PAY AND REAP!
"THE IMPORTANT THING IS THIS: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become."
- Charles Du Bos
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Dear Thought Leader,
I'm back with another reality check.
I know what I want to say, but it's necessary that I beat around the bush for emphasis.
There's a story from the bible about an old priest who was preparing his estate for his death. He sent for the King of the country so he could give him his final blessings.
As the King came to this bedside, the priest asked to use his arrows to strike the ground.
It sounded like a weird request, but the king obeyed. He struck the ground 3 times and stopped.
The dying priest was furious saying, "Oh no! You struck only 3 times.
This means you will only defeat your enemies 3 times, and after that, they will recover and return for vengeance.
If you had kept on striking the ground infinitely, you would have obliterated all your enemies from the face of the earth."
Years later, the prophecy came true just as the priest had predicted.
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"PRIVATE victories precede PUBLIC victories" - Stephen Covey
In order to shine your brightest, there are battles you must fight and win decisively in your mind, or like the hesitant king, they will weaken your blow.
They will put a stutter on your lips.
They will make you skirt around the spotlight and give you very legitimate reasons to not get in yourself.
I'll write here about just one of such battles of the mind.
It's a combination of 3 major actors:
The memory of who you used to be - weak, lost, immature, gullible, scared
The people who knew you in that incarnation
Your fledgling new identity as a person of value and influence
Plenty grammar? I'll break it down further.
There are people here who have a secret fear of their old crew running into their new identity - previous friends, former love interests and sometimes family members who have become insistent on their stagnant idea of you.
You make up this scenario in your mind where they're scoffing at your current moves and recalling your dumb past.
"So Tinuke is now a 'talker'. That one sef na beta work? She has joined all this Fela Durutoye people oh. So this one can motivate somebody"
"Shey you remember Chimezie that was following us to jump fence that year. He's now forming Amazon bestselling author"
Even though these conversations are not happening in realtime, your confidence is weakened by the thought.
It's like there's an inner struggle to appease your old crowd and get their approval. You fantasize about this perfect world where they're all on board with where you're now going.
You might have the strength of one thousand horsemen, but you'll strike with only the strength of one - just enough to keep up appearances, but not too loud as to attract the scoffers.
And so you shine, but not too bright.
You speak up, but not too loud.
You play it safe and not speak on issues that might attract your detractors.
KILL SHAME.
I cannot advise on a one size fits all solution, but I can share with you a quote I learned.
This is the quote I had in mind the very moment I unhinged myself mentally and finally sold my soul to purpose.
"THE IMPORTANT THING IS THIS: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become."
- Charles Du Bos
What's the important thing to you?
DECIDE ON THAT.
What do you believe you could become?
FOCUS ON THAT.
IS IT WORTH THE SACRIFICE?
KEEP WALKING TALL