Maximising Where You Are

It is very normal for people to think that their lives will become better the moment they leave where they are. They think that their lives will suddenly become better and they will have better opportunities when they reach another place, or get another job, or change neighbourhood, or start new career. Well, it is not bad to have these dreams and goals. However, this mindset can actually steal the strength and joy to face the present moment. You should not just be concerned about the future, but you have to effectively live the moment first. Maximising where you are is a principle that teaches one how to be patient, resilient, purposeful, and contented irrespective of what is happening.

It is true that where you are today may not be where you have hoped to be, but you can still grow there by maximising where you are. The bridge between where you are and where you want to be is what you do and how you have made the most of where you are. Every stage you are in life will deliver the required lessons that you will need for the next phase of your life. This is why you have to see where you are as a preparation, not as a punishment. If you constantly focus on where you want to be, you may lose sight of the opportunities that are staring you in the face. It is true that you are to be hopeful for something better, but you should not overlook what you have at the moment. As a matter of fact, what you do in the present can grant you access to where you are going, or can prevent you from even getting there. So make the most of where you are.

Maximising where you are begins with understanding and acceptance, but not surrender. That is, accepting where you are and working with it, not constantly fighting it. Even where you are is a wish for someone, so always learn to see good in where you are. The moment you accept your situation, you will gain clarity of mind. Instead of being worried about why you are where you are, you can ask yourself these questions; "what can I learn from here?" "What value can this place add to my life?" "What skills can I acquire to make me relevant?" All these will help you to maximise the blessedness of where you are. There is good in where you are, but you have to look beyond what you see. There will always be lessons to learn from where you are.

While we were growing up, there was this friend of mine who wanted to study computer science. After we wrote the University Entrance Exam, his score was not up to the cut-off mark, so he would need to wait another year. He felt so devastated by that, because he just wanted to move higher. So I advised him to make the most out of where he was and to maximised it. That was when he decided to enrol into a computer centre to learn coding and programming. Instead of just wasting the 1 year, he put it into a good use and used it to acquire a skill. He later got the admission after one year and he is now a graduate. But what he is doing now is the skill he acquired in that 1 year. What you do in the now may become what will prepare you for the future.

A lot of people wait to have a "better condition" first before putting in their best, but they tend to forget that excellence is not a function of having an ideal circumstance. A lot of the most celebrated people in this era actually learnt discipline, perseverance, and even leadership from the place where they did not like. Take Jeff Bezos of Amazon for example; he did not have to wait until he had a better condition before he began his Amazon business, he actually began it in his garage. Same way with Mark beginning his own from his dormitory. And a host of others. If they had been waiting until they had the perfect place or the right condition, they may not have started at all. They had to make the most of what they had, and maximised where they were.

Where you are currently is a training grown to build you up for what lies ahead. It builds up your character, teaches you humility, patience, responsibility, and endurance. How you handle today may determine what the universe will entrust into your hands tomorrow. If you constantly complain about where you are, ignore responsibilities, or act carelessly, these things will also follow you into big opportunities. You have to always know that growth begins when you are faithful even in the small and in the present.

Thanks for reading