FEATURE ADDRESS
By John Hazzard BA, MBA
Market-Five by John Hazzard
At the 2010 Graduation Ceremony of the Barbados Community College on Saturday, November 13, 2010 at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium
Mr. Chairman, Members of the Board of Management, Principal, Ministers of Government, Excellencies, Permanent Secretaries and other Government Officials, Members of Staff, Parents and Graduands, Distinguished Guests, Members of the Media.
I must concede that I was pleasantly surprised and honoured when asked to deliver the feature address at this graduation ceremony. I accepted graciously because I hope to offer some encouragement and guidance to you graduands, especially as you are about to begin a new stage in your lives: whether that new stage be entering the world of work or entering a university to do further studies in your chosen career or moving up the ladder in your workplace.
The theme of this evening’s ceremony is “Working towards Self- Actualization”. I trust that this discourse would serve to enlighten and motivate you.
According to Kurt Goldstein, and I quote, “Self-Actualization is a driving life-force that will ultimately lead to maximizing one’s abilities and determine the path of one’s life.” Self-Actualization is at the top of the Psychologist Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and is considered a part of the humanistic approach to personality. This approach focuses on healthy, motivated people and tries to determine how they define the self while maximizing their potential.
So you see Self-Actualization then is finding your calling in life – why you need a vocation – what is the purpose of life. In my humble view, it is to achieve all that you possibly can - develop yourself to the fullest and maximize your potential. Famous psychologist Abraham Maslow called maximizing your potential “Self-Actualization”, the process by which people could attain ‘full humanness’ - that is, what a man can be, he must be. Self-Actualization then gives the individual a desire or motivation to achieve budding ambitions.
My address is directed mainly to the graduands although I will be making reference to the part which tutors, parents and guardians must play in relation to this subject.
Many persons believe that finding your vocation means finding something to make you rich and famous, and that becomes self-actualization. Remember that Self-Actualization is maximizing one’s potential: hence each person will maximize at a different level. The important thing is to push yourself to wherever YOUR limits are personally. Self-Actualization is an individual thing – your best is not someone else’s best. Always remember this statement “Never compare yourself with others, but compare yourself with the abilities that you have.
Let me make it clear what I mean by actualization and how you go about achieving Self-Actualization. Let us assume that you are a football player in the World Cup 2010. The object would be to get the football between the goal posts and your effort and ambition would be concentrated on getting the ball to that destination. Similarly, you must decide what the object of your life will be and your efforts and ambitions must be focused on reaching the chosen destination.
Which actualization?
The actualization you set will depend on your talents, skills and interests as well as on the opportunities which may be available to you.
The role of parents, guardians and tutors is to try to identify your strengths, to encourage you to improve on your weaknesses, to offer guidance as you identify your goals and to help you to develop a strategy for reaching your actualization. Parents and tutors are the managers and coaches but you are the player on that football field.
I must also warn parents and guardians to resist the temptation of making your wards a clone of yourself or to try to pursue your failed dreams through their lives.
Graduands, as you set your actualization you will no doubt look for role models and persons in your family, your community and beyond whom you admire. You no doubt have heard about talented entertainers and sportsmen whose public image has been destroyed because of scandalous behavior outside of the activity which brought them fame. This seems to be the case generally that our idols fail us in areas other than those for which they are famous. Be aware that there are no perfect human beings and be sure that you know exactly what it is that you admire in a particular person so that you will not be disillusioned if that person falls in some area.
A Self-Actualized person according to Maslow is one who possess an unusual ability to detect the spurious, the fake, the dishonest in personality and in general to judge people correctly (and efficiently).
Let me share with you some common traits of people who have reached Self-Actualization:
- They embrace reality and facts rather than denying the truth.
- They are spontaneous.
- They are interested in solving problems.
- They are accepting of themselves and others and lack prejudice.
Research has also shown that the eagle, a large diurnal bird which hunts by day, has been regarded historically as a symbol of power and great strength since ancient times. The chief self-actualization goals of the eagle are survival and propagation of the species. Our prosperity as a nation depends to a large extent in the successful functioning of young people. In order to succeed you should have, or acquire the characteristics of the eagle, and avoid the influences of persons who do not nourish your development. How does the eagle achieve? It achieves through the following characteristics:
(a)Determination (b) Perseverance (c) Patience (d) Grasping for opportunities.
Let’s have a look at these characteristics:
Determination – is firmness of purpose; of deciding, determining or calculating with this characteristic, the eagle soars to reach the highest cliff or perch; and from this high point, with keen vision, it selects its prey and pursues it relentlessly until it is caught. He then returns home with its prize to feed the young.
Perseverance – means the steadfast pursuit of an objective. If you observe the eagle you will notice that it never gives up pursuit of its selected victim until it takes home the prize.
Patience – means (1) calm endurance of hardship, provocation, pain, delay (2) the capacity for calm self – possessed waiting. The eagle exhibits this characteristic during the long, sitting out period which leads to the ultimate goal of hatching of the young which will propagate the species.
Grasping for Opportunities. The eagle, though patient, responds swiftly when opportunities arise, or in the face of danger. When on the hunt, the eagle never misses the warm air currents which help it soar high above the ground to heights reached by few others.
GRADUANDS, if you become like the eagle, you will soar to greatness and command the respect of your peers. You will be admired by most: but remember, you will be envied by some.
If you decide to study in pursuit of higher education – Determination to acquire knowledge will help you to be successful in reaching your true potential – your self-actualization. Perseverance will help you to overcome difficulties and disappointment. Note well, that difficulties and disappointments are hurdles along the path to success. If the hurdle is too high, find a way around it (that is, within the limits of the law). Patience will help you to avoid the hurry habit which only leads to confusion, frustration, and Big Headaches.
If you decide to seek employment Determination and Perseverance will help you to complete the tasks which are set, and will earn you respect from your peers and bosses. In the end you will receive that promotion you deserve. Patience will help you to endure life’s trials such as anger, the interpersonal conflicts and unexpected emotional traumatic events e.g. betrayal of friends.
By Grasping the Opportunities with patience, determination and perseverance, you will be considered an asset to any organization and receive your deserved reward.
Enterprise is a risk which has been long recognized as “a way to make it”. However, it has many casualties. Those that survive are managed by people who have the characteristics of the eagle. Remember, determination, perseverance, patience and grasping for opportunities with help but beware of get rich quick schemes, or you may end up poor or incarcerated.
The willingness to learn is a valuable virtue, and one that needs to be inculcated. If you want to advance in life, you cannot afford to sit back. The world today is one of rapid and accelerating change. It is an age of new discoveries and knowledge, new themes and methods, new problems and solutions. Those who will succeed in achieving their full self-actualization will be those who recognize that success comes from keeping abreast with advances in technology, seeking out new experiences and analysing them. DO NOT be like the unsuccessful hunter who did not aim at any particular part of the game he hunted, but at it generally. The eagle watches, and locates the most vulnerable position of its prey and attacks. You Must learn to choose quickly and accurately when the opportunity arises.
Your future is strictly up to you. Your opportunities will be limited only by your vision of what your future may become, your abilities and how you use them, your character and your determination. In a rapidly changing world, every opportunity for further knowledge and improved skills, whether through the formal setting or through your initiative, must be grasped and used in full, but also, you must take advantage of those learning or training opportunities which you will be able to apply to your own career development.
It is therefore essential to have a Plan. Without it, you will go nowhere. The eagle knows its victims and plans strategies on how to capture them. It also has contingency plans if the original plans do not work. It watches and waits and when the opportunity arises, it acts swiftly. You Must Therefore develop a plan, and Make it work.
In summary graduands, you have entered a new phase in your life. The shelter is about to be removed. Whatever your chosen goal, pursue it with determination and perseverance. Be patient, but grasp the opportunities as they arise. Be confident. Apply these characteristics to your life and you will, I can assure you, achieve self-actualization. You will soar to heights achieved by few others.
This evening, I want to challenge all of you to acknowledge that your life is still unfolding, to see yourself at a junction and today as the start of a new phase of your journey. I want to challenge you to develop a positive self-image as part of your conditioning for that next phase.
In a speech delivered at a political rally on May 13th, 1986, National Hero, the late Errol Walton Barrow said and I quote, “What kind of mirror image do you have of yourself? Do you really like yourself? Because you can never really like anybody unless you like yourself. There are too many people in Barbados who despise themselves and their dislike of themselves reflects itself in their dislike of other people, people who live next door to them, members of their family, husbands, wives, and the stranger within the gates.”
This was a challenge to his audience to find a worthy ambition, to improve themselves to stand on their own feet and to realize their full potential, their actualization.
Dr. Robert Schuller, the author of the book entitled “Self Love” puts it another way. He says that realizing your goals and dreams begins with self esteem. Building self confidence and self worth and learning to love yourself is the secret of happiness in life, in love, in everything you do. With a sense of self-worth you will realize your self actualization.
With a sense of self worth you will be :
- Poised instead of tense
- Confident instead of confused
- Bold instead of timid
- Enthusiastic instead of bored
- Successful instead of failing
- Energetic instead of fatigued
- Agreeable instead of cantankerous
- Positive instead of negative
- Self-forgiving instead of condemning
- Self respecting instead of self disgusting
Dr Shuller believes that what man wants more than anything else in the world is the awareness that he is a worthy person. When we seek power, status, pleasure, love or the meaning of existence it is really a mask. We are really seeking to know and appreciate ourselves. He believes that to build strong self love you must:
- Get rid of fear of failure
- Discover that unique person call “You”
- Commit yourself to a great cause
- Believe in success
- Strive for excellence
- Build self-love in others
What is this self-love? It is not arrogance, it is not self-glorification. It is being true to your highest ideals, it is discovering the greatness deep within you?
So in conclusion, I thank you for allowing me to share in your special day. I wish you a successful journey through life, one of discovery, friendship, achievement and happiness. I urge you to take care of your emotional, mental, spiritual and physical health. I share with you my belief that your success will be assured if you have a positive self-image, a sense of your own self worth and faith in God. That someday you will reflect on your life and will be proud not only of the results of your efforts but of the work well done which enabled you to reach self-actualization.
I now leave with you some words from the Deserata, a beautiful writing by an unknown author found in a church over 300 years ago and still as true today as it was then – “Keep interested in your own career, however humble, it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery, but let this not blind you to what virtue there is.”
Thank you all.