Do you really know yourself?

If someone were to ask you to describe yourself in two words, what would you say about yourself? Would you be tongue tied or mumble words incoherently? Or would you confidently assert that you really know yourself by mentioning the good qualities that you possess? In saying this, even if someone were to state the good things about themselves, has it ever occurred to you that rarely do people admit their flaws or their weaknesses openly? We fight against people who criticize us, even if done constructively. Inwardly we suppress feelings of anger towards the person and question why they had the nerve to question our ability or intellect. 

When was the last time you made an effort to find out everything about yourself and what you are capable of doing? And if you haven’t, or you can’t because you don’t really know yourself or what your capabilities are, would you be happy to ask all your friends to tell you? If not, why not? Deep beneath the veneer of laughs that you enjoy with people close to you, would you say they would speak positively about you? Would they state that you are a person they truly hold in high esteem in terms of your character, dignity and how you relate generally to people? Or to be brutally frank, would they label you a loser?

 If you saw your character in another person, would you like what you saw? Do you really know what you are capable of doing? The fact of the matter is that only you can answer that question. What you do or don’t do is a choice. If you need to grow and move out of your comfort zone, no one is going to do that for you. You may read or listen to all the motivation messages by many people, if you are not ready to change, no one will force you to. If you wish to settle for less, that’s a choice you have chosen. If you are content with what you have achieved, that’s also a choice you have chosen. As Thomas Edison said, “If we all did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves”.  But before you come to that realization, you need to re-discover yourself. 

Not surprisingly, some people go through the motions of life - they merely exist. They are dead men walking. They endure life instead of enjoying life. They have lost all hope. Their reasoning is impaired and devoid of motivation. Others who once had promising careers have lost their jobs and their homes in the global crisis and as a result, some of them have even committed suicide. Life has dealt them a deadly blow and they have decided to stay down instead of getting up. They have chosen instead to settle for a life of mediocrity. 

So what if you seem to be going through a crisis? So what if you have lost your home or job? So what if you have lost lots of money in this global crisis? So what if your mates whom you went to school with are now successful? Let it be borne in mind that finding your purpose in life is not about who is the strongest, fastest or brilliant. It is about how you fully maximize your God given potential during your life time. You may be rich but miserable. You may be successful in business but a lousy husband or wife with a dysfunctional family. However if you knew yourself, you would realize that you are only going through a crisis. It does not mean you are going to be stationary in your crisis for life. 

So what if your so called friends are laughing behind your back? So what if they now look down on you with disdain because you no longer fit into their mix? To use the colloquial phrase, they are “happening” because they have “arrived” and are operating at “another level”. But look at yourself sternly in the mirror and ask yourself. Do I know who I really am? Do you merely admire your looks in the mirror or do you reprimand the person you see? Do you believe you could have achieved better? 

Do you have to accept the negative things people say about you? If they are wrong and you honestly think so, that is water off a ducks back - move on. Are you going to let someone kill your dream because of what they said? Are you going to let life circumstances hold you back and imprison you? Don’t let people’s words affect your mood, hold you captive or cloud your sense of purpose in life.  For when your glory manifests, not many people will remember your story.

However, if they are right, what are you going to do about it? Are you strong enough to withstand the tide and change for the better? If you need to birth your dream, now is the time. The phrase “later” or “when the time is right” is called procrastination. God has deposited a lot inside of you. Cash in on it and don’t bury your talents or let them die prematurely. Now, ask yourself one more time. Do I really know myself? If you do, go out there and do your thing. In passing, let me end by quoting Peter Drucker, he said “the best way to predict the future is to create it”.

Proclaim to yourself that you are already a success. For as a man thinks, so is he. You may be on your knees now, but by the time you stand, you will be outstanding. If you are   pursuing success at the moment, when you achieve your dream, you will end up being driven by success. Change your thoughts to positive one for when you do that you begin to project a different mindset. A paradigm shift will be forced to take place as something inside of you will be bursting to come forth in the form of your dream. Start sowing the seeds for your success today. No one can stop you. Always remember that you are unstoppable, so begin now to unleash them the power of your talents today.