“The most important thing is your self-respect. It doesn’t matter what people think about you, but what you think about yourself.”
– Robert H. Abplanalp
I have learned, and frequently advise, that the most important meeting you have is the meeting you have with yourself.
For much of my life I have looked for the affirmation of others, as if I could see them holding their “Olympic Scorecards” with the value they placed on my “performance”. And while it is true that we all want to know that we are loved, that we can make a difference, and that we are doing meaningful work, the most important “score” is the one we give to ourselves.
When we are clear about what we are endeavoring to accomplish, when we know the actions to take, and as we come to recognize that we can only be responsible for the intention and effort, and schedule thinking time, we learn to look inside before we “check the external scoreboard”.
