Why people fail 6

I wish to thank everyone who has sent in sms, emails or blog comments to acknowledge

how this series has been of immense impact on their lives. Thanks a million for your

kind words. Keep them coming. Next post, I’ll be starting a new series entitled,

“Why Giants Fall”, where we’ll be discussing reasons people who once tasted success,

fame and wealth found themselves slipping from grace to grass. It promises to

be informative and inspiring.

To every man is assigned a life assignment. Life is a purpose and each day that makes up your entire life must be lived on purpose for fulfilment (success) to happen. Your responsibility is to find your voice- what makes you unique from every other individual? People fail for non-discovery of self, going through life striving to be like others.

Ask the following questions:

·         What are my talents/natural endowments (sports, food, music, craft, the arts, sciences..?)

·         What are my complimentary skills (football, cooking, singing, painting, writing, scientific research..?)

·         What are my strengths (loving, compassionate, being organised, sensitivity, meticulousness, quizzical, extroverted..?) 

·         What do I do so effortlessly?

Marcel Prous says, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” Meditate and make an inventory of your strengths.

Every effort spent on developing your talent, skills or passion is a positive one. Never give up on developing your innate abilities. It’s like casting your bread upon the waters; you’ll find it after many days. Derive joy in building yourself up. Never invest more on your outward appearance than you do to your inward man because the latter always outlasts the former as the former diminishes with age. But many people die while still living because as their outward man fades away, the inward man deteriorates as well; due to non-development. What self development resources have you invested in lately? Talented people fail for non-development of talent. Develop your gifts through constant use.

People also fail as a result of discouragement. Most job seekers allow themselves to be intimidated by the evasiveness of “good” jobs in the land to the extent that they unfortunately conclude that to get such jobs one needs a “connection”. This is not 100% correct. People still get jobs on merit without knowing anybody. Work hard, know your onions, be clear about what you really want, design your map, join the queue and stay on the line.

Life rewards consistency, stay on the line till it’s your turn. Endure the initial rejection till you become a brand. Stay on the line, develop roots and produce branches like a tree. Have you ever seen a tree change location? Quit jumping from industry to industry, job to job or relationship to relationship. Funke Akindele waited for 10 years till she became a household name and brand icon. What would have become of her if she had quit acting just before she produced the film, Jenifa?

Be consistent till you generate momentum to overcome inertia. That’s the secret of cars and aeroplanes. Momentum gives them increased motion till they reach their destination. It creates a critical mass. You’ll never develop roots by being inconsistent. Wait till it’s your turn.

Other reasons people fail that have not been discussed in this series include: laziness, complacency, timidity, rigidity etc.