We are coming close to the end of Quest2015 . I missed a bt of prompting over the holiday in Flagstaff, but hope to continue to continue over the next few days, perhaps even a bit into January. By gosh and by golly, the work of Jeffrey Davis of Tracking Wonder and his people have had quite an impact on me. You may still join the transformational adventure by visiting here.
Today's Visionary Prompter is Sally Hogshead of Fascinate, Inc. She is a Hall of Fame speaker, best-selling author, and a leading expert on fascination. Her clients have included Intel, Cisco, Million Dollar Round Table, GE, and Intuit. Her recent book How the World Sees You (#2 NYT, #1 WSJ) applies her research in the science of fascination to leaders and change-makers who want to be more of their best. (Twitter: @sallyhogshead)
Her prompt asks us this:
"What is your most valuable personality trait? How can you bring it forward in your best work in 2015?"
I immediately dove into the free fascinate assessment that was offered to Questers. I figured it would point out my valuable personality trait since I tend to not be able to "see" my best at close range.
There are so many reasons I could instantly shut down from taking the fascination assessment and its assertions that don’t resonate, but one of the most significant lessons I have learned over and over is that if something I have been told is valuable and applicable and important doesn’t click with me at first the best choice to make is to take a moment to step away and then step back wearing my beginner’s mind hat on rather than my, “Oh, I am a guru who knows all about myself so seriously” hat I tend to choose in moments like this.
I mean, really. The results of my assessment tell me I share common traits with James Bond. What could I have in common with James Bond? I have boycotted Bond films my entire life! I am a feminist who has never valued what I see as a misogynistic love fest so please, Ms. Hogshead, how could I be a connoisseur like he is claimed to be?
Well, that is the beginning, right there.
Who says I have to be a connoisseur like anyone else? After all, I have claimed the unlikely and nutritionally abhorrent description of “Connoisseur of Quarter Pound Hot Dogs” for goodness sakes.
The results say my first trait is prestige (another word that makes my equality seeking heart say “no way!”) and my secondary trait is passion (now there is a word I assess as an immediate fit.)
I have read Ms. Hogshead’s literature more deeply now and definitely see connections.
In fact, I know this information will assist me as I step into my year of Passionate Action in 2015. Things are shaping up well and I need to remember my talents as well as the areas I am not so strong so I may create partnerships where I can add strength and be helped by someone else’s (perhaps your?) strength.
Another surprising by product of Quest2015 is I have gone in directions I would not have set out to go in the first place. Aversions to assessments like this one has been a given, regardless of how valuable they may be. Quest2015 has helped me to set aside such opinions and look, instead, at the “what may be so” and glean important details that will encourage my success to blossom rather than get stuck in more gooey stickiness as it has in the past few years.
Did you hear my ego say “Ouch!” with that strong verbage?
It did and that’s just fine. One of the weaknesses of the Connoisseur is to avoid failure at all cost. Well, I am choosing to embrace failure as well as success.
I will focus on making connections and utilizing my high emotional intelligence and natural enthusiasm to grow in my life work as a business artist. I have known these are talents I possess, but it is good to see this from an expert.
Finally, I posted an image from the assessment on my facebook page describing what a connoisseur is known for and people “liked” it so I suppose the report is at least reasonably right on.
2015 and I will be better for the confession AND better for taking the passionate action one would expect from a Connoisseur! The exclamation point truly says it all.
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Julie Jordan Scott is a writer, creative life coach, speaker, performance poet, Mommy and mixed-media artist whose Writing Camps and Writing Playgrounds permanently transform people's creative lives. Watch for the announcement of new programs coming Winter 2015 and beyond.
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