He was extremely happy. He called his family
members, including his aunt to share the good news. They were also very happy
though they were shocked that he used part of his school fees to gamble, but
who cares to scold him since he won. The next day, he went there to claim his
prize, his family members were there too, and it felt like he was dreaming.
Different news casters were calling for his attention in order to interview
him. He felt like a superstar; all the national newspaper covered it. He was on
the front page of every newspaper in town. He became the talk of the town for
weeks.
When he got back to school with his new KIA
Picanto car, everyone started hailing him. All his friends that abandoned him
and called him all sorts of names, came back to associate themselves with him.
The same guy that was called a fool on campus was called the intelligent one.
Just has the campus gist news covered him, to insult him then for using his
school fees to gamble, they covered him again, but this time they talked about
his bravery act and the level of intelligence he possesses as he took a risk to
play the game.
What is the essence of me telling you this story?
I told you this story to buttress the fact that people don’t have a constant
opinion. They change with time and situation. With people, 'right' can become
'wrong' and 'wrong' can become 'right' as long as it suits their interest at
that point in time. Their opinion is not always about what is right or wrong,
but what is required and acceptable by their interest.
Now let me quickly ask you this question: Can you
say that the boy was wrong for gambling with his school fee, or was wise and
brave in taking a risk since you know that he won? Your answer will depend on
your interest.
Why live your entire life based on people’s
opinion, which is determined by their personal interest and not your own
interest. People aren’t even sure of what they say. They say what they think at
that moment. Listen to yourself; you are constant, they are not. You know what
you want, they don’t know. You are confident about what you want, they are full
of doubts so don’t make the mistake of letting your confidence down.
Listen to your instinct; listen to that soft
inner voice within you. Listen to what you think and what you want. Just do it!
Yes, do what you want. Let them talk, it’s normal, they will always talk. You
just ensure to always give them a topic for discussion and leave the topic for
them to analyze. Take responsibility for your life. After all, it is your life
and not theirs. The more you seek acceptance from people before you do a thing,
the more time flies before you realize it is impossible to get acceptance from
people.
Not everybody will support you. If you can
support yourself, that is just ok, as a matter of fact, that is all you need to
start a thing and finish it. Just believe in yourself. Even if people believe
in you, but you seem not to believe in yourself, you will fail in that thing.
The most important step to achieve success is for you to believe in your dream
and ability. Yes, you can! Your belief controls your way of life, and summarize
your story.
What story do you want to be written about you?
Is it a success story or a defeated story? Don’t rely on people. Care less, if
people don’t believe in you, but if they do, it is just an extra motivation. It
is you that will determine the course of your life. These people won’t live
your life. You are to live your life, so why live your life to the taste of
these people and to your own distaste. Will you rent a house that you don’t
like, provided you have the money? Why will you rely on people’s opinion when
you already have yours and yours determines your life?
Don’t be carried away by the wind of people’s
opinion, it blows to and fro. Take out your writings and publish it, take out
your drawings, dust it and exhibit it. Go for that course, participate in that
contest, lunch that idea… Yes, Just Do! If you are really convinced about
that thing, don’t let them discourage you. Have a strong will. Success is not
for the weak at heart rather for the strong minded. Stop thinking about
what will people say. Think about what you are saying about that thing. Develop
your self-confidence. Accept yourself; accept both your weakness and your
strength.
It doesn’t matter if you fail; it doesn’t matter
if people call you a failure, at least you did what you believed in (that’s a
plus for you). Never let their opinion be the basis of yours. Take pride in
yourself and in your ability. Embrace your failed attempt, learn from it and be
successful. Failure is not defined by the number of times a person failed, it
is defined by a person’s refusal to stand up and try again. A failed attempt
has a lesson to offer, so take the lesson and try again. It is ok to fail, but
never to get defeated. Listen to yourself and Just do it.
