Friday espresso: Two Lenses, One Question: Where Does Change Begin?
Sep 11, 2026 1:01 am
Rise and Shine!
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Two Lenses, One Question: Where Does Change Begin?
We spend so much time trying to become better versions of ourselves.
But sometimes, self-improvement becomes an attempt to become someone we simply aren’t.
My recent conversation with Dr. Low and Siva reminded me that perhaps the first step isn’t changing ourselves.
It is understanding ourselves.
Through two very different lenses - DISC Personality Profile and Astrology - we explored how knowing our natural tendencies can help us understand ourselves, appreciate others, and make more intentional choices.
WHY Is Knowing Ourselves So Important
🪞 Because awareness gives us a choice. We all have natural tendencies in how we communicate, respond to pressure, build relationships, and make decisions. When we recognise these patterns, we can begin choosing whether they are helping us, rather than simply acting from them automatically.
🤝 Because other people don't see the world the way we do. What feels natural to us may not feel natural to someone else. Understanding different personalities can help us become more patient, flexible, and intentional in how we communicate and work with others.
🌱 Because self-awareness creates the starting point for growth. We don't need to change everything about ourselves. Sometimes growth means recognising the qualities that come naturally to us, and consciously developing the ones that don't.
WHAT Am I Beginning to See More Clearly
🎯 Knowing yourself is only the beginning. Siva shared an interesting perspective on this. As someone who enjoys challenges, crises, and conflict, he recognised how these situations energise him. But knowing this wasn’t enough. He also needed a strategy for how to use that strength intentionally, including knowing when to pick his battles.
🪞 Reflection can reveal what we need to develop. Dr. Low shared how understanding her own personality helped her recognise certain patterns in how she relates to others. Rather than trying to become someone else, she focused on learning from qualities that didn’t come as naturally to her.
⚖️ Our strengths can also become our blind spots. The qualities that make us effective can sometimes become overused. Being decisive can become controlling. Being accommodating can become avoiding difficult conversations. Being driven can become constantly needing the next challenge. Growth often comes from finding that balance.
HOW Can We Use Self-Awareness More Intentionally
🔍 Know your natural patterns. Pay attention to how you respond when you’re under pressure, challenged, or working with people who think differently. These moments often reveal more about us than when everything is going well.
🧠 Build a strategy around your strengths. You don’t have to fight your personality. Instead, ask: How can I use what comes naturally to me more effectively? And where do I need to pause, adapt, or develop another side of myself?
🌱 Learn from people who are different from you. Sometimes the qualities we need most are the ones we admire, or even struggle to understand in others. Instead of seeing differences as frustrating, we can see them as opportunities to expand ourselves.
Perhaps becoming a better version of ourselves isn’t about becoming someone different.
It is about knowing who we are, understanding others, and choosing how we want to show up.
Because self-awareness tells us who we are.
But strategy, reflection, and intentional action help us decide who we want to become.
And perhaps that is what it really means to know yourself and know others, not simply to win every battle, but to choose which battles are worth fighting.
Curious about how DISC and Astrology can offer different perspectives on knowing yourself and others?
I explored Sun Tze’s Art of War principle — “Know Yourself and Others” — with Dr. Low and Siva on the latest episode of the Lead Change Heart Way Podcast.
Catch the full episode here!
YouTube: https://youtu.be/3lqWdTLL7pY
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2PLnwqZPaeA5WiZAc5oYTf?si=mjSewK-4SnqOjcvM--I6CQ
That's the espresso, keep the momentum! ☕😌
Stay caffeinated & curious!
Koo Lily
l Founder of mq Training Coaching Consulting l
Leadership Coach l Change Facilitator l Speaker l
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