The President's Message 8/18/25

“In our personal lives, if we do not develop our own self-awareness and become responsible for first creations, we empower other people and circumstances to shape our lives by default.” – Stephen Covey

Who are you when no one is watching? What do you value when the noise of the world quiets down? These aren’t just reflective questions—they are invitations to build a life rooted in purpose, not reaction. As Stephen Covey reminds us, self-awareness is the first step to intentional living. Without it, we risk drifting through life shaped by others' expectations, opinions, and agendas, rather than guided by our own truth.

Covey speaks of “first creations”—the internal vision we hold for our lives. These are the mental, emotional, and spiritual blueprints that determine how we move through the world. If we don’t intentionally define them, we unknowingly surrender that creative power to external forces: our culture, our past, our fears, or the loudest voices around us.

Self-awareness is what brings those first creations into focus. It helps us understand not only what we want, but why we want it. It invites us to explore our habits, triggers, values, strengths, and blind spots. Without that understanding, we may end up achieving goals that don’t fulfill us—or worse, following a path we never chose in the first place.

Becoming more self-aware doesn’t require a dramatic life overhaul. It starts with paying attention:

• Pause and Reflect: Make time to regularly check in with yourself. Journaling, meditation, or simply asking, “How am I really feeling?” can reveal patterns and truths you may otherwise overlook.
  

• Track Reactions: Notice your emotional responses to situations. What excites you? What drains you? What do you avoid? These are all clues to your deeper values and unresolved needs.
  

• Seek Feedback: Sometimes others can see things we can’t. Invite trusted people to share how they experience you—not to change who you are, but to widen your perspective.
  

• Define Your Core Values: Ask yourself what principles guide your decisions. When you live in alignment with those values, you create peace within and clarity around your goals.

The truth is, if we don’t do the work of knowing ourselves, someone else will do the shaping for us—intentionally or not. That’s how we end up in unfulfilling careers, toxic relationships, or cycles that don’t reflect who we truly are.

Self-awareness doesn’t guarantee a perfect life, but it does give us agency. It empowers us to live with intention, take responsibility for our choices, and course-correct when needed. And perhaps most importantly, it reminds us that we are the authors of our own stories.

This Self-Awareness Month, take the time to turn inward—not to criticize, but to understand. Your best life starts with a clear, honest picture of who you are and what matters most to you.

Be the first to create it. Don’t leave your life up to chance.