I attended the 24th annual leadership conference at UC on Saturday Feb 28th. It was interesting to hear what some of the people had to say about leadership. Of all that was said, the one thing that kept coming across as a theme was the concept to know thyself. This hasn't really been a new concept for me. Well over a year ago I highlighted the quote, “We are to train our bodies, our minds, and our spirits... to govern self so that one may give leadership to others“ in the Teachings of our Times Manual for Spencer W Kimball. The best way to do this is to first know yourself and then learn to govern it.
This idea has been kicking around inside of me for the past couple weeks. Maybe that is why is stood out so much at the conference. It was impressive to me to get the validation that knowing yourself is an important part of leadership. Saying that it is important however doesn't make the process of truly knowing yourself easy. Sometimes to be honest with yourself about who you truly are can be one of the biggest challenges in life. It takes humility, honesty, desire for change, and the courage to act on the promptings that we receive.
In 1 Corinthians Chapter thirteen there is an excellent discourse on Charity. My favorite part of the chapter is in verses 11-12 which state: "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." A loving heavenly father knows me completely whereas I know me only in part.
An interesting example of this is my wonderful mother who wanted to make a blanket for my second missionary christmas. I hadn't spent much time with my family in about 18 months and I felt that I had changed as a person dramatically in that time period. So when my mother said she wanted to make something for me I was afraid she would make it based on the old Brandon. When I opened the box that came in the mail and fished out the blanket I thought it was perfect. I asked my mom how she knew what style to make the blanket. She said that she might just know me better than I thought she did.
To make my point, God is our loving heavenly father. He knows us and one day we can know ourselves "even as also [we are] known." God is willing to show us who we truly are if we are willing to listen and see. That is what he desires most. How you go about discovering yourself is between you and the Lord. I've started my journey.
