Wisdom Key
Everyone has a mountain to climb, a race to run and a dream to pursue. Surmounting your mountain, running that race and pursuing the dream God gave you will lead to success. However, there are major obstacles that must be overcome. This article is the seventh in the series culled from our book “Defying All Odds” which explores how to overcome barriers and win. Enjoy the read!
The summit of the mountain is reserved for fighters; people who have identified a dream worth dying for and are willing to put in their all to make it happen. The sad reality is that many people have no compelling dream in their hearts. They have nothing they are willing to die for. They therefore give up at the slightest opposition or provocation and go on to provide every justification for not pursuing the opportunity of a lifetime. Such people love to spend hours and even days describing the activities of their opponents and detractors and how much they have cost them. People like that are going nowhere in life. Stop whining and fight for your vision.
On the last day of the 2008/09 season in the English Premiership, four teams were facing the threat of relegation to a lower division. Their positions and number of points amassed were so close that everything came down to their performance in the last match of the season. One team had been relegated earlier, but at the end of that day two more teams would go down and the remaining two would survive. A whole year’s effort now virtually hinged on what would happen in those last ninety minutes of action. In the build-up to the day, there was a huge debate about which teams would make it and which wouldn’t. As the teams prepared for what should be the matches of their lives, each one’s opposing supporters and local rivals taunted them and declared that they were finished.
At the end of the day Newcastle United, one of the most highly-supported teams in the Premier League, was relegated along with Middlesbrough. Unlike others, their destiny rested totally in their hands. They were playing Aston Villa in a match that they simply had to win to survive. By half time, results were going their way at other venues and even though they were a goal down, all they needed to do was score an equaliser to turn things around and stay up. The value of a place in the English premiership is estimated to be worth tens of millions of pounds each year. That was how high the stakes were.
The sad reality is, not only did Newcastle fail to score; their play seemed to lack the sense of urgency or determination often required to excel in such situations. The very future of the club and its economic viability was under threat but playing against a team that had nothing to fight for, it was sad to see the players wilt and go down without as much as a fight. Totally absent was the last minute frenzy that often characterises matches with such high stakes. It was as if everyone had accepted their fate or nobody really cared. That is not how to achieve great things and reach the pinnacle of achievement. If anyone wants to take away your blessings they must have to fight you for it. Even when the odds are heavily stacked against you, let it be on record that you went down with a fight.
Riding the Storm
If your dream is under siege because of sceptics, rivals, opponents or detractors, you’ve got to fight your way beyond them. Learn the lesson of the eagle, which operates best in severe wind storms. The strong winds that oppose other birds and make them rush for cover are the ones that rather excite the eagle. It uses the strength from those storms as a propelling force or ‘fuel’ for its massive wings in flight. That way it is not required to fluff its wings and put in a lot of effort. Instead, it just glides above the winds. Learn to convert ‘opposing’ energy into ‘propelling’ energy. Be energised by the doubts, scepticism, unwarranted criticism and opposition you face just because you want to excel.
Your ultimate goal is to finish your race and to win and the following will help you stay the course:
- 100% Focus & 0% Distraction. In mountaineering, the closer you get to the mountain top, the greater the risks associated with being distracted. In the case of Mount Everest, the summit region has a number of narrow perches with steep drops of several hundred feet on both sides. Those are the points when your concentration must be highest. Any slight distraction and you’d be off. Similarly, in life you need to stay totally focused on where you are going in the face of distraction and provocation. The higher you climb the greater the risks associated with falling and therefore the more focused you must be.
- Refuse To Accept A Wrong Identity. Other people will always exercise their right to have an opinion about you. These opinions may range from true to exaggerated to outright false. Sometimes, the things people think and say about you may border on the entirely outrageous. Not only will they say these things but, in some cases, they will try to force that wrong identity on you like a garment. The biggest test you need to pass will be how you react when this happens.
When David’s brother accused him of naughtiness, pride and wrong motives, he did two things in response: he made his point and walked away. David asked, ‘Is there not a cause?’ That should be your response. If your pursuit of a worthwhile, compelling cause is misconstrued and misrepresented by others, refuse to accept their negative report about you. Instead, continually remind yourself of the positive, progressive person you are and confess what God’s word says about you. When they go beyond maligning you to setting impediments in your way, use what are meant to be stumbling blocks as stepping stones to your victory.
- Surround yourself with possibility thinkers. The amazing story is told in Mark Chapter 2 of a group of men who were so determined to bring their sick friend to Jesus that they climbed onto the top of the house and broke through a portion of the roof in order to let him down. Many times, this story is told with a focus on the spirit of perseverance and faith exhibited by the four men. However, another dimension worth noting is that the man had chosen friends who had the capacity, willingness and commitment to lift him up to the next level. Faced with a milling crowd, they had every legitimate reason to stop at some point and return or leave him to his fate. They chose to fight for their friend.
Make friends who would be willing to tear down barriers in order to give you access to your miracle. Achieving great things in life involves creating new space and removing obstacles. You cannot always do it alone. When you have to rely on colleagues, associates, team members or friends, they must be people who see possibilities all around; people who see no limits or boundaries.
- Build Spiritual Strength. Learn to fight your way up alone in prayer. When forces are marshalled against you, you need God in your corner. Develop your spiritual muscles by praying constantly and backing it up with the word of God. Form the habit of repeating God’s promises aloud to yourself every morning and in every difficult situation. The more you do so, the stronger you become and the better equipped you become to deal with the assorted challenges you may face on the road to the top.
RECOMMENDED BOOK
“Defying All Odds” by Albert & Comfort Ocran
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If it is not worth dying for, it is not worth living for!!!
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Albert & Comfort Ocran are Executive Coaches, Authors and Media Educators. Their extensive list of corporate training clients can be found in the mining, petrochemical, banking, insurance, finance, telecommunications, manufacturing, public sector and not-for-profit agencies. You can reach them at albert@legacyandlegacy.com.gh or comfort@legacyandlegacy.com.gh or call, SMS or Whatsapp 024 9999 000.