Biodun Da-Silva: Valuable Qualities to Embrace as You Grow Older

“I was a buffoon and an idiot until the age of 40” – Madonna

I have heard that life begins at 40 and a fool at 40 is a fool forever. It is safe to say that as individuals, we are expected to have amassed some basic life skills, experiences and also attained some degree of accomplishments needed for an enjoyable life before a certain age. But that is not how life works.

I have met a lot of people from diverse races, social and cultural backgrounds in my journey and line of work. You’d think age comes with maturity and common sense, it doesn’t. While some have a very high emotional and intelligence quotient to act their age, I’ve met grown adults with the reasoning capacity of a teenager. This goes to show that age is nothing but a number. It’s our ability to explore life, learn at every turn, and accumulate experiences that add value to our age.

For many people, their age is the yardstick by which they measure their success. While age is very vital, we should realise that challenges are part of life and being older does not exempt you from getting your fair share. However, you will need some basic life skill sets to either avoid them or handle them with more diplomacy.

Time doesn’t wait for anyone. That is why it is crucial to learn and utilize every moment of our life. If I have learned anything in the course of my journey on earth, it is that there are essential skillset we must possess to navigate life more successfully.

Here are 5 qualities we must develop and demonstrate if you want to be successful:

Continuous education

The power of knowledge cannot be overstated, but knowledge without application is useless. You must keep learning at every turn and also apply what you learned to enhance your life and the lives of those around you. You should also be a catalyst for change in the society you find yourself.

Empathy

What is life without empathy? Empathy is the ability to put yourself in other people’s shoes. When you are empathetic to the situation of other people, you view life from their perspective. As an entrepreneur, you have to be empathetic to detect a need in an industry and provide solutions to fill those needs. Empathy is an important component for leadership and it is needed to effect positive change in our society.

Excellent intra-personal skill

This essentially means having a good relationship with yourself. In today’s life, intra-personal skill is extremely important due to external influences we are exposed to on a daily basis. These skills serve as an inner compass that’ll help us manage our behaviors and emotions and aid our interpersonal relationships.

You cannot have a good relationship with others without having a solid one with yourself. Lack of intra-personal skills makes you susceptible to seeking validation from others. You must practice self-love, be comfortable in your own skin, listen more to your instincts, own your space, and be confident in your abilities. Intra-personal skills must be cultivated and utilized every point in our life.

Service to humanity

We were created to serve and every one of us is serving in one way or the other. Service to mankind will give you a sense of fulfillment and fulfillment is an important ingredient for living an enjoyable life. Join a cause that is bigger than you, that addresses the needs of mankind, and you will be better for it.

Patience

There will be times when our patience will be tested by people in our immediate family and those who do not know the first thing about us. The easiest way to avoid criticism is to do nothing and say nothing and be nothing (life without purpose). Patience is required in our dealings with people, it is, therefore, necessary to develop it.

These, and many more skills, are needed to truly thrive as you grow. When you arm yourself with the necessary skills, not only will you have an inner peace that will naturally radiate to other areas of your life, you will be filled with so much wisdom and maturity.

However, these skills may not come naturally to some people. The good news is that we all possess what it takes to learn and apply them.

***

Photo by Bestbe Models from Pexels