identity. values. strengths.
Identity
While I've called New Zealand home for nearly 16 years I was born in South Africa. What the South African people value the most (and have taught me) is: respect your family, always work hard, and have a sense of duty.
Further to that, South Africa has had a turbulent history. Yet despite those challanges there is great forgiveness and love for community which has also shaped my identity.
These values have influenced my identity and how I live my life. While these are the ‘macro’ cultural influences on my identity, there are some ‘micro’ influences as well which I will allude to in the values section.
Values
I defined my values for the first time at the start of the year. While they will change from time to time the below are my current values.
Value #1: (Personal) Growth.
I always value becoming a better version of myself and I want to help others achieve that as well. Looking back, growth is a value that I naturally lived out most of my life. This year I got more intentional and I used the following guiding questions to help live up it:
- Am I learning new things with an open mind, exploring new places and meeting new people (or reconnecting with old friends)?
- Do I question my limitations and also question where they come from? I am trying to overcome those limitations and actively cultivating a growth mindset?
- What kind of habits am I building each day? Are they healthy and sustainable habits that lead to continuous improvement in relationships, wealth and health?
"It is funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different" - Prince Caspian.
Value #2: Resilience.
This is a value I learned from my grandfather on my dad’s side. Near the end of his time he fell, broke his hip and his legs become paralysed. He ended up in a rest him fully reliant on other people. Despite that I never heard him complain. He was always grateful for even the smallest kindness. He was an incredibly resilient person who pushed through even the toughest of trials. His excellence of character and response to his situation stuck with me. So no matter what life throws at me, I will always try my best to bounce back.
Value #3: Responsibility.
This is closely ties with my ‘macro’ cultural influence of a sense of duty. I value responsibility because it is up to each of us to take personal responsibility to make our own lives and the lives of others better. It can even mean that we take on responsibilities that are just beyond our capabilities or comfort zone. Whether Anne Frank had responsibility in mind or not I would still say she sums this value quote well:
"Parents can only give good advice or put them in the right paths, but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands." - Anne Frank
Value #4: Self-Respect.
I used to be an account manager of sorts. I was asked once by a superior to include a hidden fee in the invoices to a client. While it wasn’t entirely illegal in that industry (at the time) it was certainly heavily frowned upon. But I decided it would not be ethical to do that. Sure enough when the client asked me to fully disclose the income made I was to say, truthfully, that it was only the consultation fee. I had enough self-respect to do what was right. Having self respect for myself means I will make decisions and live a more authentic life with integrity. I will also choose to engage in meaningful work and not waste my time. I will be able to set boundaries. Though ultimately if I treat myself with respect I will be better able to treat others with low and respect too.
Strengths
In this last section I will list and briefly discuss my strengths and limitations.
Strengths
- Learner: I have always loved to learn something new. Whether it be random facts, country flags and names, learning about science or different cultures. I seem to be drawn to process of learning going from zero to competent. Learning satisfies a deep desire. Such a strength will help me on learning journey.
- Storyteller: I never thought about this as a strength. I stumbled across this when I did the ‘High5Test’ strengths finder. Though on reflection I have always enjoyed telling stories. I find that it is a very effective way of communication. It is something that I want to develop further because at the end of the day the most memorable speeches, presentation, or lessons are all told via relatable stories.
- Adaptability: unexpected things happen and not everyday is perfect. A day can quickly turn into a disaster. But it doesn’t have to be. I never used to be but I learned to become more flexible. To flow with whatever comes and not snap like a twig under pressure. This strength will come in handy in the context of programming and my learning journey. Tech changes quickly. My skills and thought process will have to as well in order to stay relevant.
- Harmony: I try to look for areas of agreement and commonality. I try to find common ground and seek to keep conflict at a minimum. I usually try and sort interpersonal issues out soon before they evolve into something else. I am even-tempered and try to stay calm in most situations. It can come in handy in a high pressure situation.
I would describe those as my core strengths.
Limitations
Some of my key limitations would be the need for perfection. While that might be a common cliche it can often paralise me. I would rather not start because there might be a gap between what I want and how it turned out. I would sometimes get bogged down with minor details which can be unproductive. I am trying accept "good enough" in order to move on.
My other limitation is my bias for action. When it comes to helping other people I would often try and come up with solutions and solve the issue. That is driven by my deep seated desire to help. Though sometimes the best action and solution would be to just listen and understand.
Closely tied in with bias for action I often jump straight into solving a problem. I sometimes don't take time to slow down and plan often because I dont see it as "action". With programming I have learned that planning and structure is vitally important. By the end of my learning journey at Dev Academy I hope to turn this limitation around.
"Give me six hours to chop down a ree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax." - Abraham Lincoln