Succeeding In The World of Life

Most people glide through life under the tacit assumption that things will happen as expected forgetting that life has its own dynamics. 

Inevitably, issues ensue that derails plans exposing risks, doubt and dangers of our lives. You may be ensnared by the vicissitudes of life. 

Unless you are winning, life will seem hideously unfair to you. Some people are of the view that life should be fair because they deserve the best. 

The truth is that life is just playing by different rules since our idea of fairness are not actually obtainable; portraying a cloak for wishful thinking.

Whether to succeed or fail in life do not occur accidentally but rather bothers on matters of informed choices. Therefore every step taken must be well thought of and planned in order to succeed in the world of life. 

It bothers on the fact that before one can succeed, a number of factors has to be considered. Success is something almost everyone wants, and many spend a lifetime hoping for. Some never find it while others realize it early in life.

One of the factors that must be considered in order to succeed in the world of life is hard work and determination. The harder you work for something, the greater you’ll feel when you achieve it. I take inspiration from the philosophy of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow who posited that “the heights by which great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.” It takes hard work and determination to accomplish desired goals. 

Determination is like a sharp knife, able to cut through all the things that may cloud or block the way before us. Determination speaks in terms of starting and finishing well.

In order to succeed in the world of life, one needs to persist and persevere. To persist and persevere means to be steadfast in spite of difficulties. It’s all about pressing on. You assume a firm position without wavering. It is good to acknowledge that those who quit never win. 

Like the marathon runner, many difficulties, hardships and disappointments will come the way as one pursue success. Loved ones will misunderstand you, opposition will beat you up, loneliness may surround you and trials may seem to be on your every side. 

However, it is only the inner resolve to persist to the end that will keep you pressing on no matter what. The late British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, in a speech made at Harrow School, England on October 29, 1941 indicated that “never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never, never give in nothing great or small, large or petty-never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.” That should be the attitude of those who wants to succeed in the world of life.

People who persist believes in no failures but in outcomes and results. Failure only teaches lessons on how to adjust thinking and pressing on. The life of Thomas Edison, the man who invented light bulb is full of emulation. He tried 9,999 times and still failed. He had to persevere before he was successful. In succeeding in the world of life, it is dangerous to succumb to taunts and distractions from fellow mates or colleagues. 

If you intend to succeed in this life, persistence and perseverance should be your hallmark. Abraham Lincoln failed 13 times in his pursuit for success. He had every reason to quit but rather he persevered. At Age 51, he was elected to the US Presidency. Remember you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

Having a vision will also assist when one wants to succeed in the world of life. Having a vision is about having a dream, a goal or a purpose. . It is about seeing the end of your life’s journey from the beginning. Zig Ziglar asserted that it is infinitely more marvelous to be blind and have a vision than to have eyesight without a vision. It is implied that a vision is not merely having eyes nor the ability to see.

Many people have failed in life because they never had a vision. Proverbs 29:18 says it all that where there are no vision, the people perish. There can be no true success without a vision. Successful and great people have often been people of visions. In planning for a better life, you first have to define your aims and aspirations in life. This includes exploring the possibilities of your life through your visions and evaluating your unique characteristics, talents and skills.

Achieving success involves the implementation of your personal goals without fear. Remember you are the architect of our own destiny. You must change your perception on failure and think positively because as a man thinks in his heart, so he is. The speech of Martin Luther King Jnr., an Afro-American Human Right activist and a preacher titled: “I have a dream” made on August 28, 1963 at Washington D.C. says it all. The rationale behind the speech was to rally all Black American freed slaves to press on for their political, economic and social freedom and emancipation from the White Americans who still segregated and discriminated against the Blacks in America at that time.

Great visionaries are purposeful, dream big, plan big and execute their plans timely and are time conscious, pragmatic, charismatic and above all full of commitment. Nothing deters them from achieving higher heights. Visionary people always make impact in their generation. Have a worthy vision in life and set realistic goals to achieve them. Goals have a tendency of being realized. It does not matter where you are, your vision can propel you to where you must be.

Another important factor to be considered when one wants to succeed in the world of life is to avoid procrastination. Procrastination means to postpone, defer or put aside an action, task or job. It encapsulates the ineffectual use of time. Time is a commodity and interesting resource. In order to succeed in life, you need to develop positive attitudes towards effective time management and avoid procrastination.

Some of our important choices have a time line. If you delay a decision, the opportunity is gone forever. Do not leave for tomorrow what you can easily do today because life is too short. Sometimes, our doubts keep us from making choices that involves change. Every blessed day is a new opportunity to succeed. Just ignore yesterday’s failures and start over again. Paul admonishes Christians from Ephesians 5:15-16 that “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time because the days are evil.” 

Knowing the heavy price that God has paid to redeem us, we should be very concerned about making the best of the time entrusted to us. It is very clear that misuse of our time is a great concern to God. As Christians, we are obliged to converting passing time into good use. 

In conclusion, I want to assert that you are born to succeed. Nothing should deter you from achieving your God-given goals or succeeding in life. Remember that you are the architect of your own future.

Article by Elder Samuel Danso

Suhum