“The tragedy of life is not death, but what we let die inside of us while we live”

–Norman Cousins

Eternal Intention

By now, we know that everybody born of a woman was intended to be ‘irreplaceable’. It is  not however, our ‘different-ness’ that make us all candidates of being irreplaceable. It is the uniqueness of our different callings (from the standpoint of the Creator), that makes us all poised to be irreplaceable.

The question we need to ask ourselves is this:

Who is it that determines if we are irreplaceable or not?

Is it ourselves?

Is it our friends and loved ones?

Is it our ‘bosses’?

Is it the people we have served in life?

Or is it the one who set us off an assignment from before the foundations of the world?

“His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’”

–Jesus Christ

(Matthew 25:21)

My answer is simple. When you are on purpose, when you are doing what you were intended to do, you will know that you are being irreplaceable. Your Creator also will not only know, but will also let you know that He knows that you are doing what He intended you to do in order to be irreplaceable as originally purposed.

How To Be Irreplaceable: 3. Study Your Difference

So, if you are asking yourself, “How Can I Be Irreplaceable”? Here are some thoughts:

1. Know What Irreplaceable Means

2. Study and Keep Refining Your Difference:

In academia, it is called Mastering, or Specialization. The more you keep going up in the academic ladder, the more you keep narrowing down to a field of practice, further study and specialization. Now, everybody has their own unique make-up.

What is Your Difference?

The best selling Author of “The Purpose Driven Life”, Rick Warren talks of Spirit, Heart, Attitude, Personality and Experiences in an acrostic “S.H.A.P.E”, to define the uniqueness of each individual. For example, I am good with words, both written and spoken. This strength came naturally. Not everybody has this particular strength, and for those whom we share with, we differ at some level in niches. The next post will explain more.

If there is anything that I need to study it is my SHAPE.

Why Study Me?

Because I am packaged already with some fundamental strong points. Unfortunately, most people focus on studying and trying to strengthen their weaknesses. Note please that nobody is perfect for the very reason that everyone is unique!

Jay Niblic says that a weakness is not inherent, but is created by us trying to succeed by solely depending on our non talents!

So instead of studying your ‘weaknesses’ for the sole purpose of strengthening them, we need to study and put our latent strengths in practice. This is because the Divine intended for us to dominate our mandates by depending on what He packaged us with in our strengths.

Skillets Nurturing

After identifying what I am good at (and knowing what I am bad at), the mandate now becomes on a relentless focus to develop my skills with my strengths. If I love speaking and I am naturally gifted in that area, more than 70% of my personal development ought to be on Speaking

[pullquote]

“If I love speaking and I am naturally gifted in that area, more than 70% of my personal development ought to be on Speaking!”.

Life Signatures

[/pullquote]

(Now the subject of which I will be passionate about in speaking further creates another difference.The method with which I speak will also create another difference. That is why there is a difference between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X on the same subject).

Focus is your friend here. It is time to tabulate and plan all your activities to be geared to towards a daily growth of your difference. You see, God honors and operates through growth.

God does not cherish miracles where growth could suffice! Via @Namale

Click To Tweet

Where Do I Study My Difference?

1. In Action: The best way to study your difference is not in books but in action. If you are inclined to praying, go pray. If you love kicking football, enroll in a club and hone yours skills. If writing is your strong point, by all means do some writing consistently.
2. In Research: As you keep turning your gift, do not be ignorant of what is happening in your niche. Read the top thought leaders in your niche, at least three of them, and summarize what they say. Keep reading and researching as much as you can in your niche.
3. In Masterminds: Get men (or women) of like passions. Challenge one another and hold each other accountable. You can learn a great deal from such a group that has the highest regard for growth in your area of difference or passion.
4. In Service: Your difference will be strengthened in service. If you are a speaker, get a list of people who can benefit from your skills, go serve them with excellence.

The study of your difference ought to take the following route:

• With Giftedness, we start with “Incompetence”,
• Then to “Competence”
• Then to “Excellence”
• Then to “Unique ability”
• Then to “Giftedness/Genius”

It’s a journey you see. But it is a journey of #Focus.

More on “How to be Irreplaceable” in the next post.

Question: What is your Difference?