WHO AM I?
WHERE AM I?
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS LIFE?
THESE ETERNAL HUMAN QUESTIONS
CAN BE ANSWERED AT PVAF BY YOU....
18 puraaANo texts are part of the
sNskRUt language texts which contain
simplistic explanations of all the sciences of creation and life that are needed
to understand anything and everything that exists in this creation.....These
SCIENCES OF CREATION AND LIFE are called
veD in
sNskRUt language.....
As per veD when a creation cycle
of 4.32 billion years starts, creator bRH`m
manifests bRH`m-self in the form of
bRHmaa-Daev to create everything that
then will exists in the creation in that creation cycle. When
bRH'm-Dave is born he asks this very
simple questions:
- WHO AM I?
- WHAT AM I SUPPOSE TO DO?
And bRH'm-Dave is
given the knowledge of both these questions by
creator bRH'm because he asked that question......
In this time era we live in called kli-yug
we humans have forgotten to ask these questions and in particular ask such
questions of fundamental knowledge to our creator......and that is why most of
the current humankind on this planet earth usually feels lost in life by not
getting the answers to these two questions....and then most of us keep on
traveling in this life time blindly and suffer the pains, pain and pain of the
blind travel...
YOU can avoid this blind life travel with
answers to the above by joining the group of people who have got the answers to
these questions by studying veD at
PVAF.....If you wish to find the
TRUE answers from
YOUR creator bRH`m
then veD knowledge is the only source
for YOU...
A very minute amount of this infinite veD
knowledge is continually being shared on this
PVAF web site from its original source....if
you wish more information on this visit the various pages on this PVAF web site
and also write an email to
PVAF veD STUDY
GROUP.........
Jim Hayhurst Sr. says:
"It's such a basic question but if you can answer it with clarity
and relevance, you'll have a big advantage over other job applicants -- and be
able to make major decisions with confidence and success."
To read about the importance of practical information of knowing
WHO ARE YOU? please click on the web site
Canadian
Globe and Mail's
article by JIM HAYHURST SR who
is a career counsellor, inspirational speaker and author of the
recently released Where Have I Gone Right?
The Right Mountain Guide to Getting
the Job and Life You Want (John Wiley & Sons)....or click on the
next line to read the article on this PVAF web site.....
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Who are you?
By JIM HAYHURST SR.
Canadian
Globe and Mail: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 -
Page C1
I'll admit it. As far as career counsellors go, I'm a one-trick pony. For almost
20 years, I've started virtually every new client meeting with one question:
"Who are you?"
It doesn't matter why they're coming to see me. Recently fired executives.
College grads with fresh faces and even fresher diplomas. Mothers returning to
the work force after raising families. Lawyers, accountants and consultants
wanting more out of life than just billable hours.
The first question I ask is always the same: "Who are you?"
Almost without exception, their answers fall into two categories: job
descriptions or a list of generic adjectives that could be applied to virtually
anyone in those jobs.
When I point this out to them, they try again. And again. And again. But when I
ask them how they feel about their answers, the response is always the same:
That wasn't very good, was it?
And it doesn't matter that you now know "the question." If you come to see me,
I'll still ask it. Because chances are you've heard it before in job interviews
when the interviewer says, "So, tell me about yourself. . . . Who are you?"
In those interviews, in spite of your prior knowledge that the question was
going to come up, you probably didn't answer in a way that was special to you.
You used a bunch of generic phrases. Creative . . . bottom-line oriented . . . a
people person . . . a team player . . . honest . . . hard-working.
Any of these were likely to have been used by the person who was interviewed
just before you in that very same office. Or in offices all around the world
that day for entirely different jobs.
This not only fails to help you stand out in the hundreds of interviews that
today's hirers have to endure; it doesn't help them understand why you in
particular would be right for the job.
"Who am I?" is the most important question to ask yourself before someone else
asks you.
If you can answer this question with clarity, relevance and in a memorable way,
you will not only have a significant advantage over other applicants for jobs,
you will be able to make virtually any major decision -- career, relationships,
lifestyle -- with confidence. And you will be more successful.
Satisfaction,
motivation, success
When I sold my advertising agency 15 years ago, I wondered what I would do next.
I wanted whatever it was to be a success.
But who was I now? No longer could I answer that question with ad executive,
business owner or chairman. My titles and job descriptors were gone. So how
could I figure out what I was going to do if I didn't know who I was? And how
could I be successful at something if I didn't know what that something was?
I sought counsel from others who were successful. I talked to business people,
surgeons, firefighters, teachers, marina operators, ranchers and farmers who
felt good about what they were doing.
After interviewing more than 100 men and women, I found a pattern. They were
successful because they were motivated. They were motivated because they felt
satisfied.
Simple enough. And though I wasn't the first one to discover the link between
motivation, satisfaction and success, I knew that there was something important
here in my search for my next career.
So I talked to hirers. What were they looking for? As it turns out, their need
was fairly simple. They wanted potential employees to make the hiring decision
easy by telling them three things: Who they were (beyond the generic phrases);
what they had accomplished (proof of who they were); and how these were relevant
to the job being discussed.
Not surprisingly, the hirers said very few applicants could do this effectively.
Why? Because they couldn't answer the big question: "Who am I?" And to answer
that one, they needed to ask another.
Where have I gone right?
When bad things happen in our lives -- losing a job, breaking up with a mate or
even simply feeling unfulfilled -- it is human nature to ask, "Where have I gone
wrong?" We seem to think that by looking back at things we didn't do right,
we'll be able to avoid those same mistakes in the future and be more successful,
happier or productive.
The fact is, "Where have I gone wrong?" is exactly the wrong question. It leads
to brooding and negativity. It drains your energy and takes you 180 degrees in
the opposite direction from where you want -- and need -- to go.
The better question -- the question that opens doors and possibilities and gives
you renewed hope for positive change in your life -- is "Where have I gone
right?"
Why? Because asking yourself "Where have I gone right?" will lead you to a more
honest, complete and useful answer to our first question, "Who am I?"
And as I said, when you know who you are, you can lay that down on top of
decisions and options to find the best fit.
Accomplishments
against common sense
So where have you gone right? Think about a time, place or event in which you
felt really good about something you did. Think about an accomplishment. It
doesn't have to be huge. It doesn't have to be public.
Think about those little moments where you said to yourself, 'Well done.'
You made a gourmet meal for friends. You taught a child to tie his or her shoes.
You got a great shine on a car. You scored a personal best in Scrabble. You
found the perfect outfit at a terrific price.
To you, these may not seem like accomplishments. They may seem like common
sense, but I don't believe there is any such thing.
When my neighbour's lawnmower breaks, he takes it apart and logically eliminates
potential problems -- no gas, dead sparkplug, blocked carburetor -- until he
finds the solution.
To him, it's just common sense. To me, common sense would be to take it to a
lawnmower shop. Or get a new lawnmower.
So don't get fooled into thinking that what comes naturally to you isn't an
accomplishment. In most cases, if it made you feel satisfied, it probably was
special -- and should be noted.
Skill, interests and values
"Who am I?" is simply the summary of your skills, interests and values. So when
you have identified a series of accomplishments, break them apart and find the
common links. What skills did you use? What interest areas did these
accomplishments involve? What values did they demonstrate or reinforce?
With time, some prodding by others and a process that keeps you on track, you
can eventually create a short list of core skills, core interests and core
values, the key conditions to your satisfaction, motivation and success in the
past --- and the future.
Personal reference point
and allegory
By looking back at accomplishments, you can also discover what I call a
"personal reference point" -- that one accomplishment from your past that
demonstrates who you are in a memorable way.
Mine is called "Teaching Bobby How To Swim." It's the story of how the skills,
interests and values I used in helping a child overcome his fear of water about
40 years ago aligns me perfectly for jobs, careers and life choices in which I
can use communication skills, show enthusiasm, work with people and make a
difference. (Do you see why career counselling might fit?)
Some people (though less than 40 per cent in our experience) can also create a
"personal allegory" which acts as a dramatic metaphor for who they are. By
painting a picture of who I am -- through an allegorical representation of my
skills, interests and values -- I can again see if there is a match with the
choices I am making in life.
In my case, I am a "Wagonmaster" (independent, helps others along). Some of our
clients' allegories include "Navigator" (stands behind the captain, gathers
information) and "Decoder" (sees patterns in people to help predict future
behaviour).
Use either your "personal reference point" or "personal allegory" in an
interview to answer the "Who are you?" question and guess what?
Not only have you made the hirer's decision easier by declaring and
demonstrating who you are, he or she is going to remember you long after the
other applicants who simply rehashed a bunch of adjectives and job titles.
About more than getting a job
There are thousands of websites and books to help write better résumés. You know
dozens of people who will help you network with the right people in the right
industry for the right job. And there are scores of organizations that can coach
you on interviewing techniques. These are important components to any job
search.
However, in the end, the challenge will always remain the same: When you hand
over your résumé, meet those networking contacts, sit down for the interview --
or, heaven help you, when you come to my office -- how will you answer that very
first question?
Because this is about more than getting a job. It's about getting a life you can
live with. And it all starts with knowing who you are.
Jim Hayhurst Sr. is a career counsellor, inspirational speaker and author of the
recently released Where Have I Gone Right? The Right Mountain Guide to Getting
the Job and Life You Want (John Wiley & Sons).
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