Latest news with #BecomingYou
CNBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
5 signs you're living a 'B+ life'—and what it says about you: Harvard-trained career expert
Does your life feel OK? Good enough? Or does it make you feel ? Vibrant, hopeful, fulfilled? Excited for the next day, week, and decade? If it's the former, you may be living what, in my research and teaching, I've come to call a "B+ life," which is certainly better than a stick in the eye, but can also be more damaging in the long run. Because when things are "OK" and "good enough," we rarely make the effort to make the changes to find something better. For instance, an A+ life, filled with authenticity and fulfillment. By the way, and to be clear, the "grader" in all this life-rating is not society. It's not your family or your boss. It's you. Hear me out. As a business academic who studies career trajectories, I completely understand that just surviving in this complex economy can sometimes feel like a victory. I also know that life's many challenges, like the death of a loved one or a struggle with mental illness, can make achieving a "perfect" life unattainable. But after working with thousands of early and mid-career professionals, as a professor, researcher, and mentor, I know that for many, settling for B+ is not an imperative — but a habit. We get used to living in a suit that's a size too big or too small, to use an image that for many, feels uncomfortably accurate. We tell ourselves, "The dreams I once had were stupid; no one gets what they want." Before I list the more concrete signs you're living a B+ life yourself, a bit of context and background. I'm a professor and researcher who studies career trajectories. The culmination of my work is a scientifically-validated methodology taught at NYU Stern School of Business in a class called "Becoming You: Crafting the Authentic Life You Want and Need." On campus and in numerous workshops for the public and within organizations, the Becoming You methodology, and its various components, has been used by more than 10,000 people around the world. My method is based on the premise that our purpose in life lies at the intersection of our deeply held values, cognitive and emotional aptitudes, and economically viable interests. Aptitudes and interests are usually self-evident, but unfortunately, very few people actually know their values in specific detail. This information has to be excavated, for lack of a better word, with values testing. But once it is, we can move away from living by default to living by design. There is no easy hack to it, but the end result is the roadmap from B+ to beyond. To assess whether you are living a B+ life, consider these five signs: Despite hitting external milestones — whether at work or in your personal life — your energy is low and you often feel numb, disengaged, or secretly exhausted. This misalignment can show up in what my values testing instrument, The Values Bridge, calls the "Authenticity Gapthe measure of how muchour outer life doesn't match your inner truth. You talk about what matters to you (self-determination, creative self-expression, service, community), but your calendar and choices don't reflect those priorities. If you're fully honest with yourself, you would have to admit you are curating your image or chasing validation. Dan Harris, an expert on self-awareness and host of the acclaimed 10% Happier podcast, might frame this as a lack of "mindful presence"; you're so caught in striving that you've lost the ability to just . Conflict, resentment, or emotional distance can show up when you're suppressing needs, boundaries, or truths about yourself. My research clearly demonstrates that not living authentically has a strong tendency to distort how we connect with others. You daydream about quitting, running away, or starting over. This is less about reinvention and more about fleeing a life that feels misfitted to who you actually are. As I said, for some people a B+ life is more than they ever imagined given their life circumstances. It can indeed be "good enough." But for others, more fulfillment and authenticity is a yearning that slowly builds, and along the way, causes increasing discomfort, sometimes ending in the kind of disruption that has us starting again, by our own volition or not. The antidote is understanding your values in their specific detail, and just as importantly, acknowledging whether you are living them as much as your heart and soul desire. Only then can we break out of our comfort zone, to something that can be even better.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
6 Books the Wealthy Are Reading This Summer
J.P. Morgan recently published its 2025 Summer Reading List. Here's a glimpse at six of the new books that it recommended for summer reading. These aren't your typical beach reads. You won't find any novels with action-packed plots or whodunit mysteries. These are all new releases in the nonfiction category. Check Out: Read Next: Looking through the descriptions of these books, you'll see a trend. The subjects and tones of each of these reads suggests that the rich aren't so much thinking about money as they are their core purposes in life and ways to optimize their relationships and businesses. They're seeking out techniques for living richer in a philosophical and nonmaterial sense. Let's look at six books that might be must-reads. 'Life in Three Dimensions: How Curiosity, Exploration, and Experience Make a Fuller, Better Life' by Shigehiro Oishi, PhD investigates concepts that we both individually and collectively have positioned as North Stars in all aspects of life: 'happiness' and 'meaning.' Oishi explores how these abstractions form 'traps' that inhibit our ability for enrichment — and discusses potentially better ways to frame and achieve a 'good' life. Learn More: 'Becoming You: The Proven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career' by Suzy Welch is a humorous, poignant and well-researched book that delves deep into core questions such as 'What is my purpose?' and 'What was I born to be?' Based on Welch's popular NYU Stern School of Business class of the same name, 'Becoming You' provides an easy-to-follow 13-part methodology to help readers find their truest selves. Are you having the same arguments with colleagues again and again? Is your business starting to slip into a rut? Do you feel like no matter what you do, you're just not growing or evolving? 'Reset: How to Change What's Not Working' by Dan Heath could be a transformative read for anyone in a leadership position. The book tackles how to reboot your and your team's motivation so that at last you can get things working in a healthy, lasting way. Physical strength will get you far in the gym, but it's mental strength that will get you far in your personal and professional life. In 'Iron Hope: Lessons Learned from Conquering the Impossible', James Lawrence, a self-motivated athlete who completed 50 full-distance triathlons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days, discusses how to commit fully to yourself and build indestructible will power. What's an understanding of one's modern-day raison d'être without serious consideration of the emerging revelation of artificial intelligence and its expanding impact on our lives, both personally and professionally? 'Raising AI: An Essential Guide To Parenting Our Future'' by De Kai tackles the tech movement du jour with a unique approach, perceiving AI technologies not as our overlords but as our children. How do we do right by our nonhuman kids who need us now more than ever? To truly understand our way of being, we must assume an objective perspective — one that considers how people in radically different cultures and societies exist. As its title suggests, 'The Values Compass: What 101 Countries Teach Us About Purpose, Life, and Leadership' by Mandeep Rai explores how people think, build, create and love in places we may have never heard of, let alone visited. The Dalai Lama called this book a demonstration of 'how interconnected we are and how the divisions that exist between us stem from acting with narrow self-interest rather than concern for the good of our human family.' List sourced from J.P. Morgan's Summer Reading List More From GOBankingRates 6 Hybrid Vehicles To Stay Away From in Retirement Are You Rich or Middle Class? 8 Ways To Tell That Go Beyond Your Paycheck This article originally appeared on 6 Books the Wealthy Are Reading This Summer
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
6 Books the Wealthy Are Reading This Summer
J.P. Morgan recently published its 2025 Summer Reading List. Here's a glimpse at six of the new books that it recommended for summer reading. These aren't your typical beach reads. You won't find any novels with action-packed plots or whodunit mysteries. These are all new releases in the nonfiction category. Check Out: Read Next: Looking through the descriptions of these books, you'll see a trend. The subjects and tones of each of these reads suggests that the rich aren't so much thinking about money as they are their core purposes in life and ways to optimize their relationships and businesses. They're seeking out techniques for living richer in a philosophical and nonmaterial sense. Let's look at six books that might be must-reads. 'Life in Three Dimensions: How Curiosity, Exploration, and Experience Make a Fuller, Better Life' by Shigehiro Oishi, PhD investigates concepts that we both individually and collectively have positioned as North Stars in all aspects of life: 'happiness' and 'meaning.' Oishi explores how these abstractions form 'traps' that inhibit our ability for enrichment — and discusses potentially better ways to frame and achieve a 'good' life. Learn More: 'Becoming You: The Proven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career' by Suzy Welch is a humorous, poignant and well-researched book that delves deep into core questions such as 'What is my purpose?' and 'What was I born to be?' Based on Welch's popular NYU Stern School of Business class of the same name, 'Becoming You' provides an easy-to-follow 13-part methodology to help readers find their truest selves. Are you having the same arguments with colleagues again and again? Is your business starting to slip into a rut? Do you feel like no matter what you do, you're just not growing or evolving? 'Reset: How to Change What's Not Working' by Dan Heath could be a transformative read for anyone in a leadership position. The book tackles how to reboot your and your team's motivation so that at last you can get things working in a healthy, lasting way. Physical strength will get you far in the gym, but it's mental strength that will get you far in your personal and professional life. In 'Iron Hope: Lessons Learned from Conquering the Impossible', James Lawrence, a self-motivated athlete who completed 50 full-distance triathlons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days, discusses how to commit fully to yourself and build indestructible will power. What's an understanding of one's modern-day raison d'être without serious consideration of the emerging revelation of artificial intelligence and its expanding impact on our lives, both personally and professionally? 'Raising AI: An Essential Guide To Parenting Our Future'' by De Kai tackles the tech movement du jour with a unique approach, perceiving AI technologies not as our overlords but as our children. How do we do right by our nonhuman kids who need us now more than ever? To truly understand our way of being, we must assume an objective perspective — one that considers how people in radically different cultures and societies exist. As its title suggests, 'The Values Compass: What 101 Countries Teach Us About Purpose, Life, and Leadership' by Mandeep Rai explores how people think, build, create and love in places we may have never heard of, let alone visited. The Dalai Lama called this book a demonstration of 'how interconnected we are and how the divisions that exist between us stem from acting with narrow self-interest rather than concern for the good of our human family.' List sourced from J.P. Morgan's Summer Reading List More From GOBankingRates 10 Unreliable SUVs To Stay Away From Buying 10 Cars That Outlast the Average Vehicle This article originally appeared on 6 Books the Wealthy Are Reading This Summer
Irish Examiner
20-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Catherine Conlon: Dr Mike Ryan has all the makings of a president
Public health specialist Dr Mike Ryan has become the latest high-profile name to be targeted by political parties for a potential presidential run. On paper, he has all the attributes. At a time of unprecedented global political, economic, and climate instability, what is needed are leaders with guts, determination and the desire to make a positive impact on the world stage. Dr Ryan, aged 60, held the role of executive director of the WHO's health emergencies programme, prior to his position as deputy director. At a time when the political arena is dominated by egotists, parties and individuals addicted to wealth and power, the need for an objective champion of truth as well as social, health, and climate justice has never been greater. It is understood that the Labour Party has discussed the possibility of approaching Dr Ryan, who rose to prominence during the covid pandemic and has been an outspoken voice on the humanitarian costs of Israel's assault on Gaza in recent weeks. Dr Ryan was appointed to the role of WHO deputy director general last year but has recently been dropped from the new executive management team, following a funding gap of $1.7bn (€1.5bn) in its $4.2bn budget over the next two years. US president Donald Trump ordered the cut via an executive order withdrawing the US from the WHO. It contributed $1.3bn during 2022- 2023. Labour leader Ivana Bacik said there have been a "number of names floating around" and "there's certainly still discussion ongoing about the idea of uniting behind a candidate that would continue Michael D Higgin's legacy." Core values The WHO's loss could be Ireland's gain. Dr Ryan has a unique combination of core values, aptitudes and personality traits that align with what we perceive as presidential at a time of perpetual crisis on the world stage. In Becoming You (2025) professor of management practice at NYU Stern School of Business Suzy Welch suggests that values are a poorly understood concept that often include attributes like personality traits such as optimism; or virtues, like integrity or generosity; or 'big umbrellas of needs,' like love and respect. "For the record," states Prof Welch, "values are the desires, motivations and beliefs that animate our actions and decisions." This would include concepts such as wanting a big and interesting life or wanting to be wealthy or wanting to be a person that ends world hunger. In other words, a value is something that is strong enough to influence decisions about what job you choose or who you want to spend your life with. As part of her research, Prof Welch has identified fifteen core values, each one existing along a continuum. The values are in no particular order and none is more important than the other. But our position on the continuum of each value does give an insight into our suitability for a particular role – in this case the president of Ireland. Of the fifteen values, the ones that I would rate as values aligning with the role of president include the following: Radius: A measure of how much you value being in a position to change the world. This is not about fame but about "how big a crater there would be if your life was dropped on the world like a bomb." President Michael D Higgins meets with Dr Mike Ryan on Janauary 5, 2022 Welch suggests that "most people who have an off-the-charts high Radius ranking are coming from a noble place, galvanised by a soul-deep yearning to restore dignity to the powerless, aching and disenfranchised." Mike Ryan, while managing health emergencies in the WHO for the past 27 years, and leading the organisation's response to covid -19 pandemic, as well as more recently deploring the atrocities in Gaza including child deaths and starvation, has consistently demonstrated a high Radius ranking. Non Sibi is the Latin term for 'not for self' and as a value it reflects helping others as a life-organising principle. Another value that Dr Ryan would appear to rank highly. Agency is a measure of self-determination as a life-organising principle. Steve Jobs personified agency as a value when he said "your time is limited so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other opinions drown out your own inner voice." In a nutshell, drive youe own bus. Achievement: How much you value respect from your community, for being the very best you can be at what you do. Work centrism: Linked to valuing achievement — placing work as a key priority in your life that defines your meaning and momentum. Voice: A strong desire to say what you think. Ryan's recent comments about the atrocities in Gaza and previously about social justice and health justice — specifically in relation to the distribution of the covid-19 vaccine to low-income countries, were examples of his ability to speak his mind. Welch lists other core values that all of us have to greater or lesser degree but may not sit as comfortably with the role of president. These include a desire for affluence; luminance (recognition); family centrism (how much family considerations determine your decisions; eudemonia (a measure of the pursuit of joy, fun and / or wellbeing in your life); and beholderhism (the degree to which how everything in your life, including your own appearance looks, matters to you). Added to that are the values of connectivity — how important it is to you that you are part of large group of friends, or community; and finally, the value of place — how important it is to you that you live in a particular place or part of the world. The role of president, along with a set of core values also calls for particular aptitudes including the ability to get on with people and express yourself with courtesy, democracy and restraint. Added to that are key personality traits that include nerve or guts; soundedness (a mixture of positivity, self- awareness, integrity and resilience); a sense of curiosity to learn new things; and finally, elasticity — a willingness to continually expand our collection of skills and our collection of friends. In the run-up to the presidential race the potential candidates already named combine varying sets of values. Some have demonstrated the degree to which they value affluence, outward appearances, the pursuit of joy, luminance and connectivity to a greater or lesser degree — qualities that may be less aligned with key core values of a president. In his 27 years with the WHO, Dr Mike Ryan has demonstrated radius, altruism, achievement, work centredness, and voice. He has a strong scientific background, integrity and a long history of front- line experience in dangerous situations for the good of humanity. He has demonstrated an ability to get on with people from all walks of life and ethnicities as well as a curiosity about how the world works. Mix all that with a very large dose of guts – and you have the makings of a president. Dr Catherine Conlon is a public health doctor in Cork Read More Families and frontline staff must be consulted about assessment of need problems
CNN
17-05-2025
- General
- CNN
How to find your purpose with author and professor Suzy Welch
Author of 'Becoming You' and NYU Stern Professor Suzy Welch breaks down her guide to help us find purpose with CNN's Michael Smerconish. She explains how she had been working on her methodology in a lot of different ways for about 15 years, and then started to test it on herself to figure out her own next step. She says that led her to the classroom, which ended up being the place where she says she felt "exquisitely alive," which is exactly how we feel when we're living our purpose.
