By education I am not talking about traditional academic intelligence we are taught in high school and most tertiary institutions. The most powerful self-education is an abstract movement away from the traditional. A simple example recently was when looking at places to put my savings, admittedly I do not have tens of thousands but it is enough for the interest to be of some value. My first step was to learn the language of the banks, learn the difference between a ‘term deposit’ and a ‘savings account’ and as the banks currently have ‘Introductory Bonus’ learn what that means and how I can best take advantage of it.

When I was in primary school our class had the Commonwealth Bank come along each fortnight and we would put $2 away each and every fortnight.  This is a brilliant practice to help develop the habit of saving, but I soon discovered that a ‘Commonwealth Dollarmite’ account paid little to no interest. So in search of a better interest rate for my savings I found that I could get an extra couple of hundred dollars each year if I moved my money into a different account with another banking institution. What’s important is had I chose to simply follow the advice from others to stay with that bank I would have missed out a few hundred dollars, all for about 30mins of searching on the internet.

Now we can take this principal beyond the simple examples and apply it towards our professional intelligence. A study done by Stanford University examined the understanding and extent of vocabulary in relation to the level of position within a business organisation and found that without fail every single increase in organisational standing, on average, was equated to an increased control of vocabulary. In other words, as a person increases their control of vocabulary they increase their position, be that from the cleaner all the way up to the CEO.

The study then concluded that by increasing their vocabulary workers would be able to advance their careers at an exponential rate surpassing their superiors who did not have as strong an understanding of the English language. This also means that should you be writing a report or essay the more range in your vocabulary the higher the response will be from teachers or superiors.

We can apply the lessons of the study in our lives by learning the vocabulary of an area you are working on in your life. If you are still at school or some form of tertiary studies I challenge you to learn 5 new words exclusive used within that subject or industry you are trying to crack into. Then next week learn another 5, and then another 5, and watch as your understanding of that subject matter grows exponentially. It’s then a matter of application of your new found knowledge that will propel you to heights of achievement you maybe thought weren’t possible.

Scott is a graduate of the Empower U program and part of our volunteer support team, “The Assist Team”. He, along with other of the top graduates of the program will be “Assisting” at this weekend’s Empower U program in Sydney.

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Thanks for taking the time to find out about Tomorrows Youth International and the programs we run for young people.

Since 2001, we developed and have been running personal development and empowerment seminars and support programs specifically designed for young people.

The one thing that’s been blindingly obvious throughout our years of working with youth is that ALL young people have the potential to achieve great things in their lives. Sometimes they just need a bit of support, direction and a new kind of education that they can’t get at school and that’s why the role as a parent is so important.

We all know that there are very important life-skills significant for success throughout our lives. Skills in the areas such as communication, goal setting, money management, relationships and family, career success and personal confidence and motivation. Our schools systems try their best to equip young people for their futures, however these ‘soft skills’ are more often than not self-taught over time when necessity of their use requires them.

Here at Tomorrows Youth and our leading program, the 2½ day Empower U Program, we are passionate about really giving young people ‘the edge’ in life, and equip them with the tools and skills necessary to achieve their dreams and goals, together with the belief and motivation to take action. At the Empower U program, we have reformatted and repackaged these important life-skills and success principles specifically for young people, in a highly supportive and environment. For young people also, we have significantly ensured a high level of process and activity based learning to ensure greater understand and memory retention.

Whether it‘s more motivation, improved attitude, better exam marks, a savings plan, landing a great job, or just a more open family relationship you will see results fast.

So for more information and details about our next upcoming programs just enter your name and email in the contact form above.

Thanks again for taking the time and look forward to hearing from you soon!

Brent.