Cameron Conaway's Blog - Posts Tagged "strength"
Screen time
Imagine a new kind of screen time, one where your inner thoughts are displayed on a real-time billboard for all to see. Would you be proud of how you think about yourself?
The distractions of today make it easier than ever to neglect three critical aspects of understanding our inner worlds:
1) getting distance from our thoughts to realize we are not our thoughts;
2) reflecting on our thoughts to recognize patterns, especially negative refrains; and,
3) developing mental habits that serve rather than hinder our goals.
To take back control we must recognize thoughts for what they are—projections onto our internal billboards. Yes, they may be comprised of a dizzying area of complex experiences and signals, but a newfound strength can arise when we realize we are the projector not the projected.
The distractions of today make it easier than ever to neglect three critical aspects of understanding our inner worlds:
1) getting distance from our thoughts to realize we are not our thoughts;
2) reflecting on our thoughts to recognize patterns, especially negative refrains; and,
3) developing mental habits that serve rather than hinder our goals.
To take back control we must recognize thoughts for what they are—projections onto our internal billboards. Yes, they may be comprised of a dizzying area of complex experiences and signals, but a newfound strength can arise when we realize we are the projector not the projected.
The courageous ‘I don't know’
It’s a short phrase with the same amount of syllables as “I love you,” but it hasn’t received the same kind of societal acceptance.
Saying “I don’t know” is often seen as a symbol of weakness, and weakness is a trait many of us believe should be masked at all costs.
I recently asked a candidate a difficult question, but rather than redirect or make something up, they admitted with equal parts courage and confidence that they did not know. Their humility hung in the air in the brief pause after their words.
It was a beautiful gift to receive—a glimpse into their unwillingness to either run away or rely on some collection of widely accepted falsities or unknowables. Each candidate, more or less, brought the same technical skillset to the table, but this candidate will receive an offer.
Saying “I don’t know” is often seen as a symbol of weakness, and weakness is a trait many of us believe should be masked at all costs.
I recently asked a candidate a difficult question, but rather than redirect or make something up, they admitted with equal parts courage and confidence that they did not know. Their humility hung in the air in the brief pause after their words.
It was a beautiful gift to receive—a glimpse into their unwillingness to either run away or rely on some collection of widely accepted falsities or unknowables. Each candidate, more or less, brought the same technical skillset to the table, but this candidate will receive an offer.
