January, 2019
“I am what is mine. Personality is the original personal property.”
(Norman O. Brown, September 25, 1913 – October 2, 2002, American scholar, writer & social philosopher)
If someone asked you to name a personal item that belongs exclusively to you, what would this be? Your mind would probably go to your car, your house or your clothes? What is certain is that you would refer to any type of property that can generally be touched, moved or felt. However, you would include items that although they do indicate (your) ownership they can be –upon your will- easily transferred, given, lent or even donated to someone else. So, again, are there any items under your exclusive possession? There is one actually, but cannot be defined as an item. It’s your personality.
Personality is the only personal property, utterly, exclusively, entirely, and eternally yours. Note it, point it, highlight it, underline it; by no means can be transferred, lent or donated. You friend, for instance has no luck to borrow your dynamic personality to manage a challenging meeting at work, nor your children can inherit your admirable personality when you leave this world, or your life partner cannot keep your loving personality when you decide to break up with him/her.
Most importantly, the experience of your personal emotions, thoughts and sensations cannot be felt by anyone else but you. Of course you can share your experience and use the most suitable, describable words to express yourself and in the end manage to inspire an intense and eager enjoyment, interest or even excitement but yet no one can be in the very same condition you are experiencing.
Your personality is something that you always take with you; it affects your thinking, feelings and behaviour, where and with whom you are, in any situation at any time. Personality helps you to adjust, to survive and deal with the daily challenges surrounding you. Your personality is your organizing principle. It propels you on your life path. It represents the orderly arrangement of all your attributes, thoughts, feelings, attitudes, behaviours, and coping mechanisms. It is the distinctive pattern of your psychological functioning that makes you definitely YOU.
The word personality derives from the Latin word ‘persona’, which referred to a theatrical mask worn by performers in order to either project different roles or disguise their identities.There are many theories of personality. A brief definition, according to the American Psychological Association, is that personality refers to individual differences of the characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that make a person unique. In addition to this, personality arises from within the individual and remains fairly consistent throughout life.
For something so precious we don’t do much. People work hard for their manager, they do their best for a leader, they fight for nations, they design strategies and contingency plans and they create giant empires based on effective organizational charts, well structured cultures, inspiring mission statements, impressive environmental and social policies, well established ethics aiming to the continuous corporate development and success. We do so much for the external elements that surround us, but yet not much time or effort is invested on our own personality. We contribute greatly and work very hard for our corporate manager and leader but not for our personal manager and leader, our self! We don’t design or plan strategies to self growth and we definitely don’t show much of discipline, loyalty and severity in cases of personal failures.
The advent of the New Year is a global call; it is the right time to rethink or rebuilt. We can rethink of either our continual conformation or seasonal reformation. If we choose conformation we will continue comply and act in accord with the standards and remain in a comfort zone with limits oriented by others. In this case we simply choose to live by the system designed by worldly- massive- thinking. Reformation, on the other hand, will help us make some corrections or better say place ‘patches’ to cover previous bad behaviour and then slip and become -once again- part of the mass. As a process, of course, it is easy, safe, and quick because it is simply a choice of submittal to a set of cultural accepted norms and standards.
The third of the options is to rebuilt and proceed to a quintessential transformation. Quintessential in Greek means ‘Pemptousia’, the fifth element of the universe according to Ancient Greeks called “Aether” (the 4 other Classical elements are Earth, Water, Air & Fire) the beginning of everything. A quintessential transformation of our personality would represent the most perfect example of a quality or class of human kind.
By selecting transformation instead of conformation or reformation, we choose to live by forming a conscious inner alternation, a spiritual liberation and a personal rebirth. Transforming is an uphill battle. It takes time and it is important to remember that nobody is going to deliver the perfect YOU on your desk and hand it on a silver platter. It is earned and achieved through a well structured personal strategy plan, continuous personal development, integral personal ethos, values and discipline and a lot of hard work! Neither guidelines, advises nor tips to shortcuts can be given and if given don’t accept them, ignore them. It’s a lonely journey after all. Just hold a mirror to yourself; you can be disappointed but yet inspired.
Take a leap of faith and begin this wondrous New Year by believing in your unique and precious personal property; your personality!
Transform to YOUR quintessential!
CVP
