Here, my programmes come to mind:
- How to improve Self-esteem & Assertiveness
- The Art Of Letting Go of emotional pain / prolonged anger
- Grow your business by getting great publicity (expert positioning),
As I sat there, listening to the words of the Vice chancellor, congratulating the new graduates with the accomplishment, encouraging us to contribute to our communities, I felt somewhat sad.
Why?
I felt sad because I realised that most new graduates, even though they would prefer to do this and contribute, do not necessarily know where to start. Most graduates think that getting their degree is a guarantee that they will find employment.
Why aren't they taught what to do, should this not be the case?
Just recently, television news reported on the huge number of Social workers who recently completed their studies, but are struggling to find employment.
How do they contribute when they do not have money to put the basics on the table?
Another question that came to mind, was:
Why do we not teach students the necessary life skills that will equip them with skills to re-invent themselves?
The advantage of such skills, will equip them with the ability to successfully overcome challenges that they may be presented with at a later stage. Life is tough, and there is a lot of competition out there. Those who will make it, are the ones with this wonderful ability.
I am lucky, because I learnt all these things AND THEN enrolled to study.
One of my Psychology professors once said to me: "Andeline, you have such an amazing ability to create and teach, as a result of your life experiences."
I decided to work at getting an official qualification to create more credibility for what I know and do.
Something should be done about our graduate dilemma. I see far too many new graduates who struggle to find employment and do not know how to make it happen for themselves.
Tertiary institutions should invest in such programmes.
Most new graduates have no financial education and it saddened me to see how many of them completed credit card application forms that they were instructed to complete. Most of these young graduates are now starting off on a financially irresponsible note. Perhaps tertiary institutions and financial institutions should make an effort to properly educate such young graduates.
If they were taught about re-inventing themselves, about the harsh realities out there, and about more responsible financial behaviour, they would know better than to accept every credit card offer, thinking that they have money in the bank.
A snippet on re-inventing yourself or your business
The need to re-invent oneself and / or one's business, is one that nobody can ignore these days. People's circumstances, relationships and world economic climates are constantly changing. We have to reinvent ourselves and our businesses to keep up with these changes that often feel like a rug has been pulled out from under our feet.
We are living in a competitive society, where only those who stand out, are the best, or engages in successful re-inventing strategies, will succeed. It is foolish for anyone to only depend on job security these days. Most people realise the need for re-invention. Some enrol to study further, others follow their passion and become self-employed and others discover and develop their niche.
As a small-town girl, I arrived in Gauteng a few years ago; dead afraid of the big city. I asked myself: “How do I, who at first glance, appear to not have that natural stand-out ability, get noticed for what I do?”
The answer came from one of my passions: Self-esteem. I ensured that I wore my Self-esteem Police-outfit to networking functions. People were curious about what I did and asked questions. Exactly what I wanted. The media too became interested and ever since, I mastered the art of re-inventing myself. When I look at some of the wonderful accolades that came my way, I often have to pinch myself, because my journey is a true miracle – one combined with hard work, determination, getting up after every fall, stubborn faith and self-belief.
My journey was tough, but yours doesn't have to be.
How you could re-invent yourself or your business
The first step is to recognise when it is time to make the change. Often this step requires taking a leap of faith. The pleasure vs pain principle is often a huge motivating factor. Be informed. This way one could ensure one gains the knowledge and skills to ensure one is not left behind. Look around you. What are the trends?, What are other people or industry leaders doing? What could you do? How could you improve yourself or your product?
The importance of asking the right questions
Whoever you are, one thing is certain for all of us. We will experience emotional pain, disappointment, loss, become irritated or get angry. These are not nice at all, but there is great value in learning the lessons behind all of these.
You could do this by asking the right questions:
- What else could this mean?
- What am I supposed to learn from this?
- How can I grow, as a result of what happened?
- What can I teach, as a result of the experience?
- How can I use it to improve my personal or professional life?
When re-inventing oneself or one's business, consider the following:
- Planning.
- Passion and a Positive attitude.
- People and their Purpose.
- Persistence.
- PR Power.
- Power of Networking.
- Possible power of Collaboration.
Planning
It is important to know exactly what it is that one wishes to change or accomplish. Jot down possible strategies on how to turn your desire into reality. Should you not have all the answers, you could speak to someone who already walked the distance. Do not loose faith when one strategy doesn't work. Evaluate why it did not work, learn from it and do better next time.
Passion and a Positive attitude
In order to re-invent oneself or one's business, it goes without saying that one has to be passionate about the dream one wishes to accomplish. On tough days, you could remain positive by visualising your ideal circumstances. Cut pictures about your ideal life and circumstances from magazines, and create a collage. This could be a wonderful motivating tool.
People and their Purpose
We all need people in our lives. These people are either loved ones, clients, business associates of business prospects. It is important to recognise the role of each individual in the various categories of our lives. Let go of those relationships that drain you and where the only thing that keeps it alive is your hope that they eventually might support you. Hope is a good thing, but here I do not recommend it. Do not waste time hoping. You could use that energy to get closer to your dream by focusing on the right people.
Persistence
Whether one quits a job to become self-employed or whether one would like to make changes in one's personal life, there will be challenges. It is important to have someone or something to inspire us to keep going, and to stay focused on those days when you feel like quitting. Starting one's own business often means working long hours, without a salary or days off. If you believe in your dream, are prepared to invest the hours and persist, in spite of challenges, success will be inevitable.
PR Power
Perhaps you could re-invent yourself in such a way that the media would become interested in featuring you or your great idea. This could also assist with getting you to where you want to be much sooner. Do not blend in. Stand out.
Power of networking
Networking should be less about business card grabbing, and more about making a connection with fewer, but more valuable contacts. How about wearing an interesting outfit, representing what you do, to the next networking function? Chances are, everybody would notice and be interested in who you are and what you do. Be creative and dare to be different. The downside of networking is that people often waste too much time recruiting individuals who do not like them. The art of deciphering non-verbal communication provides a wonderful time-saving tool. Make it your business to study body language. This could help you identify that a certain look, perhaps means: “buzz off.”
Possible power of collaboration
It is important to know whether it may be a great idea to collaborate or whether you should do your own thing. Whether your re-invention is on a personal level or in business, consider a possible collaboration. Working with someone else (the right person) could serve as wonderful motivation, because it often inspires greater creativity.
Trust, respect and commitment are extremely important, more so when making the decision to work with others on a certain project. It does not make sense to work with people when you do not trust or respect them.
Do not ignore that little voice inside. When something does not feel right, it usually isn't.
Trust your intuition. You were born with it for a very good reason.
Wishing you a great career and bright future.
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