Lesson 2: Abilities, interests and potential

You may believe more people would like you if you were prettier or thinner or stronger. But a smiling, friendly person will always have more friends than an unhappy, rude one, no matter what they look like. Learn to accept yourself and find things that make you happy.

Lesson 2 Abilities, interests and potential

2.1 Identify your own abilities, interests and potential

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Not everyone does everything equally well. It is important to know what you are good at and what makes you feel good about yourself. People tend to remember their mistakes and forget about the things they do well. You must be brave and start trying out new things, even if you don’t know whether you will succeed. This is the only way to find out in what you excel. You must become more aware of your own interests and abilities to develop and improve yourself and reach your full potential. You can figure out what these things are by identifying the things that make you happy and help you relax.

● What sports do you like and in which sports do you excel? ● What school subjects do you like and do well in? ● What other activities do you like?

Activity 7

1. Make a list of all your interests and abilities.

Many different types of beauty have been appreciated and celebrated through the ages people, for example very small feet, long necks, thick bottom lips, very fat bodies, very thin bodies, no hair or lots of hair. In some cultures being plump is even considered a sign of health and wealth. Perceptions about beauty and ideal body shapes change constantly and it is anybody’s guess what the definition of beauty will be in the future!

2. Draw columns with the following headings and write notes in each of them on what you think about yourself: ● My dreams. ● Things I do well. ● Things I have already done: school/sports/others. ● Things I like doing. ● Things I do not like doing. ● Things that are difficult to do.

2.2 Relationship between abilities, interests and potential

Your abilities and interests will determine your potential to do something. Your interests are all the things you like doing, such as playing sports. Your abilities are all the things in which you excel. You may like rugby and be good at it. How you use these two qualities in relation to each other will determine whether you will reach your full potential.

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If you are intensely interested in something, it normally means that you will also have the ability to do it. These two qualities go hand in hand. You may also learn some skills if you really like doing something at which you are not that good. In this way, you will rely on your interest to improve your ability to reach your full potential. You cannot do the one without the other. Therefore, if you are seriously interested in rugby and you are good at it, you will use these qualities to practise hard and grow your potential. And one day, you will be able to use your full potential to become Springbok!