Be Yourself

For today’s post I decided to flip open a book. Neither the book nor the page was completely random, but where I landed was by chance.

The book: The Moment of Lift, by Melinda Gates (p. 215 — One of many I have marked with post-it notes)

The passage:

Men also face cultural obstacles in the workforce that keep them from being who they are. So anytime women can be ourselves at work, we’re improving the culture for both men and women.

The back story: Melinda’s conversation with a co-worker.

“Do you remember that time in the MBA orientation, where you had this all-out brawl with the VP? I couldn’t believe you did that. I know you now, and it just doesn’t seem like you.”

He turned completely red—embarrassed as he could be—and said, “I can’t believe you remember that. The truth is, I had an organizational behavior professor in business school who had just told me the week before that I wasn’t assertive enough and I should try to be bolder. So I was trying it out.”

I wonder how many uncomfortable situations could be avoided if we felt empowered to be ourselves, instead of conforming to what we think is acceptable and expected.

The lessons:

1. Be yourself.
2. Remember when someone is acting like an asshole, they might just be trying out some stupid advice someone gave them. Give them the benefit of the doubt, and be grateful it’s not you acting like an asshole this time.
3. Finally, if being true to yourself means being an asshole—GO FOR IT! It’s a term that’s open to interpretation.

Be inspired. Go forth. Create your day.

Melinda Gates is high on my list of inspiring people. Check out my Resources page for more.

P.S. My revised About Me page will be live Thursday! See posts: Your Story and Plotless.