LAST time we began looking at how we can make our lives to count. We saw the fact that we must discover exactly what we have that can be used to influence lives. Discovering what we have is just the starting point. Once we discover what we have we need to then place a proper value on it by discovering its potential. What is the use of having a goldmine that is not mined? We must discover what are the various ways and avenues where what we have can be used. To know what we have and not know its exact use and purpose is to sentence ourselves to mediocrity as far as the use of that thing is concerned.

A teaching gift is used to deal with the issue of ignorance. The ability to cook solves the hunger problem. The administrative gift solves the problem of lack of organization and planning. The doctor solves the problem of people who are sick. Sports is a tool that gives entertainment. Most things have multiple uses and we must find out what uses we are meant to utilize and what use we are proficient in.

To make our lives count we must not just know the purpose of what we have but who we are sent to with what we have. We are not sent to everybody. Not everybody will value what we have. We must know those we are sent to – the ignorant? the sick? the homeless? the farmer?, the politician? a neighborhood? a peculiar type of people? a particular gender or age group etc. When we discover those we are sent to then we can confidently offer what we have to them and they will gladly accept us and be blessed by our influence.

Having discovered those we are sent to we need to properly develop what we have to specifically meet their needs. We have to develop what we have to be useable and valuable. Everything we have will remain in potential form except we develop it through the art of processing.

Processing is an investment that involves time, effort and the utilization of other resources. Processing what we have to be of value will involve a number of things like research, product development, packaging, presentation, preservation etc. Whatever we offer must be top range and the best. Whatever we offer must be packaged well.

Human beings are programmed to make choices by appearance. They say do not judge a book by its cover but that is what we do. If a book has a great content and a mediocre cover many people will not give the great book a second look on the bookshelf talk less of reading it. If a book has a great cover it attracts you to it. The point is we must have great packaging and great content.

We must not spend all our resources and effort in developing what we have at the expense of not developing ourselves. We must not limit ourselves to working on what we have but we must also spend quality time and resources to work on ourselves. We must strive to become wise and competent.

We must work on ourselves till our competence becomes obvious. Our ability to use what we have successfully must be a known fact among those we are sent to. When we are competent it increases the scope of our influence. If we want to influence more lives we must increase our competence level. Competence or lack of it is an announcer. When we are competent the news of it goes around and that increases our scope of influence. If we are incompetent the bad news spreads. You can only sell a bad product once but the ripple effect is enormous. The good news of competence inspires trust, respect and continued patronage while the incompetence repels and destroys.       

For our lives to count we must know what we have and offer it to the right people. When we are competent in this we are bound to influence every life we touch.

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