“Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Unfortunately, our chief objection is to hearing the truth. And we are also unwilling to openly admit such truth when we hear it, using what both Covey and Hobbs called Rationalisation – rational lies that we use to excuse our failures to act in keeping with our word.

But, oh, the growth when we allow ourselves to hear, admit and act upon such criticism. I remember being taken to task in a work appraisal in 2000 – it’s in my diary – at a time when I was fortunate enough to have the appraisal just before I was due to take a couple of days off where I would be alone for long periods of time.

I was able to spend that time considering what was accurate about the appraisal, what was a misunderstanding, and what strengths I had that could overcome the true criticisms. (There are times when I wish I could focus enough to do that again.)

My next appraisal was a reflection of what I learned in those few solitary hours. I also learned that if you get up too soon after anaesthetic, you wake up with a crowd around you.

Who has inspired you? I know that reading Covey’s works inspired me, I think that’s obvious from the blog. Have you found someone, personally or as the result of an accidental find in a bookshop or library, who made you stop and think, “Wow!”, to think enough to make changes and rediscover yourself and the way you could behave to finally, in some small or even magnificent way, achieve your goals? And if not ‘goals’, perhaps just to live according to what you believe?

If so, let me know.

If not – off to the library……..