Success Advice
The Quest For Self Discovery

I was at a cafe today talking with a new friend.
Halfway through the conversation, I realized we were both on the same quest. That quest is called “Self Discovery.” What is it you ask?
It’s about finding yourself. Now that’s a big useless, ambiguous statement. Simplified it means:
- Understanding your beliefs
- Knowing what’s important to you
- Finding your purpose
Self-discovery can only happen when you are prepared to make the tough decisions. You will not make progress on your quest for self-discovery unless you push past the fear and doubt, and cut off from all other possibilities.
Where does the quest begin?
Change has always come about for me from a pain-in-the-ass problem. Maybe someone told you that you were fat and you had enough. Maybe you finally got a bill you couldn’t pay and said, “I’m sick of being dirt poor!”
The quest begins when you decide to no longer settle for your current circumstances. To begin a quest that may reveal parts of you that could be uncomfortable or even scary, requires real courage.
All of us will attempt some form of self-discovery quest in our lifetime. The trouble is we may not journey far enough to get to the end of the quest, or at least make some tangible progress. I empower you to not be in that group.
What I discovered during my quest
I always thought that I had more to learn or more mentors to talk with. On my journey of self-discovery, I figured out that for the last five years, every answer I have received has been similar.
Every answer I got was essentially the same, said slightly differently. See the thing is that I already had the answers.
“The part I was missing is that I didn’t trust myself. I didn’t have the confidence to execute on what I knew”
This quest is about finding you. I am certain that finding yourself is about coming to the realization that you control everything. Once you understand that all the power you need exists within you, you can conquer almost any enemy. You can get over almost any struggle.
My advice is not about some invisible force that was hiding within you that came out after you drank some mystical potion. The advice I’m trying to make clear is that you do not require any external force.
It’s about discovering who we are and looking within ourselves. It’s easy to see what we don’t like about ourselves, but much harder to look at what we love about ourselves.
Trusting ourselves and leveraging what is already within us comes from learning to love the good parts of us, and the flaws as well. It’s knowing that the flaws are critical, and beautiful at the same time.
To go even deeper, it’s about knowing that the best you requires your flaws and your good attributes. It’s about exploiting the parts we love about ourself, and then optimizing what we believe are our flaws or weaknesses.
To exploit the parts we love, and optimize our weaknesses, we need personal development. That’s why I drank the Kool-Aid of this self-help phenomenon. I wasn’t looking for a pump up; I was looking for ways to continuously grow.
All this “Purpose Talk”
I don’t know about you, but the word purpose is being thrown around like a used tissue full of snot these days. This post is a lot about simplifying things that are a must in life.
I think that the purpose part of your journey of self-discovery is about finding meaning. When you know your purpose, you know why you’re here on Planet Earth.
For me, I realized that my purpose has consistently changed. I’ve used different vehicles such as djing, sound engineering, business and blogging, but the road of my purpose has stayed the same.
That road/purpose for me is about inspiring people through making them have an emotional experience. Emotion is what drives us to action, and makes us pay attention. So I tell you all of this so that you understand that the way you thought about your purpose may need reshaping.
Maybe your love of fitness, food and business is all related to the desire to coach and mentor. Maybe that’s your purpose and the fitness, food and business are just vehicles on the road called coaching.
“Finding the answer to ‘What is my purpose?’ takes some serious inner reflection”
Put another way, finding your purpose requires you to go on a journey of self-discovery.
What’s probably confusing is that many of the concepts I’ve presented overlap and are dependent on each other. This is because life is complex, and the concepts I’m presenting are your life’s work.
I know you are smart enough to understand that your life’s work is not meant to be easy. The great thing is that it’s phenomenal when you start making real progress. It’s incredible when you start to answer your life’s biggest questions.
I’ve found that as I’ve answered some of the deepest questions related to my purpose, I’ve seen the following:
- Increased confidence
- Calmness of where I’m heading
- A sense of what I need to do next
- A reason for existing
- A way to help others
- A fearlessness in doing uncomfortable tasks
Now that list should give you some motivation!
The result of this quest
If you make the choice to stop being mediocre and head out on the quest for self-discovery, there are again, four simplified outcomes you will get. These outcomes make it all worth it, and should get you jumping out of your seat.
They are:
- You’ll discover a deep sense of happiness
- You’ll gain a sense of fulfillment (a must for success)
- You’ll have this crystal clear clarity about your life and what you must do
- You’ll become enlightened (simply put: you won’t need external validation and you’ll trust yourself)
If you want to increase your productivity and learn some more valuable life hacks, then join my private mailing list on timdenning.net
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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”
While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.
Why This Gap Exists
Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.
What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.
Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap
Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.
1. Practice Mutual Empathy
Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.
2. Maintain Professional Boundaries
Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.
3. Follow the Golden Rule
Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.
4. Avoid Micromanagement
Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.
5. Empower Employees to Grow
Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.
6. Communicate in All Directions
Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.
7. Overcome Insecurities
Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.
8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship
True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.
9. Eliminate Favoritism
Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.
10. Recognize Efforts Promptly
Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.
11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews
When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.
12. Provide Leadership Development
Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.
13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles
Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.
The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role
Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:
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Build diverse talent pipelines
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Embrace flexible work models
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Design compelling career paths
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Simplify HR processes
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Redefine the value HR brings
The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.
Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff
When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.
Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.
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