ADAPTATION
More than anything else, attaining success and developing a
mindset in tune with success entails infusing to the mind, body and
soul, a great deal of determination, courage, desire and action! Thomas
Edison said; ‘Success is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine
percent perspiration.’ The proof of your belief in something is in your
doing of that thing. It is not enough to just believe, it is necessary
you also behave. No particular environment, location, clan or
community, dishes out success to its inhabitants. It is a choice,
decision and desire. The proof that an individual wants something is in
the way and manner such individual goes for it, irrespective of the
environment such individual finds him or herself. The question is; how
bad do you want success?! Being able to improvise, live and adapt in a
given environment is an indication of your mind’s intention to succeed
in your called mission.
In Wallace Wattles’ ‘Science of Getting Rich’,
he made an analogy of two businessmen who carried out business
activities within the same location, both were in the same line of
business and while one succeeded, the other kept struggling. Who or
what is to blame for the other’s failure? Was it the environment or was
it his inability to plan, strategize, improvise and adapt to the
business environment he found himself? Most people have unconsciously
subscribed to the notion that in order to adapt in every
environment/economy, they must compete for the so called ‘scarce
resources’. This is where greed, corruption and avarice emanate from.
Why do you think some public servants in the country engage in corrupt
and sharp practices, despite the huge salaries they earn annually?
Contrary to popular opinion, there is more than enough to go round in
every environment/economy. Absolutely not resources, but ideas by which
available resources can be transformed and multiplied is lacking,
leading us to take a second look at issues earlier discussed- i.e.
self-integration and information. The seeming unwillingness of people
to constantly learn and develop themselves through knowledge and skill
acquisition make such people, businesses and enterprises jostle and
compete with the notion of resource scarcity. Adaptation is thus not
about competition but creativity and creation. Don’t you think there
was more to what God meant when He said in the book of Genesis; ‘be
fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth?’ God created the
universe because He had in mind the coming of man to inhabit it. Man
wasn’t to live, survive and adapt in space but on a terrestrial habitat
called the earth. And to do that successfully, man was to acquire
knowledge and skill, assume the attribute of God and create from
already created resources of nature. By being creative, you do not
deprive another to have your way but you add value to yourself, life,
the environment, economy and the universe as a whole! There is power in
authenticity. When something new is created, the benefit such a thing
brings to its creator is as enormous as the benefit it provides through
its function or purpose. In essence, every environment is like a battle
field. You are expected to be at war against every mental conditioning
provided by the environment that seeks constantly to rob you of your
creativity, integrity and diligence - that should be your operating
strategy. Without first configuring your mind into determining who,
what, how and why you are in any location, one may never attain
victory. ‘He who goes forth without first determining the opponent’s
strategy is bound to have himself killed in battle.’ (The Art of War-
Sun Tzu) Note that, in trying to adapt, you don’t just intend to hang
in there, but you should ensure that your hanging in there is
absolutely worthwhile.
MOTION
Everything is subject to motion as long as a greater,
irresistible force moves against it. The living faith is one that
believes in its ability to move mountains whenever and wherever. Your
mind is absolutely in tune with success when you live a life of motion.
You intend never to mark time but to always set the ball rolling, not
unguardedly but in a specific direction, having in focus an already
envisioned destination. In the words of Albert Einstein ’Life is like
riding a bicycle, to keep your balance you have to keep moving.’ The
advice to keep moving is not an invitation to participate in an Olympic
athletic event or a 100 meters cycling or hurdles race. No, far from
it! In essence, it is actually telling us to constantly maintain a
momentum in every legit, productive and profitable venture we engage
in. I won’t be wrong if I say that in this part of the world, we are
always in a hurry! It’s very evident everywhere; at the bus-stops, at
queues in fuel stations, among motorists on the road, in public places
and government offices etc. Hastiness most times is an indication that
time is running out, and sometimes is a by-product of fear and anxiety
which has crept into the hearts and minds of the average Nigerian
individual. This is however not unconnected to the ensuing uncertainty
in the land.
However, depending on individual personality, some view life as a race;
they admire speed a lot, while some others believe life and success to
be as easy as nature itself, they love patience. Whichever one you
choose, always remember that it is usually not how far but how well.
In summarizing this issue, I came up with a scenario; Two individuals
were to compete for the first position in a race wherein they were to
move through a bush filled with sharp, heavy thorns to get to the
finish line. Individual A even before the blast of the whistle dashes
in with great desperation and speed but gets brutally wounded that he
faints on the way very close to the finish line, due to huge blood loss
from bruises meted to him by the thorns. Individual B carefully
meanders through the thorny path maintaining a constant momentum and
gets to the finish line absolutely unhurt and eventually celebrates
briskly with so much energy!
Like success, the above event is a risky one. Success can be described
as the finish line in this race and the sharp thorns representing
obstacles to be encountered on your way. Individual A is a rash
risk-taker, a hasty and thoughtless mind that acts before thinking.
Individual B is a calculated risk-taker, a thoughtful mind that thinks
before acting, making him move through and surmount easily the
obstacles (bad political leadership and social structure, unemployment,
inflation, unfavourable government policies, ungrateful
employers/employees, peer pressure and discouragements, epileptic power
supply, fuel price hike, bribery/corruption, robbery and burglary etc.)
that constantly seek to choke the purpose, vision and dreams towards
success which we carry in our minds!
The concept of motion is summarized in the popular saying that; ‘slow
and steady wins the race’ and while our mind’s eye focuses on the
finish line, our actions towards success should be born out of deep and
careful thought-out plans and strategy.
Success is all about getting what you want, meeting targets and
specific needs either in the short-term, middle or long-term. Just like
getting any other thing, something must give way or happen for such
thing to be acquired. Hence, success is about cause and effect.
It is actually the positive effect that results from a particular
successful cause or phenomenon. According to Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy
of Needs, an individual is possessed by some kind of a natural spirit
that inspires him or her toward a specific need as he or she progresses
in a given job or career and life in its entirety, namely:
Basic/Physiological needs – Psychological/Safety needs – Ego/Self
esteem needs – Self Realization needs – Self Fulfillment/Actualization.
Whichever position any individual lies on the hierarchy, his/her state
of success is determined by an inward mindset and not in regard to the
things he attains. To some attaining the Basic or Physiological needs
may well replace fulfillment needs as far as they are concerned.
According to Wallace D. Wattles: “The cause of success is always in the
person who succeeds...”
I hereby conclude that Success in its absoluteness is the product of an
activated mindset! Thanks for following. I hope you have been transformed and your mind is now a Success Canon!
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