by Dr. Denis Waitley

"Know Thyself" is one of the fundamental ideas of Western philosophy, with its origins in ancient Greece. It stands to reason that in order to understand others and their motivations, we need intimate insights into our own mental, physical and emotional assets and liabilities.

In order to gain the respect of others, we must first earn it. We must be respectable. In order to be a role model, we must first set a positive example. In order to lead others, we must first lead ourselves. In order to give others counsel, we must first counsel ourselves.

We must look in the mirror when we ask who is responsible for our success or failure. We need to challenge our time-worn assumptions and prejudices and reflect on the vast potential within. If we lived a thousand years, we couldn't discover more than a fraction of our creative capabilities.

Get a journal, if you don't already have one, and use it to define your character, as if you had been given an assignment to publish an autobiography of the person you'd most like to become. Begin by asking yourself and writing your responses to: "If there were no constraints of money, time or circumstance, what would I begin doing tomorrow?" In order to answer that important question, use these other key questions as guides:

1. What did you love to do as a child?
2. Are you enjoying your personal and professional life and expressing your talents in a way that is fulfilling?

Write down everything you can think of that is good about yourself. Make sure you've identified your talents and abilities, and your unique personality and character traits. Write down the important role models, mentors, contacts, springboards and sounding boards in your sphere of influence. Put all this in your journal - really make your life and your dreams an open book - and then turn the journal entries into phone calls, faxes, letters, e-mails, proposals, applications ..... and actions!

Winners use their past experiences to chart their futures

In 1940, at the age of eight, Dave Thomas dreamed that one day he would own the best restaurant in the world. All the customers would love his food and all the employees would do everything they were supposed to do. Most importantly, everyone would think he was a good boss, and every day when he walked into the restaurant people would be glad to see him.

He wrote about this in high school. He became a cook while serving in the armed forces. Dave Thomas is now a millionaire many times over because he clung to his childhood images and never saw his dreams as "out of sight." As a youth, of course, he had no idea that his goal of a hamburger restaurant in Columbus, Ohio, would multiply into five thousand family restaurants, all named after his daughter - Wendy.

Even if you're not pursuing your childhood aspirations today, it's still important to think back to what you loved to do and what talents you displayed at an early age. By combining those insights from the past with your personal character strengths, your skills and education, your network of contacts, and your hobbies and interests today, you can create a detailed self-assessment and roadmap toward self-actualization.

You can give real meaning to the phrase "Back to the Future!"

About the Author

Dr. Denis Waitley is a world-renowned speaker, productivity consultant and New York Times best-selling author of The Psychology of Winning and The Seeds of Greatness. You can find out more about Dr. Waitley and his work at the Waitley Institute website at http://www.waitley.com.