Very early in my career, a decade or more before the turn of the century, I was given a test by my employer to determine, within any project, the level of importance I placed upon the people versus the task. After he gathered the results, I was told by the gentleman who administered the test that he had never seen anyone score so heavily on one side or the other as I did. In taking the test, I scored off the charts on the task side and barely gave any consideration at all to the people side.
In retrospect, this was probably the first academic evidence I had ever been presented with suggesting a potential problem (Autism/Asperger's) that had only recently made its way into the diagnostic manuals and was still unheard of in the corporate arena where I was functioning. Even before that, as a school age child and on into high school and college, it's clear to me that I struggled greatly in social situations.
The good news is that I learned, early on, how to work my way into things like school organizations, hobbies, jobs, and relationships that allowed me to capitalize upon my strengths and minimize demand in the arenas of my many weaknesses. This approach turned out to be a life-long focus for me and one that has clearly protected me from so many of those areas where I was (and still am!) ill-equipped to function.
I just crossed the 65 yard line on my journey and have far more questions than answers about this adventure called life. However, if I've learned anything along the way it's the importance of being true to myself and to those I hold dear in life. And, of equal value, the importance of consistently doing my very best and doing what I believe to be the right thing in every situation. This includes the incredibly difficult task of setting my pride aside in favor of seeing (and acknowledging) what I did wrong in a given situation and, as a result, discovering one more of the secrets to a happy and fulfilling life.
Here's to a happy and fulfilling life for you, my friends!
In retrospect, this was probably the first academic evidence I had ever been presented with suggesting a potential problem (Autism/Asperger's) that had only recently made its way into the diagnostic manuals and was still unheard of in the corporate arena where I was functioning. Even before that, as a school age child and on into high school and college, it's clear to me that I struggled greatly in social situations.
The good news is that I learned, early on, how to work my way into things like school organizations, hobbies, jobs, and relationships that allowed me to capitalize upon my strengths and minimize demand in the arenas of my many weaknesses. This approach turned out to be a life-long focus for me and one that has clearly protected me from so many of those areas where I was (and still am!) ill-equipped to function.
I just crossed the 65 yard line on my journey and have far more questions than answers about this adventure called life. However, if I've learned anything along the way it's the importance of being true to myself and to those I hold dear in life. And, of equal value, the importance of consistently doing my very best and doing what I believe to be the right thing in every situation. This includes the incredibly difficult task of setting my pride aside in favor of seeing (and acknowledging) what I did wrong in a given situation and, as a result, discovering one more of the secrets to a happy and fulfilling life.
Here's to a happy and fulfilling life for you, my friends!
