Learn – Reinventing Yourself
A few weeks ago I attended my first job fair and, at one point, found myself standing still in a crowded auditorium. While I took this pause, remaining motionless for a brief moment among a sea of people, I couldn’t help but to notice the looks of desperation and discouragement on so many faces. As bodies brushed by my frozen form, they went in all directions creating a chaos that seemed to have no connection to order.
Since then, I have attended a Job Career Workshop to help in the efforts of acquiring gainful employment. I was able to learn skills that will benefit me, not only in the job search, but also with general everyday living. One of the instructors recited two of his favorite quotes. The first, an ancient greek Aphorism, simply states, “Know thy self,” and the second was from Socrates who said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Both of these statements speak volumes. In these troubling times and in this uncertain world we need to look at ourselves and really understand who we are and, most importantly, what we have the potential of becoming.
The instructor continued on by emphasizing the importance of reinventing yourself in order to ensure not being left behind in this current economy. Be pliable and willing to change, even if it means becoming someone other than the person you have identified yourself with for years.
As a high school student I never took typing courses because of my own fear of inability, and the stress of being time tested to prove my skill or lack of skill. It wasn’t until I was in my late thirties that I realized the hunt and peck style of typing I had fashioned for my needs no longer benefited me in becoming an efficient writer. I couldn’t have imagined a decade ago that one simple decision and a little work would so positively affect my current reality.
It is extremely important to “Know thy self” and be willing to demand more of who you are no matter the difficulty of that journey. No one wishes to be left behind, so just realize that if you are, it is you who has stopped moving and stands motionless among a sea of people, and it will be your choice to begin to move again. It’s never too late.
In Other’s Words:
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
~ Alvin Toffler~