The Uncomfortable Truth About Modern Success!!

 I recently stumbled upon a video clip that left me perplexed and a little unsettled. It featured a woman, seemingly around my age, radiant in a red princess dress, accepting an award. What truly caught me off guard, and honestly, irked me a bit, was her insistent prompting to the announcer. "Make sure they know I won that pageant a few years back!" she’d loudly interject. Then, "Don't forget to mention I'm a celebrity jury!" And, almost immediately after, "Announce that I'm the CEO of XYZ company!" My mind reeled. "Wow," I thought, "how the fundamentals of self-promotion have drastically changed." It felt like a direct contradiction to everything I was ever taught – a time when we were repeatedly told, "Don't brag about yourself." It just goes to show, time truly changes everything, even the very essence of how we present ourselves.

This incident dragged me back to a vivid memory. I once had a manager who asked me about my contribution to a project. I remember being hesitant, almost cringing at the thought of "bragging" about my work. His response, delivered with a mix of amusement and genuine appreciation, was, "Why are you being so humble? I know you did this, and I'm happy with your work. You don't have to be humble always." It was a stark contrast to observing a teammate of mine later that day, confidently claiming and even exaggerating their role in the very same piece of work. A part of me, even now, wishes I could do that. I’ve always felt I lag behind in that department – the ability to effectively highlight my achievements without feeling like I'm overstating them. But these days, people seem to possess an innate understanding of how to frame their contributions in a way that makes them appear proportionally larger, more significant. The words they choose, the way they articulate their actions, just makes everything seem bigger and better.

I genuinely wish I could learn that skill. Though, at times, it feels almost pointless to try and adapt now, a new and pressing anxiety creeps in when I think about the future. I have a child, and I know I need to equip them for a world that will likely be even more challenging and competitive. How do I teach a child something I've never truly mastered myself? Will AI be the answer? Will someone, anyone, just give me a clear roadmap, a practical guide on how to navigate and thrive in this new reality of self-promotion? The thought, honestly, frightens me.