Unlock Your Potential Kurt Bush

UNLOCK YOUR POTENTIAL

Kurt Bush @kp_bush

We as humans have the ability to change, yet we absolutely resist trying to do so when the opportunity arises. We’re all guilty of a simple ‘can’t be bothered’ or ‘I don’t know what to do’, Kurt Bush writes.

I’m sitting in the sun, at a picnic table, eating lunch and reading an opinion news piece. I overhear a group of students discussing the exact same topic. I think about going over to them and giving my twocents... but that’s something immature me would have done.

I have always made jokes about doing the wrong degree, insisting I should have done psychology instead of communications. I love understanding how our minds work. Why is it that some people say, think and act a certain way? To this day, I still try to find answers.

Approaching this question from a place of genuine curiosity, I am able to learn about how the people around me might treat other people, or certain situations. Like a poker game, you tend to make stronger decisions when you can get a read on someone.

To develop as an individual, I believe we must understand who we are. Start with your interests, your goals, and who your closest friends are. Work out what motivates you and what brings you down. Development only occurs when you know what to improve. If you can admit that you have strengths and weaknesses, you are already recognising the harshest truth of all: you are not perfect.

They say honesty is the best policy. As much as optimism may provide a sense of hope, being realistic ensures you are on the right track, and makes it easy to right the ship when you veer off course. But balance is key: you have to be able to enjoy the life you’re living. It’s like riding a rollercoaster. You won’t have fun if you are too focused on not falling off!

Being open-minded is something that people might struggle with at times, especially if you are only focused on what is happening

in your world, or if you have a pessimistic outlook. Life is way too short to be close-minded. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it limits your potential. Do things out of your comfort zone, no matter what that is. Don’t live in fear!

One suggestion I have for this is to try challenging your thinking. Note the word ‘challenging’, as opposed to ‘changing’. Spend a few minutes listening to someone else share an idea that you disagree with. Engage with that point and have a rational discussion. Try, for example, discussing an issue with your family at the dinner table a simple “what are your thoughts on x?” can start an interesting discussion that wouldn’t have otherwise happened, had you not gone out of your way. That little bit of extra effort can open up conversational shoots and spurts, that everyone involved can grow from.

The best thing about the world we live in is that it is a creative world, open to exploring new ideas. Everyone wants not just themselves, but everyone else to succeed. Do this with good intentions, and you will go places. There is no formulaic way to run the race. You choose the course and develop by learning what you feel is important to you.

If there is one thing we may not realise, it is this: we are constantly developing and evolving with each day. There may have not been a major achievement, or any groundbreaking activity (maybe you stayed in bed watching Netflix all day), but even so, each day is different from the last. Even when #adulting is super hard, and you don’t even feel like you’re making progress in the world, the negatives teach you just as much as the positives. We will always experience something that makes us better people.

So what are you waiting for? Go out there and be prepared to develop as a human being. The world is your oyster. With a bit of self awareness and an open mind, you will be able to learn and understand anything!