Month: August 2022

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Risk Taking: Dynamics of Success.

risk taking

Risk taking is one of the dynamics of Success. Life becomes so boring, and meaningless without risk taking. Risk taking is a recipe of life every one that desire to have a successful living must subscribe to. You must take risks if you are willing to have conquest over your challenges and succeed in life. Although nobody plans to fail in life, we are confirmed failures when we fail to take necessary risks in life. Knowing well that it is our ability to take these risks and succeed that adds value and meaning to our lives. It also confers on us the status of  greatness.

Risk taking is a Choice

A meaningful life is all about taking constructive risks whether you succeed or not.
Brian Souza.

However, risk taking is a choice we make in life. It is either you make this choice, rise above your challenges, and succeed or your life will be stalemated. On the other hand, when you don’t take necessary risks you will dangerously enmesh yourself in the complex web of mediocrity.

Understand that life is full of risks. Anything that poses as a threat to life, property, asset and investment is a risk. Risks assume a dangerous coloration. Risks can make or mar your success in life depending on how you handle them. Life comprises of both positive and negative risks. Positive risks are those risks which when taken will add value to your life. Hence, they are the value-adding risks – V.A.R. These are necessary risks. They are risks worth taking.

On the other hand, negative risks are risks that will destroy you. They are unhealthy risks as far as success is concern. Positive risk when taken affords you an opportunity to join great men at the top. It is your leverage to conquest over challenges of adversity. Positive risk is the giant stride; that quantum leap that will launch you to the realm of greatness. Taking this kind of risks without fear is what separate great men from mediocre, and men at the top from men at the bottom. Moreover, taking positive risks without fear will land you on cloud nine of greatness.

Daring Risks

Furthermore, taking positive risks means confronting your fears headlong in order to enhance your life and that of those around you. Let us consider this scenario. It is positive risk taking in its purest form. Four leprous men took a daring risk that will save their nation and turn them to heroes overnight.

… and there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, why sit we here until we die?… now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive , we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die, (2 kings 7: 3,4).

These men threw caution to the wind and advanced towards the enemies’ camp not minding the consequences. They damned the consequence and took the daring risk. The moment of truth came for them to make that decision whether to salvage their situation or to die in their adversity. And they made the wise choice to end their misery that day. They were undaunted in their resolve to embark on that dangerous mission. That is risk taking, and it entails making decisions and taking actions towards those decisions no matter the outcome whether good or bad.

Success Nugget

He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life – Mohammed Ali.

From the foregoing we can clearly understand that risk taking is for the fearless, it is not a venture for the fearful. Hence, your attitude of fearlessness is a major determinant of your capacity for risk taking. Just as T. S. Elliot opined, ‘only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go’.

It is now crystal clear that your capacity for conquest, and by extension success is inextricably tied to your ability to take risk. I want you to understand this because it is a very important nugget of success. The more risks you take, and overcome your challenges, the more successful you will become in life. Therefore, to succeed in life you must put away fear and confront the realities of adversity, taking necessary risks.

So what is that thing that portends danger or poses as a threat to your success or progress in life? You must damn the consequences take the necessary risks and move on with life. Take the bull by the horns. Risk taking is the only way for capacity building. It is one of the dynamics of success.

Imagine, Believe, Dare to Succeed.

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The World in the Eyes of the Physically Challenged

physically challenged

Right from childhood, I have come across many physically challenged folks. One of them, my cousin was crippled on both legs right from birth. So I grew up knowing what it felt like to be physically challenged. Moreover, while in the university I had a roommate who unfortunately lost his right arm in an auto accident, and who even though he was right-handed had to live with the challenge of surviving with his left arm. This dude hated to be pitied and so with the support of his teeth he can do his laundry, iron his clothes, knot his ties, and dress up with his left arm.

More so, in the course of my job I have been opportune to deal with so many customers including the physically challenged and people with special needs – the aged, blind, deaf, dumb, etc. I have had to pass across notes, gesticulate with my hands, and use sign language in order to communicate with them. In all, these experiences with the physically challenged have made me understand that they have an eye through which they view the world. However, to understand this better we must first understand what worldview is all about.

The word worldview or outlook is derived from the German word Weltanschauung composed of two German words – welt meaning ‘world’ and ‘Aushauung’ meaning ‘view ‘ or ‘outlook’. The word is a concept that is fundamental to German philosophy and epistemology. It is a wide world perception, the framework of ideas and beliefs, or a set of global descriptions through which any individual or group or culture watches and interprets the world and interacts with it. It is worthy to note that our thinking, behavior, action, speech, decision-making, etc are all affected by our worldview. In other words, the mentality of a person or people is informed by the worldview of events and happenings around them. Hence, worldview is the prism through which we all view the world for a unique world experience and better cognitive orientation of the world around us.

The physically challenged individuals have a worldview. It is the eye through which they look at the world. And this worldview shapes their thoughts, behaviors, attitudes, etc. They see themselves as an integral part of the community. They believe they have something to contribute to humanity and so should be included in the scheme of things. In addition, they want to have a sense of belonging. Hence, anything short of this is seen as a threat to their worldview. We must integrate them into our society. 

 The Major challenge

The physical challenged face so many challenges. My encounter with Mr. Olamelekan Arogundade, chairman of SCIAN – Spinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria confirms this. According to him, an average physically challenged individual is discriminated against. They are not consulted on a variety of things even in decisions affecting them. Therefore, in their world view, they see the world as unfair and unjust to them. Hence, they tend to view life through a prism tainted with fear and distrust.

In my opinion, one of the ways we can help is by promoting inclusion and diversity. As we all know there is strength in diversity. So our effort should be more than doubled in supporting the campaign for all-inclusiveness. Every one of us must understand that we are agents of inclusion with the mandate of selflessness, equity, and fairness. We must not discriminate rather we must consider all irrespective of their status whether they are physically challenged or people with special needs. In all fairness and equity, we must make feel respected and belong. 

However, doing this requires a unique mindset. This mindset must be one that anchors on the belief that these people are also an integral part of the larger society. We must not discriminate against them. We must give them a sense of belonging by making them feel loved, respected, and valued. Doing this will require us to see the world through our own eyes.  Hence, to understand their worldview or the prism through which they view life; we must put ourselves in their position each time we make decisions that will affect them. We must exhibit a high level of selflessness by feeling the pulse of their pains, needs, desires, and aspirations.

Discrimination and Stigmatization of people with special needs in our societies are challenges we must overcome to succeed in the campaign for diversity and inclusion. Obviously, this whole thing begins with us. It is the responsibility of every one of us to promote inclusiveness whether in the workplace, schools, families, banks, hospitals, etc. We must always give special consideration to physically challenged persons and people with special needs. These people are not only part and parcel of the larger society but an integral part of it. They are just victims of circumstances. So, our responsibility is to help them to explore the world around them. And to get the best world experience.

However, to get this right we must work in conjunction with the physically challenged persons. It said that he that wears the shoe knows where it pinches. So we must consult them to know how we can help them explore the world around them. Be curious ask them questions and I assure you that you will get the right answers. They are willing if given the opportunity to contribute their own quota in solving societal problems as it affects them. So ask them to tell you what they need to make them feel belonged, are respected, and valued. Finally, next time you make a decision or take action consider the people with disabilities or special needs. You must see the world in the eyes of the physically challenged.

Imagine, believe, dare to succeed

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How To Carve Your Own Niche

carve your niche

Carve your own niche if must be the best you can be in any given field or sphere you find yourself in. In other words, always dare to succeed. It is only when you have succeeded and carved a niche for yourself that you can be a force to reckon with in such a field. Your niche is your success signature. It is your gateway to the realm of success. And one thing you must understand is that it is only through the conquest of challenges that you can carve your niche. It goes without saying that success has so many friends. Everyone wants to associate only with success, and no one wants to identify with failure or mediocrity.

Elsewhere in the world success is celebrated every other day. You must know that men will only celebrate you when you are successful-when you have succeeded in that which you are doing. Hence, if you want to be a force to reckon with in life, then dare to succeed. Do everything within your capacity to conquer the many challenges of life. Not until you conquer you are not relevant as far as success is concerned. That is to say, if you cannot rise above your challenges you are a misfit for success. Your success is inextricably tied to your conquest. Conquest is not an end in itself; rather it is a means to success.

 However, if you must carve your niche then you must be more resolved, strengthened, and determined to succeed even in the face of challenges. The earlier we understand that every successful person has had his or her own fair share of defeat and failure the better for us. Each time we taste failure we should never quit instead we should make more frantic efforts until we break through. On the highway to success, the very first few steps we take are always very clumsy and staggering.

Carve Your Own Niche and have your story

Behind every success story is an embarrassing first effort, a stumble, a setback, or a radical change of direction – Seth Fiergeman

Every one of us is potentially successful and so we must vigorously pursue our goals and objectives with purpose in order to have a story – a story where we can share the secret of our success. However, you cannot have a story until you have carved your own niche. And to do that you must conquer your chosen field of endeavor. Hence, for you to achieve that you must be ready and willing to take responsibility.

Indeed, you are the one responsible for your failure or success in life. In case you don’t know success has never been, and will never be by accident. No one ever dreams of success and yet carelessly leaves his or her life in the cruel hands of fate, such is the dynamics of success. It is the product of every conscientious effort we make, and the actions we take in life.

Therefore, if you want to share the story of your success so that people will learn the secret of how you made it in life carve your own niche. Not until you do that, you cannot be able to share your little secret in your success story. It gives joy and a sense of fulfillment to know that people can learn, understand and benefit from your story. Always dare to conquer so that you can have secrets to share in your story. However, to carve your niche, daring to succeed should be your topmost priority. Have you carved your own niche? I am curious to know.

Imagine, believe, and dare to succeed.