A few weeks ago I trained a new consultant from Chicago for his certification to use the Profile with his consulting clients. We spent a lot of time helping him understand himself as the first step toward learning to work with others. His response after the two day session was that he had learned enough about himself to make his experience worth the investment even without the certification.

I tell you this, not as a commercial, but to share a real success story. A week after his training he called back to tell me that he had learned that his whole approach to business, while very successful, was not using his greatest talents. He used the Profile with his partner and they both realized that by changing their respective roles they would both be more effective. Since that discussion he has sold over seventy thousand dollars in new consulting business and his partner sold his first major contract in over four months and is now providing the follow up services.

The bottom line is that so often we get "stuck" in our own thoughts about what we think we "should" do or "ought" to do that we aren't able to step back far enough to recognize the "mental programs" that keep us locked into unnecessary struggle.

Each of us has gifts and talents, our own personal perception of the world and ourselves, that enable us to approach life from a unique perspective. Knowing yourself and the value of what you have to offer is the real key to success. And finding others whose gifts compliment our own, allows us to be completely ourselves while benefiting from the strengths of others.

The common belief that we have to "fix" ourselves or be good at every aspect of our work or any other part of our life is a trap and a fallacy. Being "whole" comes from understanding and accepting both our strengths and our limitations and making decisions that allow us to enjoy being who we really are.

This doesn't mean that there is never a time for improvement. In areas where we consciously choose to become more aware of how our current "view" may limit our potential, we can learn to pay more attention to our thoughts, recognize what we pay too much or too little attention to, when we're too hard on ourselves or become too insistent on having our way even when it's not in our best interest.

Remember, over eighty five percent of us spend far too much energy finding fault with ourselves rather than enjoying the positive value of who and what we are. So be good to yourself, it's free and it doesn't hurt anyone.

My goals for writing this newsletter are twofold. The first is to share some thoughts that may help others learn to treat themselves better and become more effective with their lives. The second is to bring the value and power of Axiology to the attention of others who will learn to use it too. I believe that this little known science has the potential to change people's lives in dramatic and positive ways.