One night on Discovery Channel, I watched a scientist determine how beavers knew where to put sticks to build their dams. It's by sound of water, he discovered. A recording of running water would soon have beavers busy covering tape player with sticks. He could get them to build useless piles of sticks anywhere he wanted.

What a great metaphor! Aren't we often building useless piles of sticks? We keep busy, responding to whatever drives us, but without doing anything truly productive. My personal favorite is making redundant to-do lists, or adding something already done to my list, just to check it off. Talk about a useless pile of sticks!

Efficiency Versus Effectiveness

Do you have necessary attributes to be a successful secret services agent? Do you melt into background where no one can see you? Do you hide behind someone else? Would you describe yourself as having an incognito life? Are you capable of always putting yourself second? Do you constantly defer to another person? Do people see right through you and ignore you?

Then you have skills.

You see, as John Reilly, states in song he wrote for musical Chicago; you are no more than Mr. Cellophane man.

Mister cellophane Should have been my name !!!! Mister cellophane 'cause you can look right through me Walk right by me And never know I'm there!

The question is:

Are these skills you need to have an effective life? Are these skills that bring you fulfillment and happiness? Are these skills that show off your uniqueness and enable you to fulfill your role on this planet?

In our experience answer is, no.

So how do you avoid being Mr. Cellophane man?

Simple.

Start by changing your focus of yourself. Rather than look at what is wrong with you and what needs changing. Sit quietly with yourself for a moment and look at your qualities.

Ask yourself:

•What are my strengths?

If you are not sure, or cannot put your finger on your strengths