Tell me about yourself?
“People take different roads seeking fulfilment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.” ―Dalai Lama
Everyone has a story to tell about themselves. Our lives are an ever-evolving set of events that miraculously find a way to connect in hindsight. Until the age of 20, I was sure that investment banking was the path I would pursue. Yet, my boss's passing comment while interning at one of the big banks changed that trajectory.
"Usman, you have to stop asking so many questions and just do what I am telling you to do."
Our lives are checkered with moments like these where one seemingly innocuous comment can change our lives' course trajectory.
In the routine of the day to day, these moments get lost. We stop paying attention and become distracted. Life switches from a technicolour movie to a black and white one. With each passing day, we lose the need or want to bring that colour back into our lives.
When someone asks another, "Tell me about yourself?" it reflects how that person sees themselves and the world. While we can use fancy words and an enthusiastic tone, the truth is difficult to hide. One is either living a technicolour life curious about what the next day will bring or is lost in the messy middle trying to find their way back.
There is no shame in being lost in the messy middle. It is where we can ask ourselves the deepest questions about who we are and what we care about. Only when we cloak the truth of being lost with a charade of living a technicolour life do we hurt ourselves the most.
The next time someone asks you about yourself, pay attention to the words you use and, more importantly, how you feel about your answer.