The “I”s Have It. Or, Do They?

So logical, it's laughable!

Author and career planner Kathleen Brady’s clever NAIL acronym for the challenges involved in personal energy management contains a resourceful message, both for the enthusiastically responsive attendees of Women’s Advancement Compact’s September 18th “Energy Is Abundant” event, and for use by little ol’ me in my career and personal development.

I don’t think of myself as self-serving (except when I’m cooking for one, wherein things tend to get decadent), so I try not to entertain the concept of “I” too often in dialogue. Kathleen would be proud, as she has an even more concerning use for “I”— as the first letter in the word Interpretations. And yes, Interpretation is another one of those sneaky little mental roadblocks to success and emotional well-being. By Interpretations, Kathleen is referring to the opinions and judgments that we illogically form and adhere to without due analysis, which ultimately lead us on a jagged path to success (or tiny failures) at best, perhaps leaving us with inaccurate outlooks on ourselves and others along the way.

Their wheels are turning.

Kathleen suggests that our Interpretations are merely hypotheses that ought to be put to the test like any legitimate lab experiment. Once the test tube begins to bubble over, her point about Interpretation becomes evident: The experiment has not failed (none do, actually), but instead has lead to multiple outcomes, which is many more than the inadequate one we had been adhering to all along. Next comes realization, then reevaluation, and it’s off we go— straight as an arrow!

In the 4 short weeks since her energy talk, Kathleen’s advice has taught me to look at my growing business from a fresh perspective. I practically sat back and watched as many of the crucial fears, anxieties, limitations, assumptions and other self-imposed barriers to my success have burned off like a morning fog, revealing a vast landscape of possibility. By truly seeing who I am, and believing in what the Women’s Advancement Compact represents, nothing can break my momentum. My NAILs have been clipped! Now, it’s your turn.