ebernick In a series of blog articles based on my keynote talk “Invest In Your Potential”, we have expounded consecutive aspects of investing in your personal inner potential.
We have used the word ‘INVEST’ as an acronym to develop six aspects to act as a catalyst in unlocking your potential. Thus far, our blog articles have discussed the first four of these key ingredients namely:
I = Inspiration
N = No Problems, Only Opportunities
V = Vision
E = Enthusiasm
S = ?
T = ?
- INVEST IN YOUR POTENTIAL
In this week’s penultimate blog on this subject, we reveal what the ‘S’ symbolises, and by now you have correctly ascertained from the subject of this blog that it has to do with developing a positive SELF-WORTH, or self-image.
Sadly more people than we realise have a low self-worth. If you had to ask someone randomly who they are, you will usually be met by a somewhat bewildered, blank stare, followed by a retort of where they work/what they do (“I am a doctor”; “I am a salesperson”; “I am a factory manager”). Then they may tell you where they live, what car they drive, and so forth.
Really? Is that really who you are? Do you see what’s happening here? Life has taught us to conform. Life has taught us that to be different is wrong. We have been taught that other people’s opinions are more important than ours, especially their opinions of us.
Les Brown was born in a poor family in a dilapidated building downtown (in some big city in the USA), and was labelled ‘educable mentally retarded’ at school, and was used to being held back in his grades. One day he overheard the school principal giving a graduation talk to the graduation class at the end of a school year. He heard the principal motivate them to be the best that they could be. Later, in the school carpark, he asked the principal if he would ever be able to achieve some of the goals the principal had outlined in his graduation talk. One of the statements the principal made to Les was, “Never let someone else’s opinion of you become your reality”.
That was a turning point for Les Brown. He went on to overcome all his challenges, and is highly regarded in the USA today for his motivational talks (especially for disadvantaged, troubled youths) and he also hosts a TV Talk Show which only showcases good news.
Talking about good news, the ‘good news’ for those who have neglected their self-worth is that they can raise their self-worth within a reasonably short time.
Imagine a garden which has been neglected. Over time it becomes overgrown, dilapidated and unattractive. However, if you pulled out the weeds, removed any rubble, cut the grass, planted new flowers and plants, used fertiliser and regularly watered it, in ‘ next to no time’ you would once again have a luscious, attractive and beautiful garden.
In similar fashion, when someone has neglected their self-worth, they can replace any negative thoughts (mental weeds) which have been ‘dumped’ over time (such as other people’s negative feedback) with beautiful, empowering thoughts about their personal value, worth and uniqueness. Each one of us has within us what Goethe calls ‘magic, power and genius’.
“Everything you have is within you. All you need is a catalyst to bring it out.” – Author Unknown
If you had a glass full of dirty water, you could displace the dirty water simply by pouring clean water into the glass until all the dirty water has been fully replaced by clean water. Your negative thoughts can similarly be replaced by filling your mind with powerful, positive thoughts about yourself.
A simple fool to assist you in doing this exercise is called “WRITE DOWN 100 THINGS I HAVE ACHIEVED”. When I first attempted this exercise, I managed to only write down about 30 or 40 achievements. But I continued for a few minutes each day, until a week or so later I had completed my list.
The achievements do not only include ‘big achievements’, rather, any achievement you accomplished. Think about what you achieved over the past month, the past year, at primary school, at high school, at college, at your current work, at your previous work: This approach will open the floodgates of your memory, recalling many of your past achievements which you had forgotten.
Completing this list has a very powerful effect on your self-worth. The power of this simple tool is in the doing of it.
When your self-worth is high, your potential for succeeding in achieving your goals simply soars.
In our next and final blog in this series, look out for the most significant of the six elements in unlocking your potential, when we reveal what the ‘T’ represents.
I = Inspiration
N = No Problems, Only Opportunities
V = Vision
E = Enthusiasm
S = Self-Worth
T = ?
à INVEST IN YOUR POTENTIAL
(Eberhard Niklaus is a conference speaker, sales trainer and also builds teams to maximise their performance, productivity and profitability)
“Contact Eberhard TODAY for your FREE 30-minute Zoom CONSULTATION to learn more about how to unlock your potential and accelerate the results you want in your life.”
