Leaving it at the door, and taking in what really matters.

At the start of our class this week we were asked to identify our strengths and weaknesses.  More specifically, three strengths and two aspects of our lives that we would like to improve on. These types of questions come up all the time, especially in interview situations. I almost always struggle to identify what I consider to be my personal strengths and weaknesses.   

            Things that can be very useful are tools like MBTI (Meyers Briggs Type Indicator), which helps you to see what kind of things you are stronger at.  There is one video that I can always remember whenever I think of strengths, “Trombone Player Wanted”.  It is a series of six short videos that help direct thought and discussion on what strengthens you.  It does an excellent job of making you really think about what you like to do and then act on that.

            When asked what we want to work on to improve ourselves for this process, the first thing that comes to mind is time management.  I wouldn’t consider it something that I am bad it, but it is something I want to improve on.  My first semester at Iowa State I was only taking 12 credits, but was I traveling up to 3 times a week and missing at least one day of classes every other week.  I would be in Ames one week, Washington D.C. the next, and missing a week of classes for a convention in Indianapolis the next month.  I learned more about time management in my first year than I ever wanted to in such a short time.  Now I am doing my best to manage 17 credits, a part time job, and still giving back to the organization that I was involved with during that first year.

            In addition to time management I am always trying to improve my attitude.   Winston Churchill said, “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference”, and I am a believer that when you can no longer control what happens to you, you can always control your attitude.  We can’t control the weather, the way other people behave, the things they say, and often the things that happen to us.  Even when everything might be against us we can always control our attitude.  Something that I try to do is ‘leave it at the door’.  If you’ve had a bad day or something isn’t going your way, you can always try to have a positive attitude about it.  

            One of my goals for the next year is to do my very best to leave all things negative at the door.  The other goal, is once I leave it at the door, I will play to my strengths for my personal benefit and more importantly the benefits of others.

~Easten