I wound up last year with an amazing book called ‘Clear Thinking’ by Shane Parrish.
In it I came across many different kinds of defaults – the one that stuck with me was the ‘emotional default’. That is, how we naturally respond to situations that greet us. Just think about how we all are so wired in our biological instincts based on how much stress we store in our nervous system, hence defining our baseline responses to things.
I believe, as personal brands in the making, we need to work on the quality of our thoughts and responses to circumstances that need our finest selves. And so, in my voracious reading pursuit, I came across a beautiful mention by Adam Grant in his book called ‘Hidden Potential’ that says: honesty is the highest expression of loyalty. And, rightly so: anchoring our honesty with the right blend of emotions and deliberate rationale to arrive at a qualified consensus is the ‘honesty default’ we need to embed in ourselves.
By being honest, we are the contagions of this ‘honest’ energy that brings out the best in not just ourselves, but also as a collective.
Result?
We attract the right set of customers who align with our shared values, principles and brand philosophy. Loyalty sets in our groundedness of honest purpose and passion thereby fostering trust in our business and life relationships.
At least to me, I think by deepening and strengthening our honesty default, we feel more relaxed, confident and purposeful.
So, how do we start working on our honesty default?
By setting your value system right and being conscientious about what makes you ‘not’ you. That way, you reinforce on the right things that need your honest expression, helping your become a better version of yourself.
Together, let’s help each other in anchoring our honesty defaults by being our true and kind selves.
Photo by Avery Evans on Unsplash
