Every other week, I attend a seminar on Zen meditation and Buddhism.
Today’s topic was how we see ourselves.
Every one of us carries an image of who we are.
And our lives tend to unfold in accordance with that image.
That is why it is so important to recognize and reconsider the unconscious beliefs that limit the way we see ourselves. When we remove those limitations, we can discover an entirely different version of ourselves—and even change the place we occupy in the world.
For example, I recently realized that I had been carrying an unconscious belief about my own home:
“My partner was the one who wanted to buy this house, so it isn’t really my responsibility.”
But as I began peeling back the layers of that belief, like the layers of an onion, I discovered something deeper.
Somewhere within me was the thought:
“If I earn more, I’ll have to take greater responsibility for this house. So perhaps it’s better not to earn too much.”
Imagine trying to grow a business while carrying a belief like that beneath the surface.
No matter how hard I worked, part of me was pressing the brake.
How could my business truly grow?
So I decided to let go of that belief and begin actively taking ownership of my home.
I started creating spaces that reflected what I liked. I chose artwork that I wanted to see on the walls. I repainted rooms and changed the furniture.
I transformed the house in my mind from “a house I could afford to lose” into “a home I don’t want to lose.”
Gradually, it began to feel more like my home. And with that came a growing willingness to take responsibility for it.
At the same time, another thought emerged:
“Then I need to increase my income.”
For me, this was the moment I began to break through a glass ceiling in my business.
I had gone beneath the surface, discovered an unconscious belief that was holding me back, and succeeded in changing it.
But today’s seminar took this idea one step further.
It asked us to consider what it means to see ourselves as people whose lives are sustained by others—and who have been given a purpose to fulfill.
What does your unconscious mind believe about your life?
Does it say:
“It’s my life. It doesn’t really matter what happens to it.”
Or does it say:
“My life has been entrusted to me for a reason. I have a purpose to fulfill.”
The answer can fundamentally change the image you hold of yourself.
Do you see your life as belonging only to you?
Or do you see yourself as someone supported and sustained by others, entrusted with a purpose, and here to fulfill something greater than yourself?
The second perspective gives us an opportunity to move beyond the private self and consider our role in the larger world.
How much am I truly capable of accomplishing?
Can I recognize that there may be something I, uniquely, can contribute to society?
I chose to share this idea because I believe it offers an important shift in perspective for executives, managers, and other leaders: to see ourselves not simply as individuals living for ourselves, but as people whose lives are supported by others and who therefore have something meaningful to contribute in return.
Perhaps there is no higher perspective from which to see ourselves.
Create your image of yourself from that higher vantage point, and allow it to take root within your unconscious mind.
I believe it will change the way you approach your work.
And as you change, your organization may begin to change with you.