Block out the noise, play to your strengths
Despite the many advancements in our world, many still suffer from a lack of identity, purpose and passion. Take away all the achievements, job titles, superficial and imposed societal standards, what do we have left? Why is finding your purpose, passion and identity so important, and on the same note, why is it highly discouraged?
The answer is simple. Finding your purpose is the driving force behind living a quality life and contributing to the world in a way that matters. You will find that highly successful people often reinforce that passion is the key to life, waking up everyday and being passionate about your life, your work and relationships is the secret to creativity and so much more.
Whilst there may not be an exact blueprint to success and a strong sense of purpose, in a recent talk with President Christine Lagarde, she shared a phenomenal piece of advice with a group of college students that really hit the mark.
The downside:
Unfortunately, we live in a society where equality, creativity and fairness is for the most part still discouraged. It's difficult to pin point whose fault it is exactly, but someone somewhere decided that in order to maintain control and power, undermining people, dividing them, manipulation and mental gymnastics was the only way for a certain minority to succeed or dominate - as if there wasn't enough space for everyone to be celebrated? A toxic culture was created that plays people against each other instead of uniting and uplifting them to be the best they can be. The "Minority Mindset" or shall we call it "Toxic Leadership" has somehow trickled into everyday life and its ripple effect makes people weak, sick and miserable.
"When one apple spoils, so does the whole barrel."
领英推荐
Examples:
In some of our work environments (for a very long time) a false narrative has been pushed. The idea that we need to elbow our way to the top to reach a level of success. This is simply not true. In fact, one may perceive it to be quite narrow-minded. Assuming that one needs to take harsh actions against others to live a desirable life is highly contradictory. How can you expect to lead a good life if you're constantly fighting with others to survive? Feelings of frustration, anger, burnout and a loss of identity are bound to occur and impact your mental and physical well-being.?Comparison kills and is a tactic to lower your confidence, make you feel small, so that you cannot move into greatness. This toxic mindset does more harm than good and is often the underlying reason for the fall of many empires.
Another good example is our current educational systems. Some of our greatest achievers and inventors were forced to drop out of school because they were deemed to be not good enough when measured against an unrealistic standard. They felt misunderstood. Education systems however, should be designed to encourage learning and offer guidance to both children and adults alike, with a focus on self-improvement and the celebration of continuous learning.
Find Your Flow
To be at one with yourself and discover your talents, gifting and purpose, there must be a sense of "flow" - not the wishy-washy kind. The kind that allows you to explore your innate talents. The kind that shifts the dynamic, pushing you to focus more on your strengths.
The Solution:
Block out the noise, play to your strengths and you will automatically find yourself welcoming an abundance mindset. You will attract people that will celebrate you and in return, you will be celebrated for your contribution. The goal is help each other grow, not tear each other apart. Again, in the words of Christine Lagarde, "A lot has to do with love." It is the root to passion, purpose and a strong sense of self.