The impact of the Coronavirus pandemic is felt in every aspect of our lives – a fact that cannot be ignored. But then, It is important to look beyond the pandemic and break into that concept of “change as a constant fact in life”.
We must always be ready to adapt to change no matter the situation and also learn how to see the world as an arena of unlimited possibilities and opportunities.
Growth is beautiful and painful at the same time, but it’s worth it. That is the real essence of life. Change happens in different ways and even in times we never anticipate. Growth and change come from taking action and questioning our inner self – the conscious and subconscious thoughts. It’s a habit we need to develop if we truly want to grow. What do we want to achieve in life? What is that thing we need to learn and unlearn? This can be attitudes, our behavioral disposition to issues around us. What are our strengths and weaknesses and how do they affect our daily affairs? What do we value the most?
This is very important as it leads us to the journey of Self Awareness and discovery and channels our energy to Self Regulation. This is a process that makes us better persons with purposeful goals and aspirations.
Let’s create a scenario to make sense of what I just said above…
Bola is a girl who is dedicated to her studies. She is so focused that she leaves little to no time to engage in extracurricular activities. But with Coronavirus pandemic, she is stuck at home with nothing to do. After spending three (3) months at home, Bola becomes frustrated as her home is nothing compared to school life. After a while, she finds herself thinking of what to do to keep busy. Suddenly, her inner mind draws her attention to a book she bought a year ago, centered on “Persuasive Writing”. Without wasting time, she went to her room, opened the drawer, and brought out the book. For a week, She read the book and this stemmed from her interest In writing. After completing the book in a week, she decided to implement the lessons gotten from the book by writing an article that centers on the need for “sex education for the girl child”. She posted the article on Facebook and within 24 hours, the comments on the post were incredibly impressive. She had never written an article but alas! The article was widely read by people, mostly ladies, and was requested by an Editor of a popular Blog to be included In a magazine owned by a prominent actor in London. This was the beginning of a career that she had never thought of in her entire life. Afterward, Bola decided to create a system to support her newly found skill. The system is energized by hard work, discipline, and Consistency. She invested her time not only in her studies but also in her personal growth. Initially, she started with a book, but within 2 months, she had read more than 10 books in different genres. This opened her mind to new ideas and experiences that metamorphosed into beautifully written articles and Ebooks. She attended different conferences and online webinars and this invariably exposed her to unlimited possibilities and opportunities. Bola achieved her goal as a writer by stepping out of her comfort zone and doing things she had formerly thought of as being ‘hard’.
The scenario above speaks a lot to us. It places an emphasis on Self-discovery which is an important journey we all must embrace. It also shows us that it’s in the act of doing things that we truly discover what we really want. Be a doer and not simply a dreamer. If Bola had taken her time to really look into the possibilities available to her earlier before the Coronavirus pandemic, she would have discovered her special ability in writing. However, life can be funny sometimes as it displays its vicissitudes in unexpected ways. Change mostly appears in unfavorable situations just as we have seen in the case of Bola who became a great writer in a situation that almost left her depressed and useless.
This might not be the same situation for everybody. Sometimes, we need to seriously interrogate our inner ability. We need to discover those hidden things that affect our daily lives- may be the way we eat, our conscious and subconscious thoughts, values, interests, etc. Discovering these hidden catalysts and understanding the role they play in our lives puts us in a better position to control them. Just as we have seen in the case of Bola who did not stop after discovering her hidden skill but regulated it by creating a system that supports her growth as a writer.
Just as I have said above, you must be a doer and not merely a dreamer. Dreams will forever remain in your thoughts if you let the power of inaction overtake you. Inaction is scarier. It hurts. The fear of failure should not stop us from taking action. In fact, failure is necessary as it makes us grow and equips us with great experiences to cope with the realities of life. Be ready to fail and grow. Remember, Dreams are valid and promising only if you take action. Just do it!
Take time to discover your hidden abilities and disabilities and then create a system to regulate it. Also, know that discipline and Consistency is the key. Creating a system is easy wherein the major work lies in its maintenance. We must avoid procrastination at all costs. It’s dangerous. Sometimes we are forced into thinking that there is still time but that’s not true. Time waits for no one. There is nothing like “PERFECT TIME “. All you have to do is to make sure that every time counts. Step out of your comfort zone. It’s the only way to grow and evolve.
STAY SAFE!
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