STAYING POSITIVE... IS IT POSSIBLE?

The prospect of finishing one’s degree is a driving force to overcoming any obstacle in life. It has a “push-pull” factor that inspires- motivates and activates an attitude of “Yes, I can”. This force pushes a graduate to work hard- to march on- to achieve, while pulling them forward- closer to their destinies. This force activates the realities of their dreams and the possibilities of achieving them. Many graduates complete their degrees energised and filled with hunger to go out into the world and make a difference. But once this process is complete, many of us are faced with reality of unemployment- the torment of nepotism and possibly the nightmare of a negative attitude.

It is no secret that the job market is not always favourable. It is no secret that finding the job of your dreams is not always as easy as remembering the 7 P’s of the Marketing mix or that you will find the dream job immediately after your studies. All these facts could be de-motivating but it depends on one’s attitude.

Unemployment is every graduate’s biggest fear; the frustration of struggling to find a job and the prospect of regret. What make matters worse are people who try hard to motivate you- forcing you to appreciate your accomplishments and reminding you that it is not over yet and things always work out. Their intentions aren’t completely unwarranted, but when dealing with so many unanswered questions- it could be hard welcoming this kind of motivation.

Surely there has to be a way- some kind of secret to dealing with this kind of difficulty. There must be some kind of formula to overcoming this nightmare.

Yes, there is ...the secret is a positive attitude.

A vast amount of material has been written on the subject of “a positive attitude yields positive results “. Many an author, pastor and life coaches continually reiterate the importance of positive living and a positive mentality to overcome adverse situations- be it illness, school, unemployment or life in general. It is becoming common knowledge that “it’s not what happens to you that matters, but how you respond to it that does”, and an increasing number of self help books continue their teachings on this subject. John Maxwell shares 7 Steps how a Positive attitude can change your life- how changing your mentality from things are impossible to everything is possible can impact you and your dreams:

      Possibility thinking increases your possibilities- it you are positive that you will find your dream job and believe its possible then you will find it.

      Possibility thinking draws opportunities and people to you- if you are passionate about the job you want to do- go out and use the time you have available to learn, network with the people doing the job already

      Possibility thinking increases other’s possibilities- your attitude can affect other graduates-so surround yourself with graduates that are positive and inspired

      Possibility thinking allows you to dream big dreams- let the dream you had at university drive you forward- motivate you and inspire you to dream bigger and make it a reality

      Possibility thinking makes it possible to rise above average- never allow the situation you find yourself in define your destination. Aspire to be a better graduate- a bigger dreamer

      Possibility think gives you energy- lf life hands you lemons- squeeze them and make lemonade- smile, laugh and live.

      Possibility thinks keeps you from giving up- it is your attitude that will keep you inspired and motivate to wait for your turn. Keep an attitude of “ Yes I can” “ Yes, it’s Possible’

Being unemployed is not an easy period in one’s life but it is your attitude that will make the difference.  Adopt a positive attitude no matter how hard it is- this will keep you going – this will keep you hope- this will keep you from giving up. Use this time to give back to the community- use this time to improve you- use this time to learn, read and empower yourself. John Maxwell writes in his book, Thinking for Change that you need to invest in yourself if you want to succeed.  Use this time to do that.

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CHANGING

I find myself at a point in my life when I am hungry for something new; hungry for something bigger. As this hunger grows and starts to consume me from within, I find myself getting confused, agitated and frustrated. This frustration could be as a result of “where do I start?”, “how to do this?” “What will come of this?”

It is no longer enough to approach life hoping that things will work out as you’ve imagined them. It is no longer enough to sit around, waiting for opportunities to come find you. It is neither the time, nor the place to be passive- this year calls for drastic change.

But what is change? How do you accomplish this ‘change’ people talk about?

This has been a question that has weighed heavily on my mind for the 2 weeks of 2012.  I’ve been telling myself that I need to change my mindset; need to change my approach to life. I’ve gone as far as striving to be a ‘change agent in my community and the world’.

The harder I tried to initiate this change, the harder it is to carry on. It is at this point of initiation that I realised that in order for change to happen, I need to rid myself of the old habits that hold me back from becoming a better person. It is at this point that I realised that I cannot change the people that hold me back, but I can change who I allow into my life- their impact- their contribution. My goal in life was to be a change agent; to change the world and to change lives. What I didn’t realise was that before I could change the world or lives; I had to work on myself first. Leo Tolstoy quotes;

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself”

After reading this quote in “Thinking for Change” by John Maxwell, I learnt that I need to empower myself first, before I can empower others. It is important to work on yourself before you can advise others on how best to live their lives- on how best to approach their problems and conquer their fears. Become the change agent to your own life; become a person that radiates integrity and strives for success.

As we march on into 2012, I urge you to focus on changing yourself- focusing on become a better person- a better brand. This is apparently the year for the “self” and the year for “wealth” and it is my mere coincidence that I found the quote by Leo Tolstoy “everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself”

Change is not easily nor is it fun; but if we can change ourselves this year- 2012 will be a year we can be proud of. John Maxwell writes in his book, Thinking for Change, that “only when you make the right changes to your thinking do other things begin to turn out right”  May this truly a year of the “self”- a year where we concentrate on improving the people we are- the people we wish to become.