Three Stages of Thyself – Personal Brand Man is a complex being.If care is not taken, the pressures of life and demands of society would worsen the woes and complexity of men. In a world where many play the 'like game' to be accepted and loved by others, many have succumbed and submitted, living lives less than they should, just for the praise of men. Accepting crumbs, less of their worth. It takes a determined heart, courage, and commitment to stay true to oneself and calling. It has become very necessary for men to wake up from their slumber - bootlicking and blind loyalty to live their dreams - be who they were called to be – and live life to the fullest unapologetically. Permit your true self to stand out from the crowd to shine – building an authentic personal brand. Let’s quickly look at the three stages of knowing thyself. The process of getting to know one’s self takes time, it’s not a one-off event achieved by a swoosh of a magic wand. It’s almost a lifelong process of discovery. Truth is that you will never be able to fully discover who you are. Man is endowed with many abilities, most often people only scratch a percentage of it. Know thyself: Introspection, access and accepting yourself However, the fulfilling part is that, when you begin to identify the traces of who you are, setting the pace for your life’s success, it is important to consider Socrates' statement, " Man Know thyself”. These simple words, timeless and encapsulated with great wisdom have served as a wake-up call and guiding light to many. Sometimes in the haste to be known- fame, name, and money, many sell themselves cheap. “Follow your heart, listen to your inner voice, stop caring about what others think.” ― Roy T. Bennett Date Thyself; dating yourself implies making time for you – having a ‘me time’. Take time to understudy and understand yourself, your actions, and inactions. What’s your personality? Do you understand yourself? These are questions you should be asking yourself. At this stage, you must know and understand how your temperament affects your life and how to maximize it. A brief look at the Four main temperaments. Truth is that all of us have all these temperaments in us, however, one or two become dominant, thereby defining you. However, these temperaments can be worked on to make the best of it. One need not say ‘that’s who I am and I live my life that way’, dating yourself will enable you to navigate through the many phases of your temperament in understanding yourself and charting a path that will best help you and others. I encourage you to take the temperament test if you have not done that already. You can easily Google-find a trusted website to do that. Pay attention to things that inspire you and that which drains you. How you react to the situation around you. By doing that you will develop a deeper understanding of yourself – strengths and weaknesses. Aiding you to make better-informed decisions about your life. NB: Knowing and understanding your personality type helps you define your brand to build it successfully. Let these words by Eleanor Roosevelt sink deep into your thoughts, “Do the things that interest you and do them with all your heart. Don't be concerned about whether people are watching you or criticizing you. The chances are that they aren't paying any attention to you. It's your attention to yourself that is so stultifying. But you have to disregard yourself as completely as possible.