Affirmation and Sterotype Threat

December 11, 2014

When I think of the times in my life when I've been the happiest, the proudest, and the most satisfied, the following values come to mind: accomplishment, meaningful work, personal development, helping society.

In general, I try to live up to these values (1: disagree, 5: agree):

Meaningful work is important to me because I like to know how I am contributing to the whole. I want to know my role and purpose, so that I can be the most efficient and perform my best. And I also like knowing that my work contributes to a larger, more significant project, that ideally helps our world. Knowing my work is meaningful is personally satisfying. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and encourages me further.

The last topic someone asked me for advice on was whether or not they should apply for a job. This decision, like many decisions, is weighed against the values that I listed above. Will the new job bring a sense of accomplishment and personal development? Will it include meaningful work that contributes to helping society and the larger world? If yes, then it's a decision worth considering.

When I think about my values, I realize that I have integrity, and that I am more than willing to do the work required to get me to a place where I feel my values are being fulfilled. Recognizing this is empowering. In the face of sterotype threat, I need to remember that I am a fully capable individual, deeply motivated. In the event that I feel overwhlemed or down for whatever reason, I think that I just need to remember a sage piece of advice I received on how to eat an elephant: one bite at a time.