Every human action, decision or choice is in a bid to answer five basic questions. These questions, which I am about to share with you, control and define the human race. It explains why some of us rush to work in the morning, why we stay up all night to come up with that amazing business proposal, why we get married, why we relate with people and why we are still alive. So what are these questions?
1.Who am I? This is the question of personal identity. It explores the issue of uniqueness, individuality, personal traits, strengths, weakness e.t.c.The truth is whether we are taking up a leadership position, embarking on a new management course, going into a new relationship, taking up a new position at work, we are all trying to find out who we are. Most times, when you go for a job interview, the first question thrown at you is "Tell us about yourself". In this case you are expected to summarize your entire being in few 'interesting' sentences *Yes, no one wants to hire a bore*. An evaluation of past experiences will help you provide answers to that question. Finding out who you are is a life-time project. Each day, as you step out ready to take on the world, you come to terms with aspects of your being that you never knew existed. You begin to discover new capabilities, dreams, strengths that were hitherto oblivious to you. The question of identity is very paramount in our everyday life because without a deep knowledge of who you are, there is a high risk of living someone else's life while yours remain dormant. Ask Claire Leeson.
2.Where am I from? This is the question of heritage, culture, family descent. We all like to identify our history and trace our lineage because it gives us a sense of belonging. We like to know we aren't just aliens who fell from space, but rather beings with ancestral history. There is this saying that an apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. This means that who we are, our actions, perceptions, world views are to an extent determined by our dominant family traits and societal norms/beliefs. The significance of ancestral identity can best be explained by orphans, adopted children or those in foster care who are constantly searching for their families - either mentally or physically. They want to know their parents, grandparents, cultural beliefs and societal norms. They want to identify with their heritage.
3.Why am I here? This is the question I perceive to be the most important. It explores the issue of purpose, the reason for your existence. Almost every aspect of our lives; the choices we make and our decisions are in a quest to answer this question. This question is the reason we do what we do, wear what we wear, go where we go, live our lives the way we do. Each human being has a purpose on earth and is saddled with the responsibility of fulfilling that purpose. Some people are privileged to discover their purpose early in life while some do not enjoy that luxury. Why is discovering our purpose so important? The answer is given by Myles Munroe when he said "It is more tragic to live and not know why than to be dead." Why? because the dead does not need to explain why they are alive, but the living does.
4.What can I do? This has to deal with your potentials, skill set, talents and gifts. From childhood, we are propelled to discover our innate abilities. As youngsters, we were encouraged to take part in extra-curricular activities in school because such activities are believed to aid us in discovering what we are good at, what we suck at, our innate abilities, strengths, and so on. This search continues even as we grow older. We engage in projects, take up leadership positions, learn new skills and harness existing ones just to find out what things and resources are available to us.
5.Where am I going? This underscores your future, your destiny and goals. What do you want to achieve at the end of your life? What is your ultimate goal ? What is your vision? Where do you want to be in the next five, 10, 15 years? The answers to these questions influence the choices you make in every aspect of your life from your career, life partner and business decisions to personal principles. Remember, if you don't know where you are going, everywhere will look like it. So to avoid living a haphazard life, set goals, have priorities, establish strategies and take time to execute them.
Thanks for taking time out to read. If you have anything to add, please feel free to leave a comment below.
Amazing...
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