Employment Research Institute's Chief Executive Officer, A. Harrison Barnes, in a webinar as he discussed the importance of who you are and how developing a strong sense of self enables you to be happier, more successful, and live better lives.

Your recognized abilities, affiliations, religion, social standing, occupation, relationships, families, and past, all go a long way to give you a sense of self. Right from childhood through adulthood most people naturally seek acceptance, love, and protection, which eventually affect their sense of self. Your sense of self is greatly affected by what you believe in and has everything to do with what ends up happening to you, what you accomplish and the quality of your life. It is the most important thing you can possess, and developing it will change your life. Referring to a boy he knew at school, Harrison states how his sense of self was internal, unwavering and the level of self-confidence was extraordinary. He did not allow the external world to change what he thought about himself and that is what set him apart from other kids.

Most people live not in accordance with their own sense of self but instead on the sense of self that is based on what others do, what others have, and what others have to say about them. Such factors are irrelevant to what is really inside you. Citing the example of the television show Bait Car, Harrison informs us as to how people do almost anything in order to be accepted and to be looked up to by a group, even if it means committing a crime. What you need to understand here is that what is inside of you and what you feel and believe in, should be firm and should not be affected by the societal structures that may lead you to believe who you are. In conclusion, Harrison states that ‘If you have a strong sense of self, this will alter the power balance in your relationships with many people around you. This is why so many people never change and reach their full potential.’