MentorAfrica: CHAMPIONS ARE CONQUERORS 2 - LES CHAMPIONS SONT DE...

MentorAfrica: CHAMPIONS ARE CONQUERORS 2 - LES CHAMPIONS SONT DE...: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of the deeds could have done be...

CHAMPIONS ARE CONQUERORS 2 - LES CHAMPIONS SONT DES CONQUERANTS 2

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of the deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who do at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring  greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Confronting the issues of life and to come out victorious as a conqueror means that you open yourself up to naysayers and critics that can either derail you or practically stop you in your tracks. The greatest deception any visionary could have is to think that everybody is going to cheer them on.

Champions are conquerors only because they are ready to be “marred by dust and sweat and blood” Whether in the corporate, political or any other domain of life; it is always a dog eat dog scenario and until we understand that our obstacles are not insurmountable, we will give up at the slightest opposition. In the journey to victory and greatness, we will fail severally and must take these as learning curves and not points at which we should quit. It is better to fail while daring the difficult than to sit down at the end of your life and regret why you didn’t try. Champions are conquerors who dare to go where their physical, emotional, educational, gender and all other obstacles said they could not.

photo credit: peter elemi-ecoma

"Il n'est pas le critique qui compte; pas l'homme qui montre comment l'homme fort trébuche ou lorsque l'auteur de l'actes aurait pu faire mieux. Le crédit appartient à l'homme qui est dans l'arène, dont le visage est marqué par la poussière et la sueur et le sang; qui lutte vaillamment; qui trompe qui vient court encore et encore, parce qu'il n'y a pas d'effort sans erreur et défaut; mais qui ne cherche en fait à faire les actes; qui connaît de grands enthousiasmes, les grandes dévotions; qui se donne pour une bonne cause; qui à la meilleure sait à la fin le triomphe d'accomplissement élevé, et qui font au pire, si il échoue, au moins il échoue en osant considérablement, de sorte que sa place ne sera jamais avec ces âmes froides et timides qui ne connaissent ni la victoire ni la défaite. »- Theodore Roosevelt

Faire face aux problèmes de la vie et de sortir victorieux comme un vainqueur vaut dire que vous vous ouvrez aux opposants et aux critiques qui peuvent soit vous faire dérailler ou vous arrêter pratiquement sur vos pistes. La plus grande déception que tout visionnaire pourrait avoir c'est de penser que tout le monde va les encourager.

Les champions sont des conquérants seulement parce qu'ils sont prêts à être "marqué par la poussière et la sueur et le sang" Que ce soit dans l'entreprise, la politique ou tout autre domaine de la vie; c'est toujours scénario des loups qui se mangent et jusqu'à ce que nous comprenons que nos obstacles ne sont pas insurmontables, nous allons abandonner face à la moindre opposition. Dans le voyage de la victoire et de la grandeur, nous échouerons à plusieurs repris et nous devons prendre ceux-ci comme des courbes d'apprentissage et pas de points dont lesquelles nous devrions laisser tout tomber. Il est préférable d'oser ce qui est difficile que d'arriver à la fin de votre vie et de regretter pourquoi vous ne l'avez pas tenté. Les champions sont des conquérants qui osent aller là où leur forme physique, émotionnel, pédagogique, leur sexe et tous les autres obstacles ont dit qu'ils ne pouvaient pas atteindre.

MentorAfrica: CHAMPIONS ARE CONQUERORS - LES CHAMPIONS SONT DES ...

MentorAfrica: CHAMPIONS ARE CONQUERORS - LES CHAMPIONS SONT DES ...: Setting goals and pursuing dreams have become a cliché and if one doesn't talk about these things these days; one is considered not ser...

CHAMPIONS ARE CONQUERORS - LES CHAMPIONS SONT DES CONQUERANTS

Setting goals and pursuing dreams have become a cliché and if one doesn't talk about these things these days; one is considered not serious about life. I have worked with youths and adults who write down dreams and goals who have no clue about what all this entails, they just do what they are asked to do during conferences and seminars they were probably forced or cajoled to attend. Attending seminars on purpose driven life does not guarantee that participants will pursue a life of change and purpose. In fact, it has gotten to the point where a lot of people just “switch off” when discussions on purpose and passion are taking place. What can we attribute to this kind of apathy?

 I even met someone who said people do not change unless they have something to gain and I told him that that is precisely my point. Change is meant to bring progress; if anyone doesn't embrace change, life will continue to produce the same results.  People have to understand that there is only one way to make life better for themselves and their immediate environment; understanding their role: their reason for their existence.

 So long as people continue to see their lives as eating, drinking and acquiring of life’s “toys”, they will not bother to identify their purpose and pursue it. If people do not have a well-defined understanding of their contributions to human development, they cannot be passionate about anything.

Passion is maintained by those who are ready to face obstacles on their way to making a difference. Passion separates champions from the ordinary; champions are conquerors. This is most difficult for those of us in developing countries like we have here in Africa where life is about everyday survival. However, the fact of the matter is that  we are the ones that need it most and we must do all that is within our power to make life better for those coming after us just like what those in the developed nations did in previous centuries.

 Champions must emerge who have decided to confront and conquer the giants that line the routes to development and better societies.

photo credit : peter elemi-ecoma

Fixer des objectifs et la poursuite de rêves sont devenus un cliché et mais si on ne parle pas de ces choses ces jours-ci; on est considéré comme pas sérieux au sujet de la vie. Je travaille avec les jeunes et les adultes qui écrivent des rêves et des objectifs qui n'ont aucune idée de ce que tout cela implique, ils le font simplement ce qu'ils sont invités à faire lors de conférences et séminaires qui ont été probablement forcé ou amené à y assister. Assister à des séminaires sur la vie Purpose Driven ne garantit pas que les participants vont poursuivre une vie de changement et le but. En fait, il est arrivé au point où beaucoup de gens "s'éteindent" lorsque les discussions sur le but et la passion sont en cours. Que pouvons-nous attribuer à cette sorte d'apathie?

  Je ai même rencontré quelqu'un qui dit que les gens ne changent pas sauf si elles ont quelque chose à gagner et je lui ai dit que cela est précisément mon point. Le changement est destiné à apporter le progrès; Si quelqu'un n'a pas embrasser le changement, la vie va continuer à produire les mêmes résultats. Les gens doivent comprendre qu'il n'y a qu'un seul moyen de rendre la vie meilleure pour eux-mêmes et leur environnement immédiat; la compréhension de leur rôle: leur raison de leur existence.

  Tant que les gens continuent à voir leur vie comme manger, boire et d'acquérir des "jouets" de la vie, ils ne seront pas poue eux la peine d'identifier leur but et le poursuivre. Si les gens ne comprennent pas bien définie  leur contribution au développement humain, ils ne peuvent pas être passionné par quelque chose.

La passion est maintenue par ceux qui sont prêts à affronter les obstacles sur leur chemin à faire une différence. Passion sépare des champions de l'ordinaire; les champions sont les conquérants. Ce qui est le plus difficile pour ceux d'entre nous dans les pays en voie de développement comme nous avons ici en Afrique où la vie est une question de survie quotidienne. Cependant, le fait de la question est que nous sommes ceux qui ont le plus besoin et nous devons faire tout ce qui est en notre pouvoir pour rendre la vie meilleure pour ceux qui viennent après nous, tout comme ceux qui dans les pays développés l'ont fait dans les siècles précédents.

  Les champions doivent émerger qui ont décidé d'affronter et de vaincre les géants qui bordent les routes de développement et de meilleures sociétés.

MentorAfrica: CHAMPIONS ARE MADE 1 - LES CHAMPIONS SONT FAITS 1

MentorAfrica: CHAMPIONS ARE MADE 1 - LES CHAMPIONS SONT FAITS 1: Champions are not fearless; they are those who are able to do what needs to be done in spite of the fear of the “stiff” opposition or failu...

MentorAfrica: AFRICAN SUCCESS STORY

MentorAfrica: AFRICAN SUCCESS STORY: A 22-year-old Nigerian has emerged one of the top graduating students of John Hopkins University in the United States with a Grade Point ...

AFRICAN SUCCESS STORY

A 22-year-old Nigerian has emerged one of the top graduating students of John Hopkins University in the United States with a Grade Point Average of 3.98 out of a possible 4.0 to earn a degree in Neurosciences

A 22-year-old Nigerian, Emmanuel Ohuabunwa, has made history at John Hopkins University, United States of America. Ohuabunwa from Arochukwu, Abia State, has done the nation proud by becoming the first black man to make a Grade Point Average of 3.98 out of 4.0 to bag a degree in Neurosciences in the university. He was also adjudged as having the highest honours during the graduation that was held on May 24 this year.

In an online interview with our correspondent, Ohuabunwa, who was born in Okota, Lagos and attended Lilly Fields Primary School, Lagos, said he left Nigeria after his junior secondary school education at Air Force Comprehensive School, Ibadan, Oyo State.

“My parents moved the whole family when I was 13 years old. I was about to begin SS1 at Air Force, Ibadan. When I got to the US, I was enrolled with my age mates, which meant at 13, I was in middle school. I went to Fondren Middle School, which was in the middle of the ghetto. That was one of the darkest years for me because I encountered a lot of peer pressure. Some of the students, ignorant about Africa, bullied me and called me names such as ‘African booty scratcher’ because to them, Africans were dirty and scratched their butts all the time.

“Some asked me if I lived in mud huts and ate faeces for breakfast. I remember one day, when I was walking to the school bus, a boy came from behind and punched me in the face, called me an African and walked away. It took everything in me not to retaliate. I knew that God had put me in the U.S for a purpose and it did not involve fighting or selling drugs or doing the wrong things.

“My experience during that year gave me a thick skin. I learned to stand for what I thought was right even when the opposition seemed insurmountable. I also learned to look at the positive in all situations. Even though these kids were bullying me, I was still gaining an opportunity to school in America and nothing would stop me from making the best of this opportunity.

“The shocker was that the kid that punched me in the face was black. I would have expected the blacks to be nicer to me. Nevertheless, I don’t blame those kids because they were ignorant about Africa. All they knew about us was the stuff they had watched on TV or documentaries, showing primitive African tribes, living in the jungle and making noises like monkeys.

“In regards to the whites, there might have been some minor episodes but again I don’t blame them for it because it is a problem with stereotypes,” he said.

But would he come back to Nigeria after the completion of his programme, he said yes.

“I am absolutely interested in the health care policy decisions in Nigeria. Because there are many changes that need to occur, I will not rule out the possibility of coming back after my studies, in order to join hands with the leaders to make these changes possible.’’

Credit: Excerpts from story published by SEGUN OLUGBILE of Punch Newspaper