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Tom Associates Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Mr Tope Jegede, has identified the five springboards the youths must focus on to achieve self-fulfilment.
At a recent Youth Development Programme organised by the Management of Rose of Sharon with a broad title of Self Actualisation: A Panacea for Youth Survival, the CEO delivered a paper titled: Building on Your Existing Blocks as a Springboard to self-fulfilment.
According to the CEO, youths should shoulder the responsibility of self-management and run their race to attain self-fulfilment.
Jegede, who tasked the participants to run their race by living a balanced life and renewing the same daily (dealing with discouragement), categorised critical areas of human life that deserved the attention of ‘balance’ and management, as earlier mentioned.
“There are five crucial blocks in human life: Personal block, Work block, Relationships and Social contributions blocks. Those areas are like the wheels on a car; they must be balanced and attended to if you want a smooth life journey. Spirituality is like the steering wheel, and you can develop your spiritual practice by meditating and fostering a relationship with God. Once you’ve balanced your tires and taken hold of the wheel, you’ll be well to a joyful and rewarding life.”
“You cannot be fulfilled until you identify your motivation for life and work. Everyone is driven by something,” he noted.
Jegede also cited the popular theory on motivation called Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to stress his argument.
Maslow’s theory states that our actions are motivated by specific physiological needs. It is often represented by a pyramid, with the most basic needs at the bottom and more complex needs at the top.
“Maslow believed that these needs are similar to instincts and play a significant role in behaviour. There are five levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, starting at the lowest level, known as physiological needs.
“The levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs include;
physiological Needs (Food, water, breathing, shelter, clothing, sex); security and safety needs (it could be financial, health& wellness-related); social needs (managing relationships); esteem needs (success); self-actualisation needs (about significance).”
He further shared a story to illustrate how one’s life is uniquely significant in actualising self-fulfillment if one identifies and balances needs and motivations in line with life and work.
“A water-bearer in India had two large pots; both hung on the ends of a pole, which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack, while the other was perfect and always delivered an entire portion of water.
“The cracked pot always arrived half full at the end of the long walk from the stream to the house.
“The poor cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfection and miserable that it could accomplish only half its purpose.
“After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water-bearer one day by the stream: ‘I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologise. I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out back to your house.
Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts.’
“The bearer said to the pot, ‘Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you’ve watered them. For two years, I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.
Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.
“Run Your Race – Balance your life, pace your life and renew yourself daily.