When someone asks you to share something about yourself in an initial introduction, what do you say? Do identify yourself with a job title or life role, or do you share character traits about yourself that contribute to everything you do?

If you are like most people in Western culture, you share the former rather than the latter because our society places a premium on doing (what we do), rather than being (who we are). Have you ever though about how much who are affects your potential to do?

I think Ralph Waldo Emerson thought about it. Check out his words below and reflect on the questions that follow. If you have another question to add to my list or a thought you'd like to share, please share in a comment below.

• What lies within you?
• What within you contributed to things behind you?
• How might what lies before you change if you changed one thing about yourself today?