Session Two Worksheet:
Changing Directions

Objective:
Unlearn me-myself-and-I indoctrination that breeds insecurity.

Pivot toward do-it-together living.

Rethink It: Move from Me to We

Society teaches us to focus on personal success, sometimes to the point where we overlook opportunities for social impact. We are often taught to worry more about looking good than doing good. This blocks us from getting to the good life. An ethics of reciprocity often falls low on our priority lists, and we struggle to find empathy when so much of our attention is focused on self-
protection. This calls us to reflect on our values and whether they are aligned with our actions. Often, the first step involves checking our day-to-day activities and seeing whether there’s room to tweak our behaviors and beef up our efforts toward impact.

Collective Efficacy and Ethics of Reciprocity Check

• Do I regularly try to imagine myself in someone else’s shoes?
• How do I define my “why,” the reasons behind what I do?
• What do I want my legacy to be?
• Is there a way to reorganize my schedule to reduce wasted time and increase impact-driven activities?
• Have I been able to share my backstory openly?
• What are the most salient lessons in the challenges I’ve faced?
• Am I actively harnessing even chaotic energy to spiral toward improving life for myself and those in my reach?

Action Steps: Identify Your Signature Brand to Bring Impact

Who do you want to be? To understand one another better, we first need to raise our self-awareness and clarify our own goals and values. Once we’ve done so, we are better positioned to live the good life that emphasizes do-it-together living versus superficial selfish gains.

1. Pinpoint your values. Take fifteen minutes to complete a Values in Action (VIA) Inventory via www.viacharacter.org. This tool, designed by leading authorities in positive psychology, is scientifically validated (and free) and provides an analysis of your character strengths.

2. Get a second opinion. Enlist the support of an established mentor or look for one to discuss your VIA findings and how they align with your actions and pursuits.

3. Map your life. Jot down a brief overview of the major influences in your life. Highlight at least three key people who impacted or inspired you. Pick the format that works the best for you: a short story, timeline, bullet points, and so on.

4. Define your brand. Write out a short statement defining your unique personal brand. It should reflect your true essence—the things that best describe your strengths, values, roles, and personal goals, and your desire to bring impact.

5. Make a quick list. Sketch out three do-it-together life hacks that you could start now that reflect your VIA findings. For example, if you are creative, can you make something for someone? Or can you start something positive at work or in your community that would bring impact? If you have a strong love of learning, can you join forces in a book club or think tank or make sure you’re in regular conversation with interesting people? Are there needs that you see around you that you feel compelled to address? Small things can make a big difference. Start somewhere and keep building.

Connection is our way out of the self-protection anthem of our me-myself-and-I world. Ironically, the scrambling, competing, and clawing to find our way gets us quite lost. We salivate at the idea that we can hack our fears by isolating or running away from them. Hiding almost never turns out to be the behavior that sets us toward individual or collective progress. The way forward is to pay it forward.