STANDING OUT FROM THE CROWD

 ? In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.
 3 Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king's descendants and some of the nobles,
 4 young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.
 5 And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king's delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king.
 6 Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
 7 To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.

Introduction

Everyone likes to be chosen in life for something significant. However, there are certain details that place us ahead of others which we overlook most times and don’t pay attention to. In our test in Daniel, Israel as a nation was already in captivity in Babylon. The king wanted to raise young men who would serve as his special advisers but certain qualities must be found in those to be selected. The set out criteria was irrespective of race or status. Remember, it would have been easier to pick citizens and not slaves like Daniel and his colleagues but they had those certain qualities that made them stand out from the crowd.

Life is crowded with a crowd after appointment or employment. Thus, whatever you desire to become in life is determined by the personal qualities that will make you stand out in the crowded market of possible appointees. Behind every appointment are named and unnamed rules for selection. Your ability to meet some of these makes the difference between appointment and disappointment. There are three things we can discover our text which can help you stand out from the crowd.

1. Good Physical Appearance – Daniel 1:4.

The king requested for young men without blemish but good looking. The word “blemish” (mum – Hebrew) refers to what has no spot or stain. This is clearly understood with the use of “but” acting as a link to good looking (tob mareh-Hebrew) outward beautiful physical appearance. This might have implications for what appeals to the eyes and it attractive. In essence, “good looking” points to what is fascinating. It is often said that you should not judge a book by its cover. The trouble is we all do. Your physical appearance can affect your career. Physical appearance is very important in some careers. Your appearance says a great deal about your attitude to work and life. Looking after your physical appearance can lead to success in your career.

There is a connection between physical attraction and career success. People often use your physical appearance to infer information that results in a variety of assumptions, expectations, attitudes, and behaviors. In other words, you might be a brilliant, friendly, witty, and compassionate person – but if your outward physical appearance is a joke, people will assume the worst before you even open your mouth. This bias in favour of physical appearance over competence is what in physiognomy is termed physical attractive-ness phenomenon. Gordon Patzer’s very insightful book, Looks: Why They Matter More Than You Ever Imagined (2008) calls this phenomenon “lookism,” which is the tendency for people to judge others based on their physical appearance. People have made up their minds by merely looking at your physical appearance. It is therefore an uphill task to change the perception they have if you ever have an opportunity for interaction with them. Looks influence how well a person is treated at work. Obviously, looks aren’t the only factor that determines success and status. Yet looks are far more important than you may know. Project an image of grace, professional competence, intelligence, culture and respect by how you look.

People have either lost or got opportunities based on first impressions. You may never have a second opportunity, therefore, first impression matter. So, do everything in your power to improve your own personal physical outward appearance. It is true that some of us appear to have what beauticians call “genetic pitfalls” but can work around it to ensure you’re looking your very best at all times. The reasons are obvious.

A physically attractive person attracts a lot of people. A pleasing face for instance is nice to look at. People like to relax in the presence of beautiful things. In fact, merely looking into a pleasant face can relax the mind. Those with an aesthetic sense like to admire beautiful people and things. To look one’s best in work place or out there in the public gives you certain influence that cannot be totally explained.

Physical attractiveness helps in building relationships. Physical appearance does matter in a relationship. In a marriage for instance, partners need to take care of themselves physically in order to sustain their relationship. Many women and men face marital problems as they go out of shape after having children. For instance, women who take care of their physical appearance have better rapport with their spouses.

Physical attractiveness boosts your self-confidence and self-esteem. One feels very reassured when other people admire them and prefer to associate with them as they find them very attractive. In certain professions for instance, looks make a lot of difference. A good looking person can get noticed quickly.

An attractive physical appearance enhances personality. It is an added advantage. A physically attractive person, who is well-groomed, can impress upon people. A handsome politician can draw the attention of the masses, although, of course, he also has to be man of substance.

Work on your physical appearance because it is a plus.  Use things that enhance and boost your facial features/beauty such as face cleansers to draw out dirt, oily and fatty substances that make your face heavy. Use revitalizers like honey to rebuild and refresh facial features. Improve your skin tone by adding body oil to your cream, style or cut your hair to the shape of your skull.

Observe proper hygiene by minding your body odour. Unkempt toenails, teeth colour, etc. A man who does not know how to take care of himself least inspires attraction and makes bad impressions too. Every person who desires to stand out must look good. According to Dns. Rebecca Ikomi “looking good is good business”. Good looks will always win people over to you any where.

2. Great Professional Talent –– Daniel 1:4b

Gifted in all wisdom & possessing knowledge, quick to understand whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.

Physical outward attractiveness and positive temperament blended with skill training or acquisition makes you a star. Four things to make anyone stand for choice: skill, wisdom, knowledge and understanding, yet, training for the profession they were being chosen for was high on the agenda. Notice by this that there is a time of prophecy, prayer and preparation. Prayer can never be a substitute for personal preparation because God does not qualify mediocre.

The word “skillful” (sakal – Hebrew) refers to being creative and intelligent. Every profession needs certain forms of skill to make you outstanding. One of the most common reasons we stand out in life and career is your skill level. This is because it helps you stand out in comparison with your competitors.

You cannot be a professional when you remain at the level of everybody. Unless your skill box is equipped with more tolls than others you cannot stand out in the market place. In the market place, what you can bring to the table and offer an organisation is more important. What I am emphasizing here is not the certificate you carry but the skill, capacity and ability you have acquired overt time. You might carry a certificate but it does not certify you because you don’t have the skills.

Wisdom (chokmah – Hebrew): being wise in mind; word and act independently. Wisdom is the ability to apply what you know. This is where our Nigerian education is very deficient. We so much encourage rote learning. This is the ability to use your mind for independent and unsupervised work. People receive greater and better pay by using their mind and not their physical strength or energy. An inability to use your mind is statement of mediocrity. If there is anything I hate about my great nation, Nigeria, it is mediocrity: a way of doing things that are below standard. This is what Dr. Paul Enenche calls mediocrititis. He describes it as a virus that spreads the mentality of average living. Until you can do what others cant and work the way others can’t you remain at the level of others. Skills make you a valuable asset. You are a hot commodity in the market place when you develop your skills.

Knowledge (yadah-Hebrew) refers to body of information. You cannot operate beyond the level of information that you have. Until you acquire knowledge and keep acquiring knowledge you will always be light years behind others. The knowledge you have is what makes you known. Knowledge has a way of showcasing and rewarding you. Therefore, give yourself to knowledge. In school, give attention to learning and allow other things to take a back sit. What you know is what makes you known. The lady who won 1 million naira in who wants to be a millionaire gives me an idea of training. She is a computer programmer used 6 hours every day to play the “who wants to be a millionaire game” and spent an average of 50 thousand naira in buying books to read and making contacts.

Understanding (da’ath: Hebrew) refers to being able to make mental distinction in something. Some of us are like zombie doing only what we are told to do. We lack creativity, initiative and drive. A person you always have to tell what to do and how to do it is a minus in an organisation. You take too much man-hour to work with and you are an extra luggage. When the time of lay off comes, your name will always be first on the lips of managers or supervisors.

Furthermore, our text even uses a purpose clause: whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. The word “teach” (lamad-Hebrew) means to instruct and get acquainted with something. This is where training and retraining is important. You must re-skill your skill for you to remain relevant in our present economy. Knowledge is changing at a very fast pace daily. Unless you are in tune with the latest theories, developments and movements in your career and social economy, you will wake up one day to discover that you have no job any more. You have become surplus to requirement. Some few years backs, typists were very important in our social economy. With the advent of computers, several never re-skilled and have become redundant.

• Be teachable. You have to unlearn certain things and relearn certain things to make it in life. It might call for a change of skills, job or career to bring you into contention for a position.
• Be teachable to re-skill by going for professional training programmes
• Be teachable by being an apprentice to someone who has the skills and can teach you by the sidelines
• By teachable by knowing that no one knows it all. What was a great theory yesterday might have been discontinued by another.
• To be teachable, to re-train and be trained attend conferences, workshops, seminars and short courses. Save money and sponsor yourself.

• You can easily enroll for training at a college that offers flexible course hours that you can attend at night after your job or over the weekend.
• There are also many online learning courses that can help you get educated in a specific career. Some of these online courses are just informatory, meaning they do not provide any certification. These courses can help you get an overview of your considered career training option. Then there are online career training courses that are affiliated with a college or a certain training school and that offer proper certification. This certification can increase the prospects of getting a better job.
• You can also enroll for workshop training classes that are mostly for one or two days and generally take a few days to complete. You can take advantage of such classes to get an overview of a chosen career field and then enroll in a full-fledged training course.

If you are seriously thinking about changing your job or planning a career shift, then you should definitely consider taking new career training courses.

3. Great Positive Temperament – Daniel 1:4c

Another qualification for appointment was boys who had the ability to serve in the king’s palace. According to answers.com, temperament is the manner of thinking, behaving, or reacting characteristic of a specific person. Temperament therefore, refers to the different ways we interact with and react to our environment and experiences. We can find the issue of temperament in our text from the use of “ability to serve”. The term “ability” (koach-Hebrew) points to emotions of vigor and force. This refers to energy, motivation and synergy. It is a pity that you can never rise above your temperament. The mindset of service gives you an edge anywhere.

• Ability to serve is do the work is if it where your own. It means you have an owner mentality. Do not work as if you are a paid employee, work as if you own the place of business and your life depends on it
• Ability to serve means persons who bring their energy. You show and maintain a high level of drive and motivation. You are early to work. You do not leave your duty post to do other things with the time for which you are being paid.
• Ability to serve means you go the extra mile to get work and things done. You are able to work independently and efficiently without supervision. You are not an eye-service person working to please the boss only when the boss is around and turn a blind eye when the boss is not around. I love the programme “undercover Boss” on DSTV. It teaches teachability
• Ability to serve is you do what other do not do or refuse to do either because it is difficult or does not relate to their condition of service or add extra cash to their salary
• Ability to serve means being able to function as the king when they were mere servant. You cannot take up a function and not have the mentality to function in that capacity. It is not a title that makes you who you are it is the role you have decided to function in.
• Ability to serve helps to build up your profile because somebody is watching you when you thing no one is watching. Unless you hope to end your career in a place and at a certain level, then service should not mean anything to you. But, service adds grace and greatness to you. People who have a boss mentality and not service never rise beyond the level where they are. People who have mentality are also very lonely. People who have boss mentality hardly get the best out of their staff. Serve people and you create a larger platform for your rising. The person you serve today can become your pathfinder tomorrow.
• Ability to serve is a capacity to function in any role. Service is not limited to a title or position; it is about meeting a need. What you consider as derogatory and demeaning might just be the platform for you to rise. Be ready to do anything that offer service to anyone in spite of what your title or position might be. Be service oriented and service cultured.
• Ability to serve is a capacity to master your temper and temperament. These were non-Babylonians therefore; think of the insults and challenges. Your temperament dictates your triumph. The ability to have positive temperament is important in a royal court because of the emotional challenges in dealing with several kinds of people and situation to maintain a healthy life and excellence in service.
• Your ability to have positive temperament gives you capacity to function and adapt quickly to different conditions of life and people. Being able to control your emotions depends in part on how much you understand your own moods, recognizing when and why you are having that emotion for instance and having very real strategies in place to be able to influence the way that you feel very quickly. This will at least help you adjust your emotions, and steer your own course toward calmer waters.

Ability to serve helps you control your emotions by looking ahead. Very intense emotions blind us to our future and deceive us that now is all that matters. In fact, when we are incredibly angry or anxious, we can even momentarily forget that there is even going to be a future after now. We have all said or done things we later came to regret simply because, for a time, we let ourselves be dictated to by our own emotions. If you get angry, think to yourself: “How will I feel tomorrow if I lose my dignity and tell this person (I have to see every day) that …” Get to know yourself. Learn to observe your own attitudes and emotional low points and outflow. One key to mastery of temperament is to know when you are actually being emotional and also why you are.

Ability to serve is capacity to switch off unpleasant emotions. You are able to alter your mood by doing something different. We tend to assume that moods just ‘happen to us’ and, like storms, the best we can do is wait until they pass. But, we can influence - even change - our moods without resorting to unhealthy means such as quarrels, fighting’s, malice, non-speaking.

Switching it off by thinking of the good aspect of the person or changing what feeds your thought will inevitably changes your mood. If you feel sad, consciously focus on three things in your life for which you can feel grateful. If you are anxious, start to imagine that what you are anxious about has already happened and gone much better than expected. The important thing is just to do or think something different.

Ability to serve is a capacity to change your physiology. Some people assume that emotions are ‘all in your head’, whereas actually all emotions are physical responses.  Anger, fear and anxiety for instance push heart rate and blood pressure up. So, you begin to breathe faster. When these start manifesting, learn to be calm, breath slowly and refrain from talking since it can push you to too much hurtful talks that can destroy you or the other person. You can manage your emotions no matter the stimulation.

Conclusion – What makes you stand out in the market place is your physical appearance, talent and temperament. The choice is yours.