“Only those who risk going too far can possibly know how far can one go,” once advised T. S. Elliot.
By STEVE NYAMBE
If you stay fixed to the sea shores you will never know much. You will only have knowledge of sounds of storms that are preparing to rest at the shores. You need to move to the centre of the sea. Never mind the frightening acrobatics of the sea storm. No. Because that’s where you will be exposed to the other side of life. This is a point where you can learn more and discover your true self.
Your true self is not what you see when you stand in front of your mirror. No. It’s what you see when your eyes are closed. It’s the dreams you have about yourself. Its the inner belief you have about your hidden identity.
Risk — key player to your greatness
Life is meant for risk takers. Those who don’t enjoy singing the old song over and over again. Those who ululate and celebrate when their cherished common song is sung.
Life is not for those who use the same route, the same street and same door daily. No. It’s for those who can gather their wits and brace for the oncoming storm. Those who can face their storms head on.
Storms will come which are likely to leave you in a precarious position. But don’t be positioned and glued there permenantly.
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Remember Benjamin Disrael’s advice. Don’t take the advice from the surface point. Go deeper. He said, “nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will go higher than you think.” This advice is not far from what Hedge narrates in his book.
Burke Hedges, the author of the classic book, Who Stole The American Dream once narrated a story. In his short masterpiece he regards the story as his “favourite business story.” True indeed the story tends to be anyone’s favourite, if you read it with a positive fired -up mind.
The story is about a middle-aged manager who was struggling to pay his bills and so he decided “to get advice from a financial expert,” he begins.
Because of his will, passion and desire, he decided to make an appointment with a well-respected financial advisor whose office was located “in a swanky building on Park Avenue.”This ambitious manager decided to go and meet his mentor. He got to the reception.
The two doors
Instead of meeting the financial guru at the reception area, the manager was greeted by two doors, one marked, “employed” and the other “self-employed.” With morale at its lowest, the manager proceeded.
Facing these two doors, he decided to enter the door marked “employed.”
Upon entering that door, the man was greeted by two more doors. Guess what was written?
One was marked, “makes less than $40 000 per annum” and the other marked “makes more than $40 000”. He decided to enter the first one since he was making less than $40 000. When he got there, there were other two doors.
On the left door was marked, “saves more than $2 000 per annum and the other on the right was marked, “saves less than $2 000 per annum.”
It is said the manager had only $1 000 in his savings, “so he entered the door on the right — only to find himself right back on Park Avenue. The morale of the story is the same — doors lead to the same old ways. They lead you nowhere. Why not try other doors? You have been on that mountain for too long, why not turn northwards and try better things?
With all the effort to enrich himself, it just yielded nothing. It was a life of old routes that takes him to old ways.
Same ways, same strategies will always lead to the same story. That’s the story of no progress. Sometimes life demands that you change your ways.
Be bold. Be vigilant and move out of the rut. Choose to open new doors. In there, there lies your golden honey pot.
Don’t forget to “give yourself an even greater challenge than the one you are trying to master and you will develop the powers necessary to overcome the original difficult,” once noted William J. Bennet.
Steve Nyambe is a motivational speaker and leadership coach. He can be contacted on +263 784 583 761 or email: [email protected]
