Blessings! God bless and keep you in this month of
February.
I am not anywhere near what you will
call a football fan, neither am I as educated in the game as a lot of people out
there. However, I do know a life
principle when I see one.
At this time a few weeks back, in my
home country, everyone had something to say about the Super Eagles; our
National Football Team, the comments were largely consistent; most of it was
negative. The tournament started and the mood
remained the same two draws and a
win by the skin of our teeth ushered
Nigeria into a Quarter final battle against the
most prominent African time, Cote d’ Ivoire. Almost everyone, was very sure that we were
finished where football was concerned as a nation. Then the worst happened. The Coach, Stephen Keshi; for me one of the
most purposeful ex national players for Nigeria, released the list of the
members of the team that were going to be playing Ivory Coast and he had a
number of home based players! It was like he poured petrol into an already
raging fire, everyone wanted his head!
Surely, he had no idea what coaching was all about!
I didn’t watch any match prior to
yesterday’s and I didn’t watch yesterday’s either, but you cannot be in Nigeria
and not know what’s up if the national team is playing… so I heard all the
commentaries from my brothers to my neighbours to people buildings away from
us. As you know Nigerians are pretty
passionate people. Even though I was in my
bedroom trying to catch some much needed sleep, it was impossible to miss the
fact that Nigeria had won the match.
By this morning, all of Facebook and
Blackberry world had been overtaken by Nigerians who always ‘knew’ Nigeria had
what it took… everyone suddenly is very proud of our national team and are expressing
belief in Stephen Keshi’s strategy.
I am not going to try and pick holes in their sudden change of heart and
belief but I do know that if you are pursuing a dream, then you can learn a
thing or two from this experience.
1.
THERE
IS ALWAYS ROOM AT THE TOP:- In discussing this subject with my husband this
morning, (he is a football aficionado) he told me that Clemens Westerhof had
pulled this same feat off in the past, (in AFCON 1990).
But he was pretty sure that a foreign club side does not make the
player, what makes him is his talent and his commitment to success. Just like everyone wrote the team off because
it had more home based players than internationals, people may look at your
small dream now and write you off. But if you have the same hunger for success
like those young men had yesterday, even a savvy and favourite tournament team
like the Elephants will not stop you.
2.
PEOPLE
ARE LOOKING FOR FRESH EVEN WHEN THEY DON’T KNOW IT
– As with most things in life, when we get used to stuff, venturing out in any other direction can be very
uncomfortable, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that when we get ‘fresh’ we
are relieved. The home based players
were fresh, inexperienced at that level maybe; but fresh. Even with your businesses and dream, the key
is to be fresh. Give them something
extra in unexpected doses or fashion… even if you are pursuing a dream in a
field others have excelled, what makes you stand out is not doing it exactly
like they have, but in presenting your own to them fresh.
3.
FRESH
HAS SOMETHING TO PROVE – When everyone
kept castigating Coach Stephen Keshi’s choice of players, I wondered what their
problem was… basically, if these internationals were that good and they are,
why will they risk tarnishing their image and reputation on a team most say has
been jinxed for nineteen years? What
will playing at AFCON bring them that they don’t already have? Fame? Money? What? The home based players on the other hand,
were green and fresh, probably never been outside the shores of Nigeria… maybe
dreaming to adorn themselves in the national kit was even a tall order. But here is opportunity thrown on their laps…
in my experience people like these have something to prove! It is why I will prefer to do business with a
young up and coming ‘start up’ any day over an established structured one,
especially when I need someone to give me great service. All of us small businesses and new dreamers
on the block have something to prove.
What this means is we go the extra mile.
So the next time someone asks you why they should trust you to deliver,
tell them because you have something to prove.
Well I did say I was no football
buff per se, but I do hope you can draw these parallels between the Super
Eagles and you; trying to chart a course for your dream and create a world
class business. In the final analysis, just
like the Super Eagles went on to surprise even their most ardent supporters,
you too can go on to surprise even yourself.
Remember no matter what they say,
you will make it NeverTheLess!
Here is to your success!
Sistar B
