The average person develops in their lifetime only something like 10% of their mental and physical abilities. In other words, most of us live with far less intensity and success than we could. We possess hidden potential that we fail to use, because we don’t know ourselves well enough. So what should we do?
Number 1: Don’t imitate others. As job recruiters put it: “the biggest mistake that people make while applying and interviewing for jobs is in not being themselves”. This was voted the top advice for job seekers: just be who you really are. Wanting to be somebody else than the person you are in body and mind will make you miserable. Being envious or jealous of others is simply being ignorant of your own abilities and potential.
Number 2. Know yourself. Realise that you are something new and unique in this world. Never before, since the beginning of the universe 15 billion years ago, has there ever been somebody exactly like you; and never again will there ever be again someone exactly like you. Honour the fact that you are unique, that you have unique skills to develop, unique passions that make you happy, and unique values that you want to defend. Use the three circles of our previous post to find out what they are!
Number 3. Be the best of yourself. Honouring your uniqueness means you should have a unique life, not the same life as somebody else. Don’t waste a second worrying that you are not like someone else. Improve yourself to give the world the best version that you can be of yourself, every day. Imagine how much better the world would be if everyone did this!
Quoting Steve Jobs in the very inspirational speech he gave to fresh graduates of Standford University in 2005: “Our time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”