#davesdailychallenge (149): Revisiting Self-Awareness. Awhile back I discussed the value of self-awareness. I’d like to revisit this concept today with a personal example of my own. Over the years I have learned that I truly value the mentor/mentee relationship. I authentically enjoy, and gain a great deal from, being a mentor to others. Recently, a few of the folks that I mentor had great successes. Celebrating their wins felt like such a victory for us both. Not because I take credit for anything they accomplished, far from it. It felt like a mutual victory because seeing the joy on the faces of those people honestly filled me with my own real sense of happiness. I had gained nothing tangible. I am not paid for my time with my mentees. In fact, the time I spend with them is time that I could spend doing many other things. Some of which would benefit me financially or tangibly. What I have learned is that the intangible quality of authentic fulfillment, not just a fleeting sense of happiness, that I gain from seeing them reach their goals adds tremendous value to other aspects of my life. I am a better husband, father, professional, writer, leader, and person when I have this dynamic in my life. It’s all connected. I, therefore, seek it out. I challenge you to seek out the things in your life that will add this layer of fulfillment to your pursuits. You can’t do that, however, if you aren’t self-aware enough to know what to look for. Listen to that little voice in the back of your mind that says you’re BS’ing yourself and adjust if necessary. Take some risks and discover a few things that really add value to you. The time you spend in those activities are a direct boon to everything else.