My ‘One Word’ this week is: TEARS

How would you react if suddenly, in just ‘One Word,’ your whole identity came together?

Many of the people I work with are moved to tears upon learning their ‘One Word.’

But why does it evoke such strong reactions? The answer lies in the fundamental truth that what you DO is not who you ARE, but who you ARE should drive what you DO.

See, our society uses job titles, academic credentials, and leadership accomplishments as markers of our self-worth. That’s why so many of us build our whole lives around attaining those accolades, so we can be viewed in a certain light.

It’s a trap I fell into over the course of my corporate career, in which I assumed that lofty job titles would make everyone (including myself) think, “This guy is the real deal.”

But what happens when we strip those things away? What are we left with?

For many, trying to find an identity outside of what they DO feels like staring at a blank page. When I left the corporate world, I had no choice but to start a life-changing journey of self-discovery. I could no longer say, “I’m a VP at _______ company .” I had to uncover my core value as a CATALYST and then go live a life that was more in alignment with who I am.

My ‘One Word’ philosophy is built on the belief that we all possess inherent value, regardless of external credentials. The journey to realizing this worth begins with discovering and embracing your ‘One Word’ core value — something that has been within you all along.

We are all born with one core value, something unique to each of us that we give away to the world. Once you uncover it, you’re left with something a job title could never give you—an inner compass that guides and a conviction that empowers.

I receive calls regularly from past clients sharing how they used their ‘One Word’ to make a difference in their day, week, or life. Those calls always light me up and take me back to the look on their face when they learned their ‘One Word.’ A look that said,

“Finally, someone gets me.”

That’s a look you can’t always get from your day job. As I always tell the people I work with:

Look within for the win!