Don’t get me wrong, it’s exposure which provides you the incentive to dream big, set goals and achieve something in life.

We run a program titled “Build A Life” for young and less privileged girl children.  This program used to provide them with much needed tool kits which help empower them to achieve greater success in life – from education to employment.  As part of the program, we used to take these kids on visits to large corporate offices, get them to dine in plush restaurants, take them to fashion events and many such places which are supposedly reserved for the elite.  Now, you might say that this would have made them feel unsatisfied and unhappy with their lives and it was really bad on our part to expose them to such environment.

Not really.  We found that often these kids would say even they wanted to one day grow and become professionals who work in such big offices.  They came out with a stronger resolve to become what they were exposed to.  To dine in the best restaurants, to be able to witness the so-called elitist events and shows from the front rows.  I realized that such ‘exposure’ was providing subconscious-enhancing experiences for these. We were exposing them to a different way of living. We were providing an emotional experience within an enriched environment that opened the children’s imaginations to new possibilities that they had never before considered.

Come to think of it, how would you ever make decisions and choices if you don’t know such possibilities exist? Your ability to make powerful choices, set goals and achieve them is going to be limited by your context and knowledge. When you are exposed to that context, you expand your possibilities. Your goals are based on what you’ve been exposed to.  If your exposure is limited then your thinking is limited.

Knowledge is key to setting goals. You can’t pursue something you don’t know exists. Exposure is the first source of goals. Whatever you’re pursuing right now is based on what you’ve been exposed to. Creating better goals—and thus designing a better future—requires learning more, changing your perspective, and opening yourself up to something new.

You need to have experiences which stretch your imagination and force you to see a future for yourself which is different from the limited perspective you currently have.

It’s like the exposure setting in a camera.  The correct exposure gives you the right image.  Therefore it is also important to expose yourself in appropriate contextual settings.

The need for maximum exposure to achieve something is further validated by real-world experiences.  A child who is constantly exposed to the business world cause of his parents will be a natural in business.  Similarly children of great musicians, actors, sportsmen et al., naturally end up pursuing the line which they have been exposed to.

If you want to be an acclaimed writer, blogger or networker, expose yourselves to platforms and forums which keep stretching your imagination towards possibilities. Allowing you to see a different future, and giving you permission to actively pursue that future. Aren’t you already doing that on social media platforms? 

If you wish to achieve success for yourself or help your kids pursue their dreams in their interest areas – provide maximum exposure to that context.

Are you yet to expose yourself?