I Want

Homework last week was to create 10 index cards a day, each of which documents something "I want."
The first 10 were easy, but by the time day 7 came along, thinking of 10 things I wanted was a daunting task.
What I noticed about my "want" list was that most of it had to do with personal achievement and recognition. Even "social" items, liking wanting my home to be a destination for friends, had a lot to do with how I am perceived. Guess self-image is an important aspect of my psyche, huh?
No wonder then, that my daughter has problems with her self-image. She got her concerns from Dad.
When I got to the end, the last card I wrote said, "I want achievement to be easy." Don't want to work hard, just want the results. I always have said that I'm not afraid of hard work. I guess what I have seen is that hard work doesn't always pay off.
Yes, I've achieved some things in my life, but it often seems to me that most recognition comes as a result of self-promotion, not hard work. The work is necessary, but without the self-promotion comes that danger that your (my) hard work will be co-opted, that credit will be taken by a manager. I've had that happen way too many times, particularly since I entered private business. Fortunately, there are always other roads.
Tomorrow, for example. I fly to San Francisco in the morning to start a new job. One that I got through recognition from a man who didn't know my previous company or my previous boss.
Something to think about as I enter this new corporate setting. I think I will have easy and constant access to the CEO at this company. Let's see how I handle it.