1Step One: Where Am I? I Assess Myself

“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”

—Lao Tzu

The first step in the Scientific Method is to objectively observe phenomena. To advance our courage, we must first calmly assess ourselves.

I said, “Gary, as we discussed earlier, we begin the journey to courage with the Biography Form to figure out our starting point. It gives us insights about how we can better handle ourselves and relate to and even lead others. Those insights might link your personal life history with your Aiden Bellevue heartache.”

Gary completed a biography form and we now jump in so you can do the same.

The LOC Biography Form 5

An Army buddy was a brave and brilliant wounded combat veteran with a PhD. Conditioned to face discomfort and tough it out, he ignored persistent chest pains. Candid as a professional, he wasn't honest with his VA physician or his friends, so he'd survived the terrible and constant dangers of deadly close‐quarters combat only to let heart disease kill him as he was peacefully gardening.

Looking at ourselves often involves discomfort, and we feel like using denial to get a momentary illusion that we can avoid unpleasant feelings. Denial is the opposite of courage.

Thus, I want you to be brutally honest in filling out the Bio. Doing the Bio is a once‐in‐a‐lifetime opportunity to get candid and highly useful information on where you are, what you value, and how you treat yourself and others.

The Bio uncovers ...

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