I actually read it in 2003 when it was originally published. I wanted to make some references to it this week but I don’t have my copy, somebody borrowed it and I can’t for the life of me remember whom!

My search for the book was not in vain as I found some very interesting and revealing notes I wrote in October 2003 that referred to the same book. These notes totally amazed me and I will tell you why.

One, on defining personal Values I wrote:

These are the six or eight operating principles that I should hold most dear, the touchstone of all of my future decisions. They are a critical component of that nebulous quality called character. They define the essence of who I am and how I choose to travel on my life and career pathway.

I then went on to list them as follows: Honesty and Integrity, Independence, Family, Spirituality, Creativity, Personal wealth, Equality, Continuous personal growth and learning. On my notes I included some personal remarks against each operating principle. On Creativity for example I wrote innovation and imagination will be central to my activities and at the heart of my personal performance. As I pondered on these remarks this week it was fascinating to note how much they have impacted my life.

Two, I discovered, I had listed my Strengths and Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats and made the following broad accomplishment that I wanted to achieve in fifteen to twenty years, and I quote ‘To be a respected youth (Business) Consultant whose work has empowered-- helped to raise the lifestyles of youth in Kenya and Africa as a whole’.

Through the organization I founded in 2010, The Youth Banner, whose mission is to create an enabling environment for youth to earn sustainable livelihoods, we have empowered an average of 3000 youth each year. All I can say is that the wish I made after I discovered myself in 2003 was from my mouth to God's ears. After making the notes I never referred to them, I even forgot that I had such notes until I discovered them this week after 13 years!  I am now in a transition period towards being a fulltime consultant working on youth economic empowerment and I didn’t even know that I actually envisioned and wrote all this in 2003!

Allow me to say this, include God in your SWOT analysis, he will not forget the discussions you have, he will not get distracted along the way, and he has your interest at heart. In retrospect I can say with confidence that God wants us to know ourselves so that he can work with us to accomplish our goals on earth.

Next week I will be talking about the Joy of being Me, so keep reading.

This is how the personal SWOT template looks like, not at all different from the organizational one.

STRENGTHS	WEAKNESSES
OPPORTUNITIES	THREATS

NB: Seek the help of 2 to 4 friends and family as you list your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Please share your experience with us.