What is your greatest strength and how do you know?
I believe that my greatest strength is my ability to, most often, see both sides of the coin. In seeing things this way, I have noticed that others are drawn to me - I feel like a teacher at times. I am learning that when I can align myself to the place of the observer, with no attachment to 'right' or 'wrong', it opens a doorway to see things from a much broader perspective. I am learning that sometimes just listening and not feeling the need to inject my opinion allows me to understand better where another may be coming from. Then from that place of understanding, I can assimilate a response that takes into consideration everyone involved. It's just a feeling of knowing.
How do you work best?
I am both an audio and visual person. I appreciate being able to see what is being explained as this tends to help anchor it for me. I enjoy working in a small group setting as well. I like to be able to ask questions about things that I may not fully understand. I also like to help others when I understand something.
What is your greatest area of improvement?
I am not certain that there is "an area of improvement" per-say. I feel that I/we am/are always expanding and aligning as a whole. If I were to lay focus on a particular piece, I suppose that I would like to dissolve the 'old stories' surrounding my self worth/self confidence. I have become aware that at times I allow the opinions others have influence the way that I feel.
How do you hope to maximize your strengths for your new career in software development?
I hope to maximize my strengths by opening myself up to learning what I do not know yet. Perhaps I may learn that I have more strengths than I thought. I want to remain steady out here in the leading edge and step fully into the power of being a creator not just a regurgitator. I want to inspire others and dissolve the illusions of separateness. I hope to gain wisdom through my experiences and contrasts.
How might knowing about your strengths and working preferences benefit you as a software developer?
I think that by knowing both my strengths and working preferences it will better equip me to step into positions that draw from these attributes. It will help me better communicate with those around me. It will also help others better understand me and how what they offer can partner with what I bring to the table. I believe that we attract that which we are and so by knowing myself, I can be a more deliberate creator of that which I desire to see/be in this world.
What efforts do you make to manage your learning process? Are these efforts successful? What challenges have inhibited your ability to manage your learning process effectively?
I like to learn in chunks of time. So I will dive into something and then allot myself a specified amount of exposure. If I find that the feeling of frustration begins, I will step away and focus on something else. I do feel that this method has helped me become more aware when I am becoming closed off to learning the topic. I suppose the biggest challenge has been my desire to be 'perfect' at whatever I do.
How do Sierra's and Coate's material relate to your current process for learning?
I related the most to Sierra's piece about getting stuck in A or B. Perhaps this comes from the false 'need' to be perfect and to know it all. It made great sense to me to break things down into smaller chunks and get good at those vs trying to eat the whole elephant in one bite. I related very much to Coate's observation of the strong emotions that arise when something feels daunting and how it can take you down that rabbit hole of not being worthy or smart. How these two relate to my current process for learning? I guess the biggest relation is to allow myself to just be open to the unknown and rest more in the stillness of the mind to allow myself to receive the answers.
What role does your emotional state of mind play in your learning? How do your successes and failures at learning affect your emotional state?
Looking back, my emotional state of mind played a HUGE part in my learning. I would allow myself to get swept away with the extremes of highs (success) and the lows (failure). This in turn began to develop the idea of my self, that I was worthy when I was successful and not so worthy when I failed. I am learning however, that finding that center path of not being attached to either extreme is more beneficial to the expansion of the broader consciousness. So it's not to ignore the emotion but rather to know that I am greater than the emotion.
How will you prepare yourself to be at your best with your learning process while at Turing?
Well doing these assignments is a great start! Just the word 'Capstone' felt completely daunting to me. I found my mind start to whirl with thoughts like 'I don't know how to do that', 'what if I do it wrong'. However, I just jumped in and began to work on these processes with the understanding that I have of it now - be it 'right' or 'wrong'. I will ask questions when I feel that I do not understand and I will jump in and try. I plan to utilize the community around me at Turing to help guide me along this journey.