Randy's February Book Review: Relational Intellegence - Chapter 2

I found this chapter an agreeable roller coaster.  At times I agreed with it and others times I didn’t. I constantly do self evaluations and it’s not something that is always positive for me.  I tend to over do it and really get down on myself.  So I didn’t need any convincing.  I struggled with this subject.  Was it Biblical?   I found 2 Corinthians 13:5.   Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith.  OK, the Bible wants us to do self examinations. 

I wondered about a statement the author made: “Human beings have both good and bad in them, and the journey of transformation is moving towards more good and less bad.”  I tried to relate it to myself: flesh and spirit.  I attempt to serve God out of my spirit.  Within my born again spirit is all good.  I must abide in Christ.  If the self-examination targets “flesh” spots that are in me, that must die and Christ must increase.  I must be brutally honest with myself and expose the flesh to the light of God’s Word.

In processing this chapter, I discovered that my self-examination process was flawed.  I have to examine myself.  In that examination I can’t just focus upon the findings.  I must look through new eyes and make course adjustment.  It reminded me of something a friend said to me many years ago after I got a set of encyclopedias from a rummage sale.  I told my friend I was disappointed because the “P” book was gone.  He told me that it was a great set containing 25 books.  I focused on the one book instead of all the others. I think self-examination should be like that also.   
Mark Twain quote: Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered – either by themselves, or by others.   Albert Einstein declaration: There’s a genius in all of us.  Nobody wants to be like a Michael Scott.  I think the author is concluding this chapter by saying, "don’t sell yourself short either".