23/11/2020
ARE YOU LIVING YOUR DREAM LIFE...?
One thing that we are all gifted with is the ability to dream about the life we want to live. We all have different aspirations. From as early as teenage life, we have different things that influence us to dream about making certain achievements in life. We have role models who influence us to lead a certain lifestyle. We have dream cars, we have dream homes, we have dream jobs. We even have dream life partners.
What normally stands between the life we are leading and the aspirations we have is the means to sustain our ideal lifestyle. The cry of the world today is the cry of job opportunities where we are assured of a salary to finance the lifestyle we want. Most of us were not even fortunate enough to pursue academic studies that we wanted because of a lack of resources. As we evaluate our lives, it becomes clear that we have not been afforded opportunities that would have made it possible for us to pursue a lifestyle of our choice.
Here is the paradox of life, as we are whining on how life has been unfair to us by not giving us credible opportunities, somebody out there is wailing to be served by a unique skill that we possess. The same world that we think has been unfair to us by not providing us with opportunities, is being starved of our unique skills and capabilities.
Gorge B. Shaw says, “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” We don’t go through life looking for ready-made opportunities where we will just fit into empty spaces. Every human being is unique. Our existence brings with it unique needs. Our unique talents create unique possibilities.
Therefore, where we are, they are unique life needs that only we can satisfy. It is possible though that, an individual’s unique value proposition to life, is more lucrative in another place and not exactly where the individual finds themselves.
According to Definitions.net, “Personal development includes activities that improve awareness and identity, develop talents and potential, build human capital and facilitate employability, enhance the quality of life and contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations.” It is through personal development that our dreams and aspirations can be met.
For us to enhance our quality of life, we must realise that we are human capital endowed with talent that has the potential to be developed. Through developing these talents, we improve our employability. It is through awareness of self that we will be able to attain this.
Since we are all unique, we all possess different talents. This then leads us to the idea of personal development. Which helps us identify ourselves within our communities. It helps us figure out how to explore the best way of making a value proposition of our talents to the world. Some of our talents will need an academic footing to stand on. Other talents can be offered raw and improved through practice.
Personal development is therefore not only necessary for those looking for employment opportunities. Even when you are gainfully employed, your professional trajectory needs you to invest in personal development so that you grow and create an environment that is conducive for career growth.
Through self-awareness and development of your talents, you equally expose yourself to opportunities to start up your own business. If what you are good at is an opportunity that has never been explored, this is where entrepreneurship emanates from. Even a senior citizen after retirement can be helped by a personal development program serve the world best at that stage of their life.
