What is your Regional Advantage?
There are gifts that are popular among people from certain areas and as you decide your career you should check which ones are popular among your people. This will give you the free advantage of an established reputation in that people will accept your career more readily when they hear you’re from a region that’s popular with it.
That’s not a small thing because without it you’ll struggle to get public endorsement, which is critical in the success of any venture.
An Athlete who hails from Eldoret, for instance, will sell faster as opposed to one who come from the coast. Of course an athlete can come from anywhere but if your region has previously struck the market with that gift that’s an existing advantage you can ride on. The athele from Coast will need to produce solid proof before they can be belived.
If you say you’re a business person from Central Kenya it’s almost expected, but if you say you’re from Kitui people will need proof before they can believe you.
Regional advantages do not guarantee success for everyone from that area but they exist like a raised ground on which you can stand and do better than you would if you were elsewhere.
Regional advantages do not confine you to a path, but they provide an option for you to consider among other factors in your personal path.
Remember in life we’re trying to win and that’s why you must study your natura advantages and see which ones you can step on at various junctures of your career.
Where did Regional Advantages come from? It’s partly about the cultural history of the people combined with natural resources there, and partly the benevolence of the Creator. Just like he allocated resources to different geographical locations of the earth, like Oil in Middle East, Rain Forest along the Equatorial Countries, Farm Crops in the Plains, he also allocated gifts and graces among different groups of people.
Some examples from Kenya to help you locate your advantages.
The Lake Region and Western Kenya in general has a very clear cut gifts in Intellect and Artisan Skills, and sports. They’re the most polished in English and diction, which opens doors in academia and journalism. They have the highest number of graduates in highly intellectual careers like medicine, law and PhD’s in general.
So the interview pannel that’s hiring a lecturer for a college, for instance, will almost expect more names like Professor Otieno and Dr. Akinyi, regardless of where that college is located in Kenya.
Central Kenya has the gift of trade and shrewdness. Those who don’t understand it call it love of money and conmanship and those who abuse the gift may have those tendencies. But as a region they have a keen business acumen and ‘an understanding of the times.’
Shrewdness is a form of wisdom of life that’s different from intellectualism in that it’s not scientific or academic by origin. It’s practical prudence in matters of life, what some would people call street smart. But it’s larger than street smart. It’s posessing an eye or intuition for seasons, to know what social trend is coming, and being able to predict the future with precision and take advantage of it. This is what translates to leadership.
The Indian people possess the business gift as well, in addition to an uncanny skill in human medicine.
The prevalent gift from the Coast is hospitality and aesthetics. Carrers in hotel, tourism and spices will thrive there.
The Kalenjin region is good in athletics and the uniformed careers.
The Kamba region, on the other hand, has the most unique gifts of all, but which are not well understood, perhaps because they don’t look very ‘market oriented.’ Spirituality, which was meant to provide insight and direction to society but which many have abused by turning to occultism. Character and honesty which makes them to win trust in all industries.
Beauty, which makes their ladies beautiful and marriageable across board.
If you’re from Kisii consider and find your pride in agriculture and especially cash crop farming.
Every region has an advantage, and that’s true both in life and in military.
If you cannot see advantage you just need a trained eye to help you.
Always find a mentor from the region where that skill you want is natural. Athletes are always training in Iten, Rift Valley, both for geographical advantage and to find inspiration. Any business mogul will have been influenced by some Indian or Kikuyu mentor.
Again, you don’t win at life by effort only. If you rely on effort your life will be hard. Learn your advantages and utilise those which you can.
(©️ Benjamin Zulu Global)
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