I was having beverages and chat with a group of forty-something colleagues and friends of mine and we were talking about how our attitudes around working and our careers had changed and morphed over the years. We all admitted to feeling pretty darn seasoned and knowledgeable in our fields. We went so far as to define ourselves as “experts.” I think it’s pretty common to figure that by the time you’ve been in the workforce, and in a particular field for twenty or more years, you’ve learned a thing or two and that you are definitely NOT a beginner. But, I couldn’t help wondering if we were letting our egos get carried away…
I admit, I am certainly one of those people who thinks she knows something. So much so that I’m pretty honest about the fact that unless someone really does know more than me, I don’t take too kindly to being told what to do. One of my friends went so far as to say that she had “outgrown” bosses– “I don’t want to tell anyone what to do and I definitely don’t want someone else telling me what to do!” Boy, can I relate! I think that can be one of the motivators for starting our own businesses–the need to be in charge of our own work world and destiny.
BUT, I wonder if we don’t sometimes let our egos get the best of us? There are plenty of people out there who really do know more than I do and, with the way things are constantly changing, a lot of those people may actually be younger and technically “less experienced” than I am. So, I’m thinking that it’s really a matter of getting the old ego under control. It would not be a good thing if I hadn’t developed some confidence and security in my own abilities by the age of forty, but it’s also not a good thing for me to let my ego run the show and for me to get caught up thinking there’s nothing left to learn. After all, the most vibrant and creative people I’ve known are those who say they never stop being a student.
So, down Ego! There’s still plenty for us to learn…
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