Life Skills Challenges facing Youth

03/01/13

“Our Universities, Technikons and Colleges have one of the highest drop-out rates in the world. The government spends billions of Rands each year on the education of our tertiary students. However our pass rates are very low. One of the major contributing factors for this high drop-out rate is that our students lack focus, clear goal setting and commitment. Our youth have not developed the life skills to focus single-mindedly on their studies and future careers and thereby apply themselves effectively so as achieve success.”

Imsimbi Training formed in 2005 is a pioneering training company helping youth and others to use the Power of Focus, Goal Setting and realising one’s dreams. Most people are only utilising 10-15% of their potential. The brain is an immense and powerful tool, which very few have the instruction manual on how to use. We have been brought up to mostly focus on our IQ to achieve success in the world. However there is a vast amount of intelligence residing in our emotions, emotional intelligence. Furthermore there is a vast amount of intelligence residing in our Spirit which we call Spiritual Intelligence. By utilising all three of these we are able to move closer to unleashing our full potential.

At Imsimbi Training we believe the starting point for getting in touch with our true magnificence and brilliance is to find quiet time and silence to get to know our life purpose. We need to learn to get in touch with the silence within ourselves and then know that everything in life has a purpose, and we can find our life purpose by listening to the voice inside our soul.

Janet Attwood in her book the Passion Test puts this very clearly. She states that each of us is born with a life purpose. Identifying, acknowledging, and honouring this purpose is perhaps the most important action that successful and content people take. They take the time to understand what they’re here to do – and then they pursue that with passion and enthusiasm.

We need to quietly reflect on “What is my purpose for living?” “What is my unique role in the universe?” No two people are born the same, from the billions of people living on the planet. We all have our unique gifts. The way to identify one’s life purpose is to look at your strengths, your greatest talents, your gifts. The things you love doing.

Once you decide what your major definite purpose in life is, then one needs to organize all your activities around it. This is your mission.

“It is the soul’s duty to be loyal to its own desires. It must abandon itself to its master passion.”

Jack Canfield in his book The 25 Success Principles states you were born with an inner guidance system that tells you when you are on or off purpose by the amount of joy you are experiencing. The things that bring you the greatest joy are in alignment with your purpose. To understand your true purpose, make a list of the times you felt most joyful and alive.

He goes on to state: “What scientists now know about how the brain works is that you must first decide WHAT you want, before your brain can figure out HOW to get it. As soon as you commit to a big dream and really go after it, your subconscious creative mind will come up with big ideas to make it happen. You’ll start attracting the people, resources, and opportunities you need into your life to make your dream come true. You should set a goal big enough that in the process of achieving it, you become someone worth becoming.” Jack Canfield: The 25 Success Principles.

We also realise that when our dreams include service to others — accomplishing something that contributes to others — it also accelerates the accomplishment of that goal. People want to be part of something that contributes and makes a difference. Most people find that once they listen to their soul, our life purpose involves loving and serving others. However we are all given differing talents and gifts to express this love and service in different ways.

Canfield further clarifies how our dreams can become reality. He states: “To get from where you are to where you want to be, you have to know two things: where you are and where you want to get to. Your vision is a detailed description of where you want to get to. If you get clear on “the what” the how will be taken care of. It is like using a GPS system, all you have to do is decide where you want to go by clarifying your vision, lock in the destination through goal setting, affirmations, and visualization, and start moving in the right direction. Your inner GPS will keep unfolding your route as you continue to move forward. Once you are clear about what you want and keep your mind constantly focused on it, the how will keep showing up.” Jack Canfield: The 25 Success Principles.

One of the main reasons why most people don’t get what they want is they haven’t decided what they want. They haven’t defined their desires in clear and compelling detail. The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want. Janet Attwood in the Passion test, states “When you are clear, what you want will show up in your life, and only to the extent that you are clear.”

“The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is low and we reach it.” Michaelangelo

We have to believe that we have the right stuff, that we are able to pull it off. You have to believe in yourself. It is a deep-seated belief that you have what it takes – the abilities, inner resources, talents, and skills to create your desired results. Ultimately, you must learn to control your self-talk, eliminate any negative and limiting beliefs, and maintain a constant state of positive expectations.

Researchers have found that the average person thinks as many as 50,000 thoughts a day. Sadly, many of those thoughts are negative — I’m not management material… I’ll never lose weight… It doesn’t matter what I do, nothing ever works out for me… Victim language actually keeps us in a victim state of mind. It is a form of self-hypnosis that lulls us into a belief that we are unlovable and incompetent.

Believing in Your self is an Attitude
In order to get what you want from life, you need to give up this victim language and start talking to yourself like a winner — I can do it… I know there is a solution… I am smart enough and strong enough to figure this out… I am loveable… I am beautiful… I am competent. And then really believe this about yourself. A good way to change your self-belief is to stand in front of the mirror at night when nobody is there and say (your name) I love you, I really, really love you.So we have a choice to make. We either believe in ourselves or we don’t. Believing in your self is a choice. It might help to know that the latest brain research now indicates that with enough positive self-talk and positive visualization combined with the proper training, coaching, and practice, anyone can learn to do almost anything.God does not make junk. Believe in your own brilliance.

Once we are in tune with our soul’s deep inner purpose and then from there have decided what we want in life in clear and compelling terms we are 90% on the way to making these dreams a reality. From this position of calm, deep stillness and abundant inner belief, action naturally unfolds. It is action that makes our dreams a reality. By taking each small step on a daily basis, this turns our dreams into reality. Focused action realises our goals. By focus we mean, to concentrate with all our mind, emotion and ability on our goal until it is realised. To take the necessary actions, steps and work to realise our life purpose.

In the centre of our body, there is a small shrine in the form of a lotus flower; and within it can be found a small space. The heavens and the earth are there; the sun, the moon, and the stars, fire and lightning and winds – the whole universe dwells within our heart.” – adapted from Upanishads

Fulfilled and content people make a decision to let love lead everything in their lives. “I would rather have eyes that cannot see, ears that cannot hear, lips that cannot speak, than a heart that cannot love.” Robert Tizon, author

This article is based on the Imsimbi Training Emotional Intelligence and Personal Mastery course. The course runs on the 4-6 August in Jhb and 17-19 August in CT.This article is written by David Sadie, a Director of Imsimbi Training. Imsimbi Training is a Level 2 BBBEE company and is fully accredited by the Services Seta. We have over 40 training courses. Our courses include Emotional Intelligence, Financial Management, Project Management, Supervisory Management, Management and Leadership Development, and many others. We are one of the most dynamic and fastest growing training companies in SA. All our training courses have the same theme running through them, we can unleash our full potential by listening to our Soul’s Purpose. All our training courses can be found on our website at www.imsimbi.co.za. Or contact Julius at 011 678-2443 or 0719349588 for more information.

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