PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE

This piece is one of the oldest I wrote two years ago, but for the sake of this series, it has been dusted and beefed up to help us make our lives count.

Thank you for following the series this far, we have two more to go. Please stay a little longer with me.

2017 was a decisive year for me, it was the year I finished my National Youth Service and took some life-shaping decisions afterward such as starting this blog which took me almost three months to finally give it a shot. Why? Because I was not sure I could do it, I was not certain I was ready to put myself out there to public scrutiny and the criticism (Good or Bad) that would follow from many people that will read my kind of writing. So far so good, four years down the line, here I am, putting myself out there.

What does it mean to put yourself out there? It is not just about going out on dates, hanging out with friends, being at social gatherings or events, or even being an extrovert. As good and commendable as those things are, you can do all of those and their likes but still you have not completely put yourself out there. To “Put Yourself Out” according to the Cambridge University Dictionary is “to make an effort to do something to help someone, even if it is not convenient". Therefore, to put yourself out there is hard work but needful because there is so much magic happening outside of your comfort zone. 

You are created for a reason that defies seasons and to fulfill this reason you have to live, to live you have to reach out, and reaching out means putting yourself out there. The bane of many people, especially the youth is the fear of putting themselves out. No doubt, this could be the major reason that most people are still feeling at home in their shells. Yours may be the fear of failure, another maybe low self-esteem or even related to mine which was the fear of being under public scrutiny and criticism. As surely as these challenges exist, greater are the far-reaching benefits of putting yourself out there.

I am a believer in the reality that everyone is important and needful in life. As you are reading this piece, there is something inside of you that no one can offer this generation but you. To do that, you have to put yourself out there. You have to truly live regardless of all odds and not merely survive; you are not meant to journey this life without leaving a mark and touching at least a life.

Great men and women who ever lived and are still living, people that we admire and are learning from in all spheres of life, are all men who despite all odds have put themselves out, they are daily emptying themselves for a greater purpose and benefit of the society. One good thing about putting yourself out, you end up nurturing and empowering others.

How then can you put yourself out there practically? First thing first - be at peace with God and yourself. Let go of the pains and regret of the past, make the most of the present, and don’t put off living because of the fear and worry about tomorrow. Again, have a perfect blend of your self-image, self-value/worth, and self-esteem, these three make up your identity. Haven done these two, think big and start small, take the risk, endure the inconveniences it may cause you, and add value to another no matter how small.

It was Tim Lahaye in his book, Why You Act the Way You Do who said: “You can never go anywhere unless you stick your neck out. Nor will you ever help anyone else unless you risk the possibility of an emotional injury”. Aligning with what he said, know that in putting yourself out, there is a cost and a price to pay. However, paying the price is far more worthy and profitable than withdrawing into your cocoon. Let me add that you cannot put yourself out there sitting around in your comfort zone.

What is that thing that only you can serve this generation? Yes, it may be similar to that of another, but yours is always a custom-made recipe. Myles Munroe of the blessed memory loved to say that the cemetery is the wealthiest place on earth because most people died with their potential untapped, under maximized, and unused. I urge you, don’t add to the wealth of the cemetery, but to put yourself out there and live life to the fullest. You have only one life to live.

Let me wrap this piece with this as a takeaway. While putting yourself out, fear not failure, and fret not correction, for upon these two is worthy learning and growth built. Be triumphant in failure and be humble in making corrections. If you fall, never rise without studying every step that led you down, the knowledge and experience garnered will be your souvenir as you carry on with life.  

Put Yourself Out There – You’ve got nothing to lose. To make your life count, you MUST put yourself out there. Be at peace with God and with yourself, blend your self-image, self-worth, and self-esteem, and put yourself out there. Live life to the fullest. You Only Live Once – YOLO.

Thank you for reading

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