Topic of the day: Who are your references
Generally speaking, we are always being influenced by our environment and that shapes our way of thinking, how we behave, and the values we have. But the important question, especially in this world of social media and fake news: who are your references?
If you think about it for a short moment, you might come up with the name of some friends whom you often speak about important things in life. Or it could also be a relative, your parents or grandparents, or some public figure who caught your attention because what they say resonates with what you think or believe.
Probably the most remarkable references we have come from our private social circle, as we are likely to have spent more time with them. Also, some of them like an older sibling or our own parents might have guided us and given important counsels that we still remember and which support us travelling through our turbulent modern lives. Eventually, we could also have had bad references that created traumas or influenced us towards bad habits, which we should then identify and recognize. During this process, we should take these inadequate references with a critical eye and take our time to re-signify their influences that caused these traumas and non-desired habits in order to heal and correct them.
In the transition from a domestic environment to professional life, we meet several teachers and professors, who dedicate their lives to transfer knowledge and know-how that will be fundamental to our current or future careers. Everyone remembers their good professors and should recognize how much they contributed to whom we are today. Although education is not valued as deserved in many countries, we should give honour to these special influencers that we meet throughout our learning periods.
During our professional life, we might find important references who give us guidance and shape our path, also facilitating our career evolution. These leaders leave their marks on us, generally due to their inspiring speeches or feedback, and because they represented something that we want to achieve. They generally have advanced skills concerning communication, empathy, and leadership, and can unite and bring together a group of people in the direction of common goals.
Either in our personal or professional spheres, we need eventually to question why these persons are references to us. Which skills they have that inspire us and if these are oriented towards our core values. The process of self-evaluation can never be forgotten as this is fundamental to align our actions with our high principles.
Lastly, we have to remember that we are always being watched and observed, even if we forget it in the busyness of our daily routines. Having this in mind, we can understand that we could also be the references of others, even if this is not so explicit. For sure, if you have a family with kids you are already acting as a reference to your offsprings. But you could also be for your nephews and nieces (if you have them), and for sure for your peers, either friends from the private sphere or colleagues from the working environment. Remember that as social beings, we humans are always interacting, copying, and improving what others do. And for that, good references are fundamental. Think about it.
