THE PATH | Don't give up yet!

WAKE UP: Recently, I had a conversation with a friend, who was worried about stagnation and lack of progress in whatever he did. "Bro, I don't think I have got strength, to push any further, Is it business?, Is it employment? Is it changing towns?, I have tried them all and nothing seems to be working for me, bro... It's like the gods have conspired against me, bro, look at my colleagues from college, these guys are far much established than I? Look at my colleagues from work, they all seem to be doing good apart from me? I am seated here, wondering whether all these shall come to pass, how much more sacrifices I need to make, how much more efforts should I make, - or Should I just give up and let the wind of life drive me to whenever it wants... I AM TIRED, I HAVE GIVEN IT ALL!

Sipping my coffee on this beautiful Saturday Morning, I look at him smiling, knowing too well, I have been in such a situation, and know how it feels, so I speak to him . . .

You are going to have to wake up and realize that, it's very important to lay a very strong foundation on your life's path. This wake-up call is a clarion call from the mountains of success, with a message packaged just for you!

That, we all have unique paths that demand different efforts from us,

That, each of your path is just good, but the responsibility of making it better is upon you,

That, as much as you would need a helping hand, not all helping hands are worth,

That, success in your path, is more than a college degree,

That, a college degree is just but part of the materials you need to lay your strong foundation, 

That, talent supersedes a college degree, however, to nurture your talent to its best, you need education,

That, if you happen to have a great talent, nurturing it, is all you need to be at peace with the uncertainties of seeking to understand your purpose,

That, quick success through fraudulent means, is just a temporary relief from worries of financial challenges,

That, success built on a firm foundation will never leave you,

And that, building your success on a genuine foundation, will give your generation a brand that will forever guard and protect them.

You are also going to wake up and decide on what defines your path.

That, your life cannot be defined by social media's glamour and expensive lifestyle,

That, being defined by what you see on social media, will create a big hole in your heart and lead you to make regrettable decisions in the name of fitting in,

That, your life cannot be defined by your colleague's lifestyle,

And that your life can only be defined by:- 

• Who you really want to become,
• How patient you are with your life's path,
• How many sacrifices you are willing to make,
• How you handle opportunities that present themselves to you,
• And who your acquaintances are

You are going to wake up and learn that it is never late to become whom you wanna be...

That, at his younger years, Ray Kroc was just a volunteer in the World War II and later a milkshake mixer salesman for foodservice equipment manufacturer Prince Castle. That, at age 53, he partnered with the McDonald brothers to run the McDonald fast food chain, and that at age 59, he bought it from the brothers and turned it into the most successful fast food corporation in the world

That, at age 69 Peter Mark Roget, began working on the first Thesaurus, at age 73,  the world had the first printed version of his Thesaurus, and he continued to work till age 90,

That, at age 53, Kathryn Joosten began working as a street performer in the Disney world, at age 70, the world knew her for the secretary role she played in the famous show West wing, and at age 66, she had her first Emmy Award,

That, at age 30, Sylvester Stallone, tested success when his script for the movie Rocky was accepted, that he had to sell his wife's jewelry and his dog to pay their bills because they were very poor,

That, J.K.Rowling, had to wait till mid-thirties for the world to accept her first Harry Porter script, rejection after rejection, years later, we have the Harry Porter, and a billionaire J.K.Rowling,

That, Larry Ellison, had to work for a software company until he was about 34 years before Oracle Corporation was founded, and he his now a famous billionaire,

That, at age 65, Colonel Sanders was known to the world by his business  brand Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), that he had tried to sell his recipe to various restaurants, and that, after a 1,000 rejections, he decided, its time he did it by himself, and that of today, we pride in having our meals, at KFC courtesy of Colonel Sanders at age 65!

That, at 70 years, Grandma Moses, developed an interest in painting, she sold her paintings for 2-3 dollars per painting, that she waited for 8 years, (at, age, 78) for her first big break, and, that, in 2006 one of her paintings was sold for 1.2 Million dollars.

And that, life will never be flawless, that, all of the above late bloomers, faced rejections, obstacles, and failures, that, resilience, hard work, and, determination, despite the age, despite the number of rejections, made them great success stories that keep on inspiring generations, to generations.

You are going to have to wake up and know that, the world is full of late success stories,

That, whatever you do, no matter the rejection, no matter the disappointment, there comes a time when the world will recognize and honor you. But, you are going to have to do the following

• Keep doing what you do so long as you believe in the idea and as long as you are alive,
• Keep friends who don't have the comparison attitude, for you don't need unnecessary pressure to be like them, when your life, can never be the same as theirs,
• Keep in mind, that, your idea is going to be rejected, your presentation thrashed out, - but not forever, yes, not forever,

So, 

Wake up and beat the odds,

Wake up and say no to ever giving up,

Wake up and see yourself as the best in your field

Wake up and believe in your idea, 

Wake up and expect rejection,

Wake up and do what you love,

For

One day you will wake up and the world will read, broadcast and write about you!!!!!