Stop telling yourself you’re not qualified, good enough or worthy. Growth happens when you start doing the things you’re not qualified to do.
Steven Bartlett – The Diary of a CEO.
Self-imposed limitations.
Something I had trouble overcoming in my life. It kept me from trying out new sports, new opportunities, and new experiences. I’m only now building up my ego and resilience. But where did this all start for me?
I think a good part of it was personality and a good portion from my surroundings. I do think that this could something that has plagued our Pasifika. A remnant of colonialism? The outcome of generations of distinct hierarchical societal and communal roles where you specialized in the family business instead of trying something new? Cultural norms that policed ambition because of its correlation to dark traits such as narcissism and machiavellianism? Combination of all this?
Whatever the case is, Pasifika has so much more potential than what we’ve already given to this world. We are more than warriors! We are voyagers, navigators, entrepreneurs. We are wise sages, scholars, academics. We are chiefs, leaders, executives. We are shipwrights, builders, engineers.
Fortunately there are signs that Pasifika is slowly becoming comfortable, as a people, to break through self-limitations. We have pasifika academics – a field that had once been used as an oppressive colonial tool – Dr. Damon Salesa, sisters Drs. Teresia and Katerina Teaiwa, Dr. Steven Ratuva, Dr. Linda Tuhiwai-Smith, and many others. We have STEM leaders in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. We have reps in the entertainment industry like Taiti Waititi, The Rock, Iam Tongi. We have sports icons turned societal leaders such as football greats Troy Polamalu and Jesse Sapolu and boxing legend David Tua. We have societal and well-being champions like Manawise founder Andrew Fa’avale and community worker David “Buttabean” Latele. These are just a few examples of great pasifika movement. There are doctors, scientists, teachers, police, military, politicians, and the everyday man, who are breaking barriers and leaping out of their comfort zones. We have mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, who are doing all that they can to support and guide their children and siblings to do better. We have elders who want the best for their young. We have our youth, who have the drive to do better for their families.
These are hopeful signs.
“Growth happens when you start doing the things you’re not qualified to do”.
Australia business Business Strategy Collaborations Communication Company Culture culture Entrepreneurial Entrepreneurship EQ feedback Fiji Fiji Rugby Union Future giving Goals growth growth mindset HR HR Tips indigenous knowledge Indigenous Psychology Innovation iop io psychology Leadership Melanesia Micronesia. Mindset NZ organizationalpsychology Pasifika Pasifika Organizations Pasifika psy PNG Polynesia Proactive HR Reflections Samoa Small Business Support Local Business Tonga Trainers Wisdom Work-Life Balance
Alfred Tora 
One thought on “Pasifika and Self-imposed Limitations.”