You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and then you have...
Welcome to my blog! I hope this will be an excellent forum for me to share my thoughts and ideas as I embark on this next journey.
I am seeking the Progressive Conservative nomination in the District of Mount Pearl North. I hope to help Premier Williams and his team achieve great success in the provincial general election on October 9th.
I was first elected to Mount Pearl City Council when I was 19, and in many ways, I have grown up in the public eye. There were some real advantages to being involved in the political process so early, not the least of which was the opportunity to learn from the experienced people around me.
Two of my most important lessons have been in working with the media and in dealing with critique from those who disagree with me. And I'd like to think I have learned those well.
For example, on Tuesday, there was an article in The Telegram about my intention to seek the nomination for the Progressive Conservative party in Waterford Valley. I hadn't intended for the information to be released that way, but seeing as I had no choice, I answered their questions in the most positive, informative way that I could. I took the opportunity to get part of my message out in the way I preferred. As for dealing with critique, I've found that even if I have a groundswell of support, I will always have a few people who are looking to put me down. It is hard not to focus on them, the dissenting voices, but I have learned to consider their motivations, take whatever value I can from their critique and then move past it. It takes practice to find the most important, relevant information in a critique while leaving the irrelevant material out, but like any vital skill, it can be learned.
That's why I read Andy Well's comments in that same article like this. "He'll be a shoo-in," says St. John's Mayor Andy Wells, "...he's perfect." I'm not sure I'd call it an endorsement, but hey -- one has to look on the bright side!
Thanks for reading. E-mail your comments to me at steve@stevekent.ca. Stay tuned!
I am seeking the Progressive Conservative nomination in the District of Mount Pearl North. I hope to help Premier Williams and his team achieve great success in the provincial general election on October 9th.
I was first elected to Mount Pearl City Council when I was 19, and in many ways, I have grown up in the public eye. There were some real advantages to being involved in the political process so early, not the least of which was the opportunity to learn from the experienced people around me.
Two of my most important lessons have been in working with the media and in dealing with critique from those who disagree with me. And I'd like to think I have learned those well.
For example, on Tuesday, there was an article in The Telegram about my intention to seek the nomination for the Progressive Conservative party in Waterford Valley. I hadn't intended for the information to be released that way, but seeing as I had no choice, I answered their questions in the most positive, informative way that I could. I took the opportunity to get part of my message out in the way I preferred. As for dealing with critique, I've found that even if I have a groundswell of support, I will always have a few people who are looking to put me down. It is hard not to focus on them, the dissenting voices, but I have learned to consider their motivations, take whatever value I can from their critique and then move past it. It takes practice to find the most important, relevant information in a critique while leaving the irrelevant material out, but like any vital skill, it can be learned.
That's why I read Andy Well's comments in that same article like this. "He'll be a shoo-in," says St. John's Mayor Andy Wells, "...he's perfect." I'm not sure I'd call it an endorsement, but hey -- one has to look on the bright side!
Thanks for reading. E-mail your comments to me at steve@stevekent.ca. Stay tuned!
