While I was an undergraduate, I developed the seed of an idea, to become a family coach and mediator in my retirement years. This seed took root as I continued into graduate school and it started to transition to a new career. Like many seeds we plant, they often blossom in unanticipated ways. Not long after graduation it became clear that it would be preferable to put the idea into motion before retirement.

Looking at this plant I can see it budding and getting ready to blossom. The seed sacrificed itself, responding to promises I made to meet the needs of a changing world with the knowledge and skills I'd acquired so far. It is now clear to me that the food it needs, to become the plant it was intended to be, is self-promotion.

Promoting my skills and my unique talents as a product is new to me. It is time for me to figure out this game and identify the rules by which I’m willing to play it.

While I’m playing the game of self-promotion, I have three simple rules.

1. All promotion comes from my authentic self.
2. The promotion and/or engagement is a way to service and/or initiate conversations.
3. Always have a value added.

My authentic self

Fundamentally, my core values can be represented in four standards;

• Honor my family. I focus on nurturing healthy relationships in my own family. The ideals I incorporate in my work serve me well at home, and vice versa. Similarly, I promote healthy relationships with other families and groups. Acts of self-promotion will strive for a balance between honor of my family and promotion of greater unity, peace, and harmony in the world - starting in structures that are familial in nature.
• Manifestation of my faith and commitment to Baha’u’llah. I wouldn’t be willing to take this bold step if it weren’t for my faith and commitment to the vision of world peace as revealed by Baha’u’llah in the teachings of the Baha’i Faith. I am clear that there are many ways to create greater unity, peace and harmony within one’s family and family-like groups. I look forward to sharing many different approaches, including inspiration from the Baha’i teachings.
• Pursue my mission. I am doing this work so that I can connect with others in a way that they feel recognized and honored so that there is greater unity, harmony, and peace in the world. I am focusing on (but not limiting to) working with families and family like groups. The objective of self-promotion will be to pursue my mission.
• Play with purpose. For me it almost always comes down to having fun. Hopefully, others will recognize the play and the purpose in how I engage in growing this new plant. I may not follow any particular formula for self promotion.

Self-promotion for the sake of service

Ultimately, my desire is to be of service so that there is greater unity in the world. Service may look like bringing a smile to someone’s face, deepening contemplation that moves into action, and/or personally performing an act. Whether it is a simple posting or a promotional campaign or a formal presentation, know that I’m looking for that opportunity to be of service to you, your family, or someone you know. One of my unique talents is engaging in conversations and encouraging people to improve their ability to communicate with others. My intention is to “ignite a candle of love in every meeting” (‘Abdu’l-Baha)

Value added

Value added and value exchange is the economy of my professional practice. As I consider what to post on social media or encourage in a promotional campaign or a formal presentation, I’ll be measuring it up to whether there is value added to those who choose to engage. As I engage in self-promotion, I will ask myself: How could this benefit others and add to unity, harmony and peace?

As I look at the future growth of the little seed planted so long ago, I’m seeing that it is much more than I originally imagined. It is now taking on a life of its own and I’m only the gardener tending to it. I am also aware that there are many who are also watching it grow. Although the action of feeding this plant is generally called self-promotion, it isn’t all about me. I am the gardener, changing and growing in response to what is becoming - a member of the ecology of humanity and the world as we all transform into something new and unfamiliar.