Asks yourself if you have “resume virtues or eulogy virtues.”
I have been learning; virtues are the skills you bring to the job market that contribute to external success. But the eulogy virtues are much deeper, much more impactful. They’re the ones that are often discussed at your funeral, the virtues that exist at the core of your being — whether you are kind, a warrior, brave, honest or caring. Most of these are based on the relationships we have formed over our lives.
These two virtues, resume or eulogy, should run parallel to one another. We should lead a quality life, be caring, honest and brave, yet accumulate the skills needed to help our level of performance. Unfortunately, these lines never stay perfectly straight.
What I’m needing and hating is the power of social media and our ever-growing obsession with self-promotion. My belief is that we are no longer build character but are instead try to build an Instagram or Twitter following. My aim with this post is to motivate us to re-balance our lives.
We, as individuals, should re-balance ourselves, even when acknowledging we also want to add to our resume. We are competitive, we are driven to succeed, and because of this internal drive, we can claim we are not part of the selfie generation. But our actions say different. Hanging a photo of yourselves accepting an award in our office is no different from a selfie on Instagram — it carries the same connotation. We all need to strive to become more selfless. Selfless leadership is indeed a rare quality, but it’s the only real tool to help us shift the focus from resume to eulogy virtues.
Let’s improve ourselves today before it’s all over in these five areas. Before long, we, too, can become selfless.
- Take the initiative to serve others, volunteer
- Be flexible and view interruptions as opportunities, not as challenges
- Give to others and never expect a return gift
- Teach the difference between leading and criticism to all
- Listen more than speaking; listen with the intent to hear, not reply
With these steps, we might be able to straighten our intersecting lines.
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Never stop believing, asking the question ‘Why?’ and living free.
Be you be unique and smile.
-Brian Nadon
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Don’t Let Your Past Kill Your Future 