In the world of sport, the objective of every athlete is to win. However the plan to achieve this goal differs with the kind of discipline. For racers on the tracks, this objective is achieved individually; thus the rider puts to the fore the best skill they have to vanquish fellow racers so they can lift the trophy. The cliché, “each man for himself, God for us all” is applied to the zenith in such disciplines. Whilst in other disciplines such as football or soccer the winning objective is most assured when each team-player contributes their best into the common pool called the “Team”. Individualism is abhorred to the maximum as the beast-sized players chant; “united we stand; divided we fall!”
By Liberty Mwariwangu Sr
It is to the utmost truth that the people who collaborate well with others score better in life, reason being they capitalise on the strengths of others where they are weak. They understand that strength in isolation is weakness and weakness in another’s company is strength. They appreciate that strength and weakness are inseparable; the outcome of defeat or triumph is determined by the kind of people you choose to collaborate with. Teams share responsibilities fairly amongst the team-players, the idea of having someone watching your back makes the burden of loss easier to bear and the glory in winning sweeter to celebrate.
It is not weakness that makes people victims of defeat, weakness is a simple indication of what you don’t have, telling you to team up with the people who are stronger in that area. Arrogance is the cancer eating the winning-marrow of many, deforming their bone composition, in the end disfiguring their winning attributes to failure. Those who pretend to know it all and those who believe they are islands needing no one to make it will be snails in life. Speed and progress will remain foreign to them. I believe this is why writer and philosopher J. Krishnamurti asserted; “To know is to be ignorant. Not to know is the beginning of wisdom.”
The best things of life are a reward we get for combining our best efforts. Winning isn’t an inborn thing, it is a goal we deliberately set for ourselves, lean towards it and work ourselves repeatedly towards achieving it knowing that small attempts repeated complete any undertaking. The movement of our bodies towards achieving it is however powered by the right attitude, for what is success other than a state of mind? The attitude that says; affliction is the oil of life; hence I choose to slide through it.
Challenge your mental eyes to see all people as opportunities of destiny. People remain opportunities even if they oppose you; endure hardship, for it is triumphing over opposition that is ranked as a win. Understand that history has less record of quitters; history is laden with encounters of people who believed that they wield far better knowledge and dangerous instinct than any beast of the wild and drove themselves hard towards achieving what seemed myths in their day. Listening to stories of those who failed and never dared to stand again can weaken you. Launch out, sometimes “the value of experience is overrated, usually by old men who nod wisely and speak stupidly”, author and speaker, Og Mandino asserted.
Capitalise on the hell that your haters give you, turn their lemons into lemonade and sell to make millions, their negatives to positives, the stones they throw at you into stepping stones of progress, this way they remain your companions of destiny, their actions push you into vantages of a better life. This perspective will help you to turn your scars into stars. Truth be told, you need enemies to make it in this life. Affirm yourself because so long there is breath in you, that long you need to persist and if you persist long enough you will win. In one of his tracks Composer and Dancehall chanter, Winky D bonked; “My life feeds on negatives”. The more the resistance, the more the oil you have to fatten self.
Winning is a hoax when there are no obstacles to overcome as the Apostle Paul quipped; “I press toward the mark for the high prize.” Winning is the ultimate prize we get after continuous episodes of pressing and wiggling through obstacles. Obstacles on your path are not there to impede your progress; they are there to inspire the best out of you. The higher and tougher they are, the more the resolve and determination to awaken the wildest instincts within. No resistance can stand for long before a man of determination and strategy because the longer it stands the more inspired he gets. Don’t expire because of obstacles in your path, be rather inspired to grow! Obstacles are an opportunity to grow as Bob Richards popped; “You never win the gold without hurting.” Challenges of life give us the realisation that we need other peoples’ contribution to make it. Such thoughts are rare unless we encounter obstacles.
Liberty Mwariwangu Sr. is an Author, Columnist, Transformational-Motivational speaker, Consultant, Purpose expert and Senior Pastor with Spirit Culture Churches Worldwide a non-denominational movement headquartered in Harare Zimbabwe. He is the founder of the Global Success Institute (GSI); an institution targeted at developing and enabling young people to make positive impact in their various spheres of influence so they can dominate in life. He makes appearances on television and radio speaking on purpose and motivation for a profitable and fulfilling life. He can be reached at +263774357394 or libsmwariwangu@gmail.com
