Comments on: Three Lessons for Business and Life

By: Emily Cote

Emily Cote — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:15:38 +0000

Joe,

Thanks so much! I am so proud of our team and what we have accomplished through this organizational development process. It’s hard sometimes to take a hard look at ourselves, but I think it’s through analysis that we can set goals and achieve both personal and organizational growth. And I agree, WAY better than FB timeline. :)

By: Emily Cote

Emily Cote — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:08:31 +0000

Christina, I am glad you enjoyed the post. I agree, setting standards one can never live up to makes life very difficult. It’s hard to stay motivated when you are constantly facing “failure” (and I put it in quotes because, IMHO it’s not really failure) that you yourself set it motion. I think optimism, strong ideals and goal setting are great traits of INFPs… it’s just important to make sure we keep those goals and ideals in perspective and try not to be so hard on ourselves. :)

By: Truckee Guy

Truckee Guy — Wed, 02 May 2012 01:02:01 +0000

Emily,

That’s what I adore about Outspoken…how you guys consistently put yourselves to self reviews and accountability. Great way to see how you guys are doing, and in effect makes me look at myself and company in the mirror.

Better than FB’s timeline, right?! =)

-Joe

By: Christina Emmett

Christina Emmett — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:49:36 +0000

I also enjoyed reading thank you, especially as a fellow INFP who has also learned to embrace the external (still working on the planning and organisation part!) I think the ‘finding purpose’ advice is excellent, especially for those of use who have at times ridiculously lofty ideals. Setting standards that you can never live up to is not in any way helpful and you will just make yourself unhappy and dissatisfied.

Oh, and like Anthony I’m a (part-time) teacher too (marketing/new media specialism :)). Mini-triumphs are definitely the way to go in this profession once you stop trying to be Dead Poets/Dangerous Minds inspirational!

By: Emily Cote

Emily Cote — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:16:07 +0000

Anthony,

Thanks so much for the feedback! I am sure, as a teacher, you have had many opportunities to change the lives of your students, even if you didn’t realize it. I know I have teachers that have left very lasting impressions on my life, and I am thankful for the the role they played in helping me to become who I am today.

I like the idea of the “mini-triumph.” I think that’s a great outlook to carry with us every day.

By: Anthony Pensabene

Anthony Pensabene — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:21:32 +0000

I enjoyed reading, thanks for sharing. I went through similar liked/respected dynamic being a high school teacher. I think it’s human to want to be liked; but, that truly comes with time anyway. I found myself being a ‘softy.’ Then I thought about the ‘cool’ teachers when I was growing up; they were cool; they also got taken advantage of. When I thought about it, the ones who were most effective were personable but not naive… I elected to take that route.

I can also relate to the immediate ‘enough’ sentiment. Sometimes it can be difficult to segment and allocate passion…especially when you want to change the world with each motion. Sometimes you have to be patient and realize each positive, small step is a mini triumph in itself…

Going back to teaching, I wanted to be a positive influence on all my students; but, that’s quite a large desire. I came to realize if I could help in any way, each day, I’m making a difference. Many times, we are and we don’t know it. I received an email a little while ago from a former student. They reminded me of a brief conversation I had with them that I had forgotten took place until reminded. In short, they relayed “how much that meant to them.” That really made me light up inside; it made me realize I was making a difference on an everyday scale, it was just a matter of modifying perception.