The certain way to over come limitation.

 "The line of limitation is usually drawn in sand. If we so choose we can erase it and draw our own line. Consistent skill acquisition and continuous practice at our chosen profession can only make us better. That is the certain way to over come limitation." 

Limitations! We all have them. And in our journey to advancement and improvement we all must seek ways and means to over come our limitations.  The dictionary defines limitation in a variety of ways:      A  limiting condition; restrictive weakness; lack of capacity; inability or handicap: something that limits; a limit or bound; restriction; the act of limiting.

Human capacity can either be endured or improved. Most human beings endure their limitations and live their lives with a rather limited and restricted capacity.  Its much like driving down a highway in a environment where speed limits are lax and restricting ourselves to the slow lane when all we have to do is to make up our minds to switch lanes and move a little faster. The main human tool that both limits and facilitates our unlimited development is the human mind which is housed by the thinking department of the brain. We have often heard the expression that captures the little parts of our brain that we use: The 10 percent of the brain myth is a widely perpetuated urban legend that most or all humans only use 10 percent (or some other small percentage) of their brains. It has been misattributed to many people. The truth is,we definitely use more than 10 percent of our brains.  

 If we seek to overcome our limitations we can do it by using various approaches. First we need to harness our skills and build them to the level that enables us to operate at the optimum. No matter what our age is, or how much we have learnt already, there is always room for improvement. Our brain is such that it  can contain volumes of information and know how if only it is taken through the processes enough and given room to harness the details. A research in 2011 shows that London Taxi drivers have a very large capacity to memorize places in the city and locate the destination of fares through a series of thought processes. Scientific America also confirms the same for taxi drivers in Manhattan,New York. 

Generally, there are two kinds of limitations: those others set for us and those that we set for ourselves! When we begin to use the phrases and expressions: “I cant; its not possible; this is the best we can do” Then we start the self limitation process with our use of language. Its better to be more positive and say the opposite things, so that we can start the road to progress. Society is so dynamic today that we have no excuse to be limited. Honing our skills is the best way to reduce our professional limitations. Books are available on all topics and professions; media of numerous kinds seek to teach us what can be done to get us from one point to another. Tapes, CDs, movies, and audio sequences can have a viable impact on our skills if we let them.

My own experience teaches that the will to overcome personal limitations can help us improve in certain aspects of our life. Working as a journalist for a major newspaper, I was limited by my inability to use the computer to  write my stories. It was the early 1990s and businesses were incorporating the computer into every day activity. I was determined to master the use of a computer and it all begun by attending a crash course in desk top publishing where I was taught the basics of computer use.

The course only initiated me to the world of computers as I quickly found out that the best way to learn would be to practice. So every Sunday, after service, I would sit a computer in the office and practice typing my stories on the computers. The process was slow and agonizing and I realized that the secret of touch typing was to master the key board. The process opened my eyes to the fact that every sequence that the human being wants to learn and eventually master, requires an understanding of the processes. I slowly mastered the keyboard and rhythmic typing processes and became a master of the keyboard in a couple of months. From desk top publishing, I took a crash course in cinematography and learnt to use the video camera. I was shooting and editing online and eventually ended up co producing a programme for television. I had previously had a short term course in journalism, which had programmes in broadcasting, but I never had the opportunity to learn how to handle a camera. Learning how to frame shots and pan without jerking or shaking took some time, but through commitment and determination I was able to pick up the skill. During my broadcast days voice overs and scripting came naturally. I  later begun to script for radio when an opportunity opened to run a public enlightenment programme about the Human Immuno Deficiency Virus(HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome(AIDS). I am still learning new skills and hope to be able to start an academy soon.

The other source of limitation is the systems around us which seek to discriminate against people who do not follow laid down procedures for self development. If a profession emphasizes the skill over the qualification then it should give access to people who have the ability to do the job rather than people who have testimonials in the shape of certificates that bear witness to their abilities. Certificates are important, but human resource managers have discovered in this century that not everyone that has a certificate can actually do a job. Should any human being be restricted in his bid to be better? Should systems, society or people cast a shadow of discouragement on our progress just because there is a disagreement over our methods? The line of limitation is usually drawn in sand. If we so choose we can erase it and draw our own line. Consistent skill acquisition and continuous practice at our chosen profession can only make us better. If on the other hand you have the ability to hire talent to help your performance, this is viable option. The secret is try hard to hire the best! Do not settle for less. Some business people think hiring cheap talent is the  best option because the best in the market often costs more. But in the final analysis, you find that paying more for the best talent will save you much more money on the long run when the lesser talent begins to commit blunders that costs us money. We need to avoid prejudice and stereotyping when we are hiring. That is the certain way to over come limitation.