I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be until finally I became the person, or he became me.

This is from a talk I gave to the team at Susco about the power of visualizing who you want to be: “Good morning! As you all know, the most important core value at Susco is Growth. We have a deeply held belief in incremental improvement, identifying and addressing our limitations, and achieving our goals. To illustrate this, I’ll reference a quote by Cary Grant: “I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be until finally I became the person, or he became me.”

For those curious about why I wear superhero shirts when working out, it’s not because I think I’m all that. Here’s the origin story and how anyone can apply it to their own development:

A few years back, in 2019, I managed to get below 200 pounds. This weight loss made me feel confident enough to pursue my goal of running six miles. By “running,” I mean a combination of walking and light jogging — nothing too strenuous (LOL). During this time, my triathlete friend joined me for a run. He wore a Captain America shirt, which caught my attention. Throughout our run, I had to stop multiple times, while my friend effortlessly lapped me, making me feel quite defeated.

After the run, I jokingly asked him if wearing a Captain America shirt during workouts wasn’t a bit showy. He responded, “I participate in triathlons, and there are countless times I want to stop during training. The only reason I don’t is because of this shirt; I’d be too embarrassed to quit while wearing it.” I found this amusing, but a month later, I wore a Superman shirt for my run. After all, I resonate with Superman — he’s an immigrant and thrives in the sun! To my surprise, I completed the six miles without stopping.

This experience led me to ponder why such a simple change had such a profound effect. It also made me reflect on other behavior changes I’ve made. I recalled feedback from a friend who mentioned that I often dominated conversations, which could affect how likable I appeared. It’s essential, especially when getting to know someone, to balance the conversation and genuinely listen to the other person. My extroverted nature, being in the 95th percentile, often made this challenging. I love talking, but I recognized the need to develop active listening skills.

So. I did the work of studying the art of active listening, and that helped to a limited extent. Then, I started reminding myself during meetings, “I AM a great listener. I know when to speak and when to remain silent.” Even if it wasn’t entirely accurate at the time, this mantra worked wonders. It improved my relationships, both in my personal life and at work. This transformation emphasizes the idea: “I am what I want to be.”

#growthmindset #consciousdevelopment #nolimits

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