Finding good teachers in life is like finding a needle in a haystack. Its difficult to find. Improbable but not impossible. In your life so far, you have had many teachers, even before you had a choice with some of them. Some included your parents, your grandparents, your pre-school and kindergarten teachers, your primary and high school teachers, aunties, uncles, neighbours and so on. I can confidently say that you would be hard-pressed to name more than one or two that were really good at teaching. Why don’t you try counting. Even parents can be very bad teachers. Try and give them an honest, objective assessment if you dare. This is one of the reasons why you should always assess and question why you do things the way you do as it could be based on a belief system that had been imprinted in your brain by the many incompetent teachers in your life so far, as they did not entertain other truths or did not know any better for whatever reason. They spoke in absolutes.

Change in belief system ==> change in attitude ( due to change in perception) ==> change in choices/actions ==> change in habits ==> change in character ==> change in your destiny and where your ship ends up in life.

I have had many teachers in many areas of life in my life so far and I can confidently say that in my undergraduate years at University, I qualify only one lecturer was a good. Incidentally, over 20 years on we are still friends and still communicate. Having a good teacher can save you time. Lots of time and it does not matter which area of life it is. It can save you money and it can certainly lower risks of failure and it could save your life. First, I think the student needs to be aware of where he wants to go and what he would like to achieve. There is a saying “the teacher arrives when the student is ready”. There is a truth to that, I think. The universe conspires to manifest its reality for you if you so desired.

This favourite teacher of mine used to have a habit of saying something that contained two words that meant the opposite of each other. For example, when explaining a concept he would utter – ‘now this law is simple but difficult’ or ‘what this individual did was bad but good simultaneously’. Years after I graduated, I caught up with him for a drink at a bar and I asked him why he spoke like that. His answer had a profound impact on me and my life since then. Here’s what he said.

There are no complete truths. No one can speak on any one topic in this world with 100% certainty that what he thinks or speaks is completely definitive. Everything is relative and we should not speak in absolutes. There is a duality, a ying and yang, like night is to day, to everything in life. Our challenge, he said is to find that balance, in our journey through life.

Become the best teacher you can be because the only history you have total control of is your history while you are alive, not your ancestors’ history. Yours! You have control of how you interpret the truth of your reality as you live your life, from ‘your own eyes’. Your perception is your reality.

I asked him, what is the one thing that could help me become a better teacher. He said, “Paul, become a better storyteller”. Write your history.

The world needs more storytellers. The world needs more dreamers. Storytelling harnesses imagination and imagination is the gate to most powerful thing you have: your subconscious mind. Some may call it: your spirit. Your soul.

You can be the same as everyone else but make a difference with your storytelling, your imagination. Become a better storyteller and write YOUR history, from your perception. Its your life, after all and it ain’t a dress rehearsal. If you don’t, someone else will write if for you, from their eyes, their perception.

Enjoy being the same but different. Appreciate your difference and make a difference to your world. Its ok to be a simple, but complex individual.

Imagination is potential power. Believe it so.

Start dreaming and … untap your potential today!

Until next time ….