21 May Dear Emerald, The Law of Success

Everyone recognises success so strive for it.

In July 2015, I was home on a Sunday morning. I couldn’t attend service that day so I tuned to Dunamis TV and the choir was singing. Somehow, the voice of the lead singer sounded faintly familiar and I looked up to see who it was. Then I saw her, we had attended the same fellowship in our undergraduate days and here she was a lead singer with international coverage

I was very excited and screamed her name aloud. Unfortunately, I was the only one at home so there was no one to tell. I quickly took a snapshot of the TV screen and told a few of our mutual friends. The next Tuesday, I was in church and she sang again, I didn’t know when I tapped a random girl beside me and said ‘that’s my friend from school’. Like she needed that bit of information, right? 

And then it struck me! THE LAW OF SUCCESS was at work

You see, people are attracted to success and successful people. No one really cares about the process that brought the success nor do they want to be near you during the trial and error seasons of life. Like leeches, the world latches on to successful people.

The world will not remember when you trekked because all you had was a vision. There is a natural law that says that men are made in the secret, but celebrated in the public. Ask King David if you are in doubt.

Emerald, I write to encourage you on the need to work on your vision and goals. In your journey of life, you must remember that certain friends will leave ‘because the hustle is yet to pay’. Don’t be angry at them, the world was not designed to associate with failure. It matters less if they are failing themselves

I recall the prayers of my mentor in school. He is Professor of Reaction Engineering. Halfway into his lecture, when he perceived a looming restlessness, he will lunch the class into a banter in his traditional Igbo way. He chose his topics randomly from church, politics or paying of tithe which was always his favourite topic. Whatever topic he addressed, he always ended with a prayer “May you never see your contemporaries and hide your face in shame” and we all chorus amen.

What separates men are opportunity, preparedness, luck (yes mere chance), grace, societal and parental influence. Don’t dream when others are working. Dream without action is called wishful thinking. As is my tradition, I’ll leave you with practical steps you can follow;

Leave social media if you need to or a least use only apps relevant to your dream and vision.

Regulate the number of hours spent with your phone. You can freeze certain apps when you need to concentrate. Also, exit certain WhatsApp groups.

Reduce to the barest minimum your TV time and say to yourself, I will be watched.

Keep a time stamp jotter where you evaluate how you spent your time each day.

Always write your itinerary for the week or month and break them into daily ‘to do lists’.

Paste your goals in front of the mirror or in the bathroom. The more you read, the more you are reminded of them. 

Finally, I leave you with these words “Do you see a man skilled in his labour, he’ll stand before kings and not before obscure men”

Don’t forget, the world only recognizes success.

Chizzy Nwokoye