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- Herausgeber: Victor Ehighaleh
- Kategorie: Ratgeber
- Sprache: Englisch
From Crisis to Greatness gives you a step-by-step approach to navigating the mine-filled path that leads to greatness. it dwells extensively on the Seed of Greatness and also shows how to leverage on talents in order to move towards greatness despite being at one's lowest ebb.
The book is primarily tailored towards giving hope and assurance of success to everyone who implements the blueprint contained in the book.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020
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Victor Ehighaleh
From Crisis to Greatness
Table of contents
Preface
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Also by Victor Ehighaleh
From Crisis to Greatness
Copyright © 2020 by Victor Ehighaleh. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author.
Esthom Graphic Prints.
To all those who have been enmeshed in pain and crisis and have come out of murky waters to achieve greatness.
Preface
1 Introduction
2 The Friendly Pain
3 Dwelling in Pain
4 The Link between Pain and Crisis
5 Crisis as an Acronym
6 The Seed of Greatness
7 Engaging the Seed of Greatness
8 Leveraging on Talents
9 Approaching the Greatness Airport
10 Boarding the Flight to Greatness
11The Arrival Lounge
12 Lessons on Greatness
13 The Greats
Preface
Thank you so very much for picking up this book. You are about to proceed on a journey to discover how you can move from your lowest ebb to the mountaintop of greatness.
From Crisis to Greatness buttress the fact that great achievers habitually immerse themselves in the sea of positive energy and mindset. This book gives you a step-by-step approach to realizing your dreams. It dwells richly on the Seed of Greatness and recognizes its catalytic role in piloting all those who aspire to achieve greatness to reach their goal in record time. It also dwells on the deployment of talent(s) in the quest for greatness. It also shows you how to move away from the deployment of negative energy towards imbibing the right spirit and mindset that will ultimately lead you to achieving the best in all spheres of life.
At the end of the book, you will discover the difference between achieving greatness and being admitted into the elitist College of the Greats.
VICTOR EHIGHALEH
Chapter 1
Introduction
Greatness is not bestowed on anyone on the table of comfort. It is a product of a carefully calculated voyage into the realm of possibilities. Many great men and women began their journey to greatness from the valley of crisis. Yes! A gentle and sometimes, rude push into self awareness occasioned by the right mindset propels them into taking steps toward kick-starting their journey to a purposeful future. Usually, along the path, evolving possibilities are laid bare before them as a result of their foray into the mountain of crisis.
We must admit the fact that greatness is readily available in the mouth of a lion. It takes men and women of courage, determination and the right attitude and mindset to access it. Somehow, a very negligible few gain access to it without having body injuries. Others access it with scratches on their bodies. Some other folks access it after losing much blood and flesh. A few others access it after losing their limbs. At the end of the day, what matters is: greatness is attached to their name. We must also learn to admit the fact that no one becomes great without a fight. In fact, the truth is – greatness without a measure of resistance does not exist. A price is required and must be duly paid by whoever desires it. Going forward, the easiest way to attain greatness is by navigating a single or multiple crisis laden paths. As you successfully journey to the end of the path – it implies that you have a measure of the Seed of Greatness buried inside your consciousness. Those who surge forward to plant the seed – ultimately achieve greatness.
A major characteristic in the lives of great folks is the ability to discover the hidden greatness in every crisis. Such talents are not found in the path of mediocrity. It is only visible to men and women of tremendous possibilities. Such endowments are beyond the scope of those who have consciously made up their mind to be satisfied as ordinary folks.
In the land of the greats – crisis is considered as a positive change agent. It does not signify the end of the road but a great opening for unlimited possibilities. It also signifies a chance to fruitfully exploit the present so as to surge forward into the realms of amazing possibilities. In fact, great men and women consider crisis as a mine so laden with temporal unpleasantness that will ultimately usher them into greatness. As a matter of fact, crisis brings out the legends in them.
Navigating through a crisis endemic road is certainly not a tea party. It is a journey undertaken by the brave and focused. Indeed, the journey separates an ordinary being from an extraordinary one. I am sure you are aware that great folks dwell in the realm of the extraordinary. They see the crisis as a very temporary phenomenon that is laden with the Seed of Greatness. On the other hand, ordinary folks see a crisis as the end of an enterprising journey. As far as they are concerned, a crisis is a call to engage the reverse gear. They believe their progress has been halted and everything around them has commenced the backward integration journey. However, unknown to them, great folks utilize crisis points to garner tremendous amounts of momentum toward running over a seemingly imaginary mountain, surrounded by crisis. They intuitively consider crisis as varying degrees of pockets of fire in an isolated island surrounded by wild animals. At this point, they instinctively consider their intellect as fire extinguishers. They also ingeniously survey the island and discover the hidden treasures buried beneath the earth-of-reality. Their well developed microscopic and telescopic eyesight enables them to fashion out processes through which they could convert the metals beneath the earth to firearms. Their undying resolve to exploit every opportunity and possibility that hangs on the treetops before them in a record time is a true pointer to the greatness in them.
At this point, we must admit the fact that less than 5 percent of humans fall into the college of the greats. The reason is simple – an average person dislikes a crisis situation. They would rather avoid it or reluctantly go around it with the sole aim of making an escape. They are absolutely bereft of ideas as regards fashioning out the best way forward. The man in them dies as soon as they see a semblance of crisis. Are you a part of the less than 5 percent who will instinctively put on their thinking cap whenever they find themselves in crisis? If you are one of them – this book is for you. On the other hand, if you belong to the other group – the contents of this book will help you make very remarkable progress away from the sea of ordinary folks. In fact, you are on a journey to becoming a better you. After a while, you will begin to see the huge potential and possibilities buried inside you and inside every crisis. As you are faced with a crisis – you will no longer take the shortcut route by running away from it but would rather embrace it and fashion out the best way forward. You must remember that every crisis situation offers you a unique opportunity to solve a temporal problem that will ultimately pilot you into the sea of greatness.
Great men and women are folks who have cultivated the habit of seeing the hidden success and victory at the back of every crisis. As they confront the crisis with every iota of strength and determination in them, they also imagine the duration of the victory dance. Certainly, you cannot become a Victor without a fight. This statement implies that you cannot become great without picking up a shovel to innovatively transfer the heap of crisis before you into an already dug valley. You must remember that the valley is a product of your sweat. You must also be mindful of the fact that greatness is an enemy of the lazy and indolent. It is also not a food for children but the tested and mature. In fact, the oil of experience improves the greatness in them.
Being in the midst of hundred lions is expected to polish the survival instinct of every great man or woman. The presence of the lions is a mere factor that seriously hastens the resolve of great minds to imbibe the spirit of courage, focus, determination and excellence. For them, excuses are considered as properties of the dead. They certainly want to live! This urge in them – opens them up to amazing life generating possibilities.
If the presence of obstacles masquerading as crisis falls across your path and you intuitively engage the reverse gear – you are probably not destined for greatness. Fortunately, you have an open check before you – this book will help you to see the “great you” in every Crisis.
You are a Winner!
Chapter 2
The Friendly Pain
Do you like pain? I suppose no one does, because pain is unpleasant. You may want to ask: How can something unpleasant be classified as friendly? You are absolutely right! However, I suggest you put down your already raised hand because I intend to give you reasons why your thoughts and predisposition may only last for a short while. Yes! Friendly pain does exist. This chapter will throw more light on why some pain inducing crisis is classified as Friendly Pain. Before we delve into the reasons why they are classified as friendly, let us briefly dwell on the human body’s reaction to incidents of pain.
Man is configured to get rid of every pain inducing agent. It does not matter whether it is internal or externally generated. Man’s reaction is – do away with pain! In fact, a mere thought that something could cause pain to the body triggers the body’s defense led by the immune system to mobilize it’s soldiers – the antibodies – to get rid of the intruder. This clearly shows that nature detests pain in all ramifications.
Nature is ruled by simple principles in the realm of the ordinary. The act of obeying nature’s principles all of the time confines its adherents to the path of mediocrity. If you are able to convince yourself that you are extraordinary – you must also learn to position yourself to go beyond the dictates of nature because anyone who wants to receive the greatness-handshake must realize that it is not a gift – You must diligently work for it. Going forward, those who desire it obtain it after boarding the Pain Vehicle. Ultimately, through their exploits, they arrive at the endurance-and -hope bus station with the intention of making it a transit point en route to the mountaintop of greatness.
Let us buttress this fact by using a suitable example. The practice of profiting from pain is a key factor that is utilized in military training. Cadets are subjected to rigorous pain inducing exercises. The aim is simple – to prepare and toughen them for the challenges that lie ahead of them. At the end of the initial pain-filled exercises, the cadets drop the toga – Civilian, and put on the military appellation. The difference is simple – they have been subjected to body and mental capacity transforming pain-filled training that has changed their mindset forever. This practice is absolutely anti-nature. An ordinary individual would naturally want to escape from such training because of the pain associated with it. However, the fact that the training is compulsory compels them to endure it. At the end of the day – they realize the importance of such training whenever they are confronted with a tough task that requires the use of extraordinary power.
At this point, let us define the term – Friendly Pain: A Friendly Pain is a kind of pain that is detested by the human body, mind and spirit while being subjected to it but becomes a pleasant experience whenever the fruits are needed. Let us cite suitable examples through the use of case studies.
Susan
Susan is a novelist who had become a permanent receiver of rejection letters. After numerous attempts at getting published, her friends and associates had turned her into an object of ridicule. They had advised her to seek for other valuable things to do because they had concluded that the written craft is not her vocation. The pain generated as a result of these negative comments made her to self-isolate. She knew all she needed to do was to continue to work harder and also improve her knowledge.
Despite the pain of rejection, she had buried herself in the sea of self-improvement. After a tortuous long while, she got published and her friends and associates apologized for not believing in her. The period of rejection was a pain-filled experience. Fortunately, Susan’s belief made her to self-improve until she became a published author. Ultimately, she became successful – an amazing fruit derived from pain and rejection – A friendly pain!
Toga
Toga had been confined to a cage for five years until her lone benefactor – Donald Tuck succumbed to a prolonged illness. Soon, she began to endlessly wait for her daily ration. Unfortunately, hunger became her lot. Being a lion in a cage made it impossible for her to access food despite the presence of domestic goats in the compound. She had passed through a period of intense pain occasioned by hunger until she realized that she could attempt to break out of the cage. Suddenly, she decided to utilize the power in her to violently shake the cage. After a while, she discovered that she had broken the padlock that had confined her to the cage for five tortuous years. Her action set her free from captivity. A moment later, she had pussy-footed to the back of the compound to commence her game – to feast on the goats in the compound. The pain associated with being confined to a cage for five years and the hunger occasioned by the sudden death of her benefactor made her begin the journey to freedom. In the process, her pain gave her victory – A friendly pain!
Jack
Jack is a nineteen years old boy whose passion for music is legendary. His parents had thrown him out of their home because of his refusal to heed their call to enroll in college to study Engineering. He had boldly informed them that he prefers music. As a result of his expulsion from home, he became a street boy for one year. While on the streets, he plays his guitar almost endlessly. Fortunately, on a summer evening, a passerby noticed him and after a brief conversation, Jack was offered an accommodation. His new friend being a music producer helped him to polish his talent until he began to win awards. As soon as he began to dwell in public domain, his hitherto uncompromising parents pleaded with him for forgiveness. At this point, the pain of being rejected and homeless had become a friend.
Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt, a politician had failed several times. His name had become synonymous with election loss. His associates had begun to worry about his fortunes. Some have reasoned that he had become insane. Despite several attempts to assure his associates of his sanity, they had rejected him. After the rejection saga, he was made to pass through a bitter divorce with his estranged wife who had taken advantage of his losses to quit the marriage. However, despite his poor fortune, he decided to move on by associating with new friends because he believed in his dreams and was not ready to give up. Fortunately, after five other attempts at getting elected – he was sworn in as a duly elected governor of his state. Thunderbolt’s performance in office received worldwide acclaim. He became the best governor in the history of his nation. His pain, occasioned by election losses and rejection by associates and wife, had positively affected his performance in office – A friendly pain!
Thompson
Thompson had always been an average student in high school. Being an autistic child had made him vulnerable to rejection by his peers. He had struggled to graduate from high school. After graduation, he could not proceed further. He spent two years at home trying to figure out what he wanted in life. Unfortunately, after spending eighteen months at home, his parents had given up on him. They thought he had become senile. Fortunately, unknown to them, Thompson had embarked on a journey of self-discovery. He woke up one morning and secretly applied for a government scholarship after he had passed the entrance examination to a nearby college. Surprisingly, he ended up with a first class degree. He proceeded to obtain masters and a doctorate degree on government scholarship and in less than four years after obtaining Ph.D. he became a professor. His meritorious rise in the academic world had been legendary. In fact, he won numerous awards. Thompson’s pain as a result of rejection by peers in high school and his parent’s erroneous conclusion about him had propelled him to become a success story – A friendly pain!
At this point, we must acknowledge the fact that pain has positive and negative attributes. The positive attributes bring out the best in us while the negative attributes attempts to confine us to a state of self-pity and hopelessness. Our interest in this book is to primarily focus on the positive attributes. The positive attributes energizes us to find a solution that will curtail the pain. It also helps in the generation of the ability to endure the pain and the development and enhancement of the spirit of creativity as a tool to achieving success. On the other hand, the negative attributes of pain triggers the desire for a shortcut or an escape route, loss of hope, and the feeling of being vulnerable to defeat and other problems. Going forward, let us delve into the positive attributes of pain.
The following are considered as positive attributes of pain:
1. Endurance
2. Courage
3. Adaptation
4. Creativity
5. Improved problem solving skills
6. Growth and development
Endurance
No one can become great without being able to endure difficult situations. Pain is a veritable vehicle through which we acquire the ability to endure difficulties. The experience toughens and broadens our resolve to get prepared for greater challenges ahead.
Courage
A bout of painful experiences will increase our resolve to face tougher challenges with a courageous heart. Pain readily induces the generation of factors that ultimately suppress the impact of the pain on our system. The human body is so equipped to accomplish such a task. As a result, the already toughened body is adequately prepared to explore the possibility of tackling bigger challenges. The beneficiary of the toughened stance is the development of courage. The individual becomes emboldened and the desire to face stiffer opposition becomes a natural occurrence. Painful experiences that would have hitherto made the individual to instantly engage the reverse gear are frontally challenged without fear.
Adaptation
Adaptation is a positive attribute of pain. As a result of frequent exposure to pain inducing incidents, an individual is readily equipped through such experiences to be able to adapt to such challenges. His body becomes toughened to the extent that it can adapt to varying degrees of resistance. A readily available example is a goldsmith’s palm. The rigor of repeatedly exposing the palm to fire during the process of purifying gold helps the palm to adapt to varying intensities of fire. Such a palm has been configured to withstand more heat as compared to a virgin palm that lacks the fire-experience. In essence, the pain occasioned by the regular exposure of the palm to fire, propels the palm to adapt itself to the fire challenge.
Creativity
Being exposed to pain elicits the development of improved capacity for creativity. The pain helps us to concentrate our efforts on a possible solution model. The urgent desire to seemingly get rid of the pain opens us to diverse possibilities.
Improved problem solving skills
Being faced with a painful experience increases our capacity to proactively focus on how to generate ideas that will help to counter the pain. Great ideas that would have been underutilized are brought to the fore as a result of the painful experience. In essence, pain improves our capacity to generate novel ideas towards solving problems.
Growth and development
Exposure to pain elicits some reactions by the body. The body becomes accustomed to the pressure of pain by improving its capacity to grow and develop. It also aids us to improve our cognitive and self-awareness drive. Hidden talents will begin to evolve to our consternation. Also, the “can do” spirit becomes our lot and things that hitherto appear insurmountable are readily accomplished almost effortlessly.
A classic example of pain induced growth and development is the activities of weight lifters. The act of subjecting the muscle to heavy weight elicits the development and growth of such muscles so as to be able to withstand the pressure from the weights. The tensile strength of the muscle becomes heightened. This action increases the muscle’s capacity to withstand more weight. These reactions are products of the body’s effort to adapt itself to increased pressure.
Chapter 3
Dwelling in Pain
Encountering pain and dwelling in it for a significant length of time is transformational. Many people are averse to painful experiences. We must admit the fact that painful experiences prepare us for greater challenges. Majority of the pain-avoiding population do not go beyond average levels in their vocation. On the other hand, individuals who have been exposed to significant pain inducing challenges are prone to becoming the Movers and Shakers of the society. In essence, they occupy leadership positions. For this category of people, pain comes with hidden treasures. The ability to recognize this fact stands them out as legends of our time. They belong to the school of thought that sees pain as a positive life changing experience.
Pain is indeed a veritable tool through which a fearful and timid person can be toughened. Its transformational power is made manifest in all those who have passed through it. Each episode of pain is sometimes associated with attitude reengineering. One’s capacity to bear the pain improves with time. Such experiences position the candidate to be able to withstand greater pain and challenges. However, despite our immune response, every episode of pain increases our capacity to accept and endure more pain. In fact, our body is inherently programmed to tackle the problem.
For everyone who aspires to live on the greatness plateau, the period associated with dwelling in pain is the litmus-test that is required to separate an ordinary individual from the extraordinary one. In essence, our attitude during this period is an indication of our readiness to commence the greatness journey. It is a period that separates the men from the boys. In fact, it is a period of being exposed to weeping. Real men avoid the urge to weep while the boys weep almost without end. Greatness is obviously not for the childish, lazy and timid. It is a meal exclusively available to the talented, bold, strong and determined. Great folks are people who have duly paid the price in the course of achieving greatness. Some of them lose valuables that are beyond their imagination. How many people are ready to pay the price? Only a negligible few I suppose!
A recurring decimal in the life of great folks is the ability to look forward to a pain-filled experience with the heart of a lion. They doggedly pass through the challenge and ultimately reap the benefit of their action. We must remind ourselves that this group represents 4 percent of our population. As far as they are concerned, pain represents a regular occurrence in their life. They are always ready to go through it because they have consistently reassured themselves that they would come out of it stronger and better equipped to face more daunting life challenges that lie ahead of them.
In the life of great people, the period of dwelling in pain signifies the shedding of light skin. This period is enmeshed in pains that are continually confined to the back of their consciousness so as to enable them wear the thick skin of greatness. The period between light and thick skin is associated with lots of physical, emotional and intellectual changes. The real man in them becomes visible after the transition. During this phase, positive character traits are developed and enhanced and also polished to glittering levels. At this point, fear, impatience and other negative tendencies are thrown overboard. The power of focus becomes their working tool. At the end of the journey, the opposite group, that is, the group of 96 percent can clearly notice the transformation and acknowledge the same. Also, at this point, the toga of greatness becomes their appendage. They have indeed graduated as extraordinary beings.
How did they get here? Subsequent chapters of this book will provide answers. Going forward, let us consider other characteristics associated with this phase:
1. Self Discovery and Awareness
2. Ideation
3. Attitude Reorientation
4. Futuristic
5. Empowerment
6. Result oriented
Self Discovery and Awareness
The period of dwelling in pain exposes us to some aspects of our life that had been hidden. We soon begin to discover our capacity and resolve to pass through the pain-filled experience. At the end of the day, we are adequately equipped to face greater challenges.
Ideation
Pain-filled experiences are veritable tools through which hitherto hidden ideas are brought to the fore by our consciousness. Oftentimes, being confined to a place as a result of pain enables us to temporarily get detached from some aspects of our life. The need to somehow fruitfully utilize the extra time at our disposal put pressure on our mental capacity. The result is the generation of ideas. At this point, we are prone to retrospectively x-ray our life so as to identify our mistakes and propose the best way forward. We also tend to see things differently as a result of being overwhelmed by pain. This enables us to birth great ideas.
Attitude Reorientation
For everyone who desires greatness, the period of dwelling in pain helps to broaden their horizon in terms of working on their attitude. The pain-filled experience opens their eyes to the fact that wrong attitude is the greatest limiting factor to greatness. For those who are proud, this period automatically presents the humble-pie before them. At the end of the day, their attitude becomes the winner!
Futuristic
The human body is so configured to always work toward self preservation. In fact, ideally, no one wants to die. Every pain-filled experience naturally elicits the self-preservation instinct in us. It makes us begin to plan toward a future devoid of pain. The hope generated by the pain-filled experience propels us toward becoming futuristic.
Empowerment
Pain-filled experiences ultimately empower us to face greater challenges. Our capacity to focus and endure difficult situations is greatly enhanced. It is often said that no one can pass through pain and come out of it the same. Pain is indeed an agent of transformation.
Result Oriented
Being hopeful as a result of being subjected to pain empowers us and makes us focus on how to overcome it. Also, our ability to focus on completing a compelling task is greatly enhanced and we are subsequently able to deploy this factor in our daily walk.
Chapter 4
The Link between Pain and Crisis
In the last two chapters, we introduced the concept of pain as it affects our journey to greatness. We had deliberately mentioned the word – Crisis, only in a few instances. However, in this chapter, we shall attempt to dwell on the link between Pain and Crisis. At this point, kindly permit me to take you through a journey between two brothers.
Pain and Crisis woke up early in the morning and after a thorough deliberation, they agreed to visit their ancestral home. Crisis, being the elder, is strong, bold and full of energy while Pain is weak and tender. A moment later, the journey commenced after breakfast. A moment before, Crisis had advised Pain to make sure that he was adequately kitted for the journey because they were about to embark on a journey of a thousand miles. Unfortunately, Pain was undecided. After a short while Pain picked up his bag, containing toiletries and beckoned on Crisis to signal the commencement of the journey. As expected, Crisis had mobilized all he needed for the journey. A short while later they had exited their house.
During their childhood period, Crisis had been known to be very selfish. Surprisingly, his selfishness does not extend to strangers. His parents and community had advised him to make amends but unfortunately, he had refused to accept their advice. Despite being aware of Crisis’s shortcoming, Pain had assured himself shortly before they commenced the journey that Crisis would assist him along the way. As they made progress, Pain’s legs suddenly began to hurt him. As expected, he pleaded with his brother to assist him with a pain reliever. Despite the fact that Crisis had enough quantity, he refused to grant Pain’s request. After five minutes of appeal, Pain began to walk so slowly until he hit an abrupt end. At this point, Crisis decided to abandon his brother. After a long while, he began to feel lonely and tired. Unfortunately, he had gone too far and could not make a u-turn. As soon as he realized that he might not be able to reach their ancestral home because of the heavy box on his head he decided to showcase his characteristic generosity. Fortunately, he sighted some farmers on the way to their farmlands and he made up his mind to give out some properties. After he had achieved his objective, he became happy again and increased his pace. Meanwhile, he had succeeded in walking for a long while before he suddenly began to feel sick shortly before he slumped. Fortunately, the farmers had commenced their homeward journey. A moment later, some of them were able to recognize him and assisted him to their community while yet unconscious. After seven minutes, he was resuscitated and he promptly opened his eyes but unfortunately, he lost consciousness again after a few seconds. At this point, a member of the community decided to search through his box and discovered an object carefully concealed underneath the box. The strange object had elicited a shift in attention. A few seconds after the incident, the community member who discovered the object suddenly became mad. The major problem at this point is – the one who has the solution to the problem is unconscious. If he does not regain consciousness, the mad man’s condition will deteriorate until he dies in less than forty eight hours. The million dollar question at this point is: How are they supposed to know that the antidote to madness lies in the hands of Crisis? The answer can only be found in the bosom of great men and women.
At this point, let us attempt to define Pain and Crisis. In the context of this book, Pain is defined as an unpleasant force that seeks to deposit anguish and fear in the life of its captive. It could be natural or man-made. On the other hand, Crisis is an unpleasant situation or occurrence that requires an urgent attention or solution in order to halt its progression. It could be natural or man-made.
From the above definition and as established in the Pain and Crisis ill-fated trip to their ancestral land, the primary link between Pain and Crisis is unpleasantness. You will agree with me that great men and women can start their journey faced with an unpleasant situation and are able to almost seamlessly navigate their way to greatness. If you do not believe this statement of fact – as you turn the pages of this book, I am sure you will end up being convinced. I must admit that only a few folks are capable of walking through unpleasantness to greatness. As earlier highlighted, this group represents 4 percent of our population. Their characteristics will be duly unveiled in the pages of this book as we make progress. First and foremost, I must also admit that greatness is not a natural occurrence. It involves tremendous reengineering of one’s mindset and belief system. The ability to endure unpleasant situations without necessarily losing our mind and focus is needed on the path to greatness.
Apart from unpleasantness which is the primary link between Pain and Crisis, there are other links that are secondary. They include fear, sorrow, loss of concentration, tendency to seek for a shortcut, etc.
We must note that Crisis stands out in many areas. It is obviously an offshoot of pain. It primarily starts as pain before evolving until it becomes a full blown crisis. In essence, crisis is said to be individualistic and general. This implies that it could affect an individual or many people at the same time. On the other hand, pain is mainly individualistic.
During crisis periods, every other issue automatically becomes secondary. The cause of crisis consistently finds itself in the minds of the population and everyone begins to work toward finding an urgent and lasting solution to it. In essence, crisis requires a collective approach to find a solution to it while pain oftentimes dwells on individual effort to halt it. At this point, we must admit that pain increases a man’s propensity for endurance, growth and development. The fact that pain tends to confine its captives to a localized point deliberately for them to lose concentration and ultimately lead to stagnation propels its captives to desire progress.
The major difference between pain and crisis is the fact that crisis tends to be induced by combination of local and external forces and could affect significant members of the population at the same time while pain is localized and individualistic. This is the major reason why Crisis requires community effort to effectively address it.
Going forward, let us start with a recap – the common denominator between pain and crisis is unpleasantness. The inability of an individual to find solutions to pain can snowball into community participation and if the pain persists, the community is said to be in crisis. A classic example is the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. It progressed from an index case to other people and the transmission ended up embracing the global plane – this is a crisis situation!
At this point, we shall commence the journey from Crisis to Greatness. The major attribute of great men and women is the fact that they soar like an Eagle during crisis situations. They boldly face the storm of crisis instead of running away from it. This practice enables them to go beyond the storm and almost effortlessly maintain their position above the storm. This is contrary to what obtains in the realm of ordinary folks who would naturally prefer to avoid the storm. On the other hand, great men and women are ready to confront crisis situations with much vigor and resilience.
Anyone in a crisis situation is already domiciled in a valley as it were. The act of exiting the valley for the surface of the earth is indeed herculean. If you are able to make it to this point, the journey to greatness has just begun. Anyone who intends to subscribe to greatness must leave the earth’s crust for the sky. The reason is simple – Eagles dwell in high altitudes. In essence, greatness resides in the realm of the extraordinary – if you want it – pay the price and go for it! The next chapter will usher you into the realm of what you need in order for you to commence the journey to greatness – See you at the other side!
Chapter 5
Crisis as an Acronym
The ability to see through a problem with the end in view is a major asset possessed by great men and women. For such folks, crisis does not connote the end of the road but a little gate that requires a gentle push for them to access the path to greatness. With this kind of mindset, I am sure that you will agree with me that there is nothing insurmountable on the face of the earth. This is the philosophy of great folks. If you must join their bandwagon you’ll need to daily assure yourself that you can do it. You must also acknowledge the fact that as long as you are on the face of this earth crisis will not cease to be a daily occurrence. The good news is that it is an opportunity for you to climb its back to greatness. Let us return to the subject of this chapter. For great folks, CRISIS is simply an acronym for:
C – CREATIVE
R – RESEARCH
I – IN
S – SELF
I – IMPROVEMENT
S – SCHOOL
At this point, please permit me to ask some questions.
Do you want to join the greats?
Do you have what it takes to join them?
Are you ready?
If your answer to the three questions is yes – Congratulations! You are already on course.
Going forward, let us examine the acronym – there are three keywords in Crisis as an acronym:
1. CREATIVE RESEARCH
2. SELF IMPROVEMENT
3. SCHOOL
We shall dwell on the keywords but before then, let me give this to you – Every time great folks walk into or find self in a crisis situation whether deliberately or otherwise, all they have at the back of their mind is – Oh! I need creative research that will lead to self-improvement – Yes! I’m in a School! Can you beat that? On the other hand, ordinary folks (those who dwell on the path to mediocrity) behave differently. They simply engage the reverse gear. Sometimes, they are not even able to escape because the reverse gear got stuck and the crisis becomes an inferno that will ultimately consume them. Also, sometimes, some of them wonder around the crisis fearfully and unfortunately end up with scars that forever tell the story. Can you beat that too? Different strokes for different people.
The next time you walk into or find yourself engulfed in a crisis, ensure you align your mind with the first group – the group of the greats who view crisis as an opportunity to self-improve through the creative research school. Let’s journey into their world:
CREATIVE RESEARCH
This is the home for folks who engage in thinking outside the box. They use their talents and intellect to bring out products beyond the hold and reach of Crisis. Their positivity is infectious and their critical thinking skills are always available in their fingertips – they readily deploy it in every crisis. The temporal pain associated with crisis brings out the lion in them. They graduate to become so resolutely determined to succeed. As far as they are concerned, failure is not an option. For this group, they walk into crisis with its end on their palm. Their mindset opens the door for their creative talent(s) to emerge and flourish.
SELF IMPROVEMENT
Remember – We are yet dwelling on the response of great folks to crisis situations using the keywords of Crisis as an acronym. As earlier highlighted, every crisis situation is simply an opportunity for self-improvement. We must also note that Crisis occurs in different forms. As a result, you do not travel through it using a straightjacket approach but a customized approach. At the end, you become better equipped to overcome similar crisis situations in the future. Prior to your encounter, you probably have not come across such a crisis before. Going forward, your gain becomes your gift. Your capacity to face tougher challenges is greatly enhanced. This is the major reason why great folks keep getting better.
SCHOOL
Generally, a school is a place of learning. It could be formal or informal. In the context of this chapter, every crisis situation is a school. It is a place where you meet teachers and students. In this case, you are the student. Bystanders could become your teacher because their presence at the scene could teach you one or two valuable lesson(s) if not a ton of lessons. You must know that a school building surrounds every crisis. In essence, crisis situations are veritable avenues for learning in the eyes of great folks. How do you see a crisis situation? Can you find a school there? Let us attempt to answer the first question: The way you see a crisis situation is a direct product of your mindset. Essentially, your opinion is a direct reflection of what obtains in your mind and will chiefly determine your response to any crisis.
Many folks would rather avoid a crisis if they have the power to do so. Unfortunately, their paths always end on the table of mediocrity. On the other hand, great folks will always attempt to see through the crisis situation and proactively fashion out the best way forward regardless of the pain it could cause them – for this category, the prospects available at the end of the crisis period is better than making a u-turn. This is the greatness in them. Going forward, we can rightly say that greatness is not common – there is always a price to pay to acquire it. At this point, let us also attempt to answer the second question: The folks who can see school buildings surrounding every crisis do not dwell on the table of mediocrity. On the other hand, an average folk sees no good in crisis – for this category, the presence of a school around every crisis is an aberration. Don’t you think it is surprising that the two groups can see but see differently?
The major reason why we have taken time to answer the two questions is for you to honestly determine your position and make amends if necessary. From your observation, I am sure you have discovered why we have two schools of thought at the intersection that leads to greatness. Where do you belong? – The Greats or Mediocre. I must let you know that everyone has the potential to become great. The problem has always been – Many are not ready to pay the requisite price yet they want greatness. I am sorry, no price, no greatness.
For those who see every crisis situation as an opportunity for creative research in self-improvement school, the world will continue to rise up for you. You are indeed the folks who make the world go round. Your mindset ensures that you do not get swallowed up by crisis but you creatively navigate the mine-filled situation and come out refined and better with lessons for now and another day so closely tied to your ingenious hearts. Herein lies the reason for your lives – You represent the heroes of our past, present and future all rolled into one. You have indeed graduated to become an amazing body of relevance so enormously decorated with beautiful flowers with endless fragrance. Your portion is forever fresh and noble because every crisis that comes across your path ends up under your feet like a burning piece of candle in the middle of the sea. For you – Greatness is just a matter of time, wait, in due season, it’s all yours!
Chapter 6
The Seed of Greatness
We must begin this chapter by admitting the fact that the Seed of Greatness has many components. We must also admit that the human spirit has tremendous potential for greatness. Surprisingly, only a few people utilize the qualities associated with greatness. These qualities are the Seed of Greatness. Anyone who intends to achieve greatness must learn to effectively cultivate the Seed of Greatness. The problem a huge number of people daily grapple with is the inability to identify the greatness potential in them. As a result of this, only 4 percent of the population eventually finds their way to greatness. In this chapter, we shall itemize and discuss the components of the Seed of Greatness. The effective utilization of these components increases our chance of arriving at the greatness plateau in a record time. Is it possible for someone to become great without making use of the components of the Seed of Greatness? The answer is obvious – No one can become great without cultivating the Seed of Greatness. The following among others, are the components of the Seed of Greatness:
1. Talent
2. Positive Mindset
3. Adaptability
4. Desire for Success
5. Creativity
6. Discipline
7. Diligence
8. Ideation
9. Hunger for Knowledge
10. Teachable Spirit
11. Endurance
12. Courage
13. Resilience
14. Achievement Driven
15. Hunger for Solving Problems
16. Patience
17. Penchant for Details
18. Empathy
Talent
Every individual is naturally endowed with specific talent(s). These talents are the bedrock of greatness. It is absolutely impossible for anyone to achieve greatness outside the gate of his/her talent(s). The major problem a huge number of people have is that they are unable to identify their talents. This is also due to the fact that individualistic personalities, that is, mentors who are able to identify talents are in short supply. On the other hand, some folks are able to identify their talents. If you are unable to identify yours and there is no one available to help you identify it – you probably will never achieve greatness. This is the major reason why a lot of people end their sojourn on earth without fulfilling their purpose and destiny. Apparently, they only succeed in coasting through the earth as mere passengers of time. Unfortunately, 96 percent of the world population fall into this category – they die with undiscovered and sometimes, under-utilized talents.
Positive Mindset
Your mindset is a major source of influence. It controls your actions and inactions. It has the capacity to permanently keep you in the valley of life or on the mountaintop of greatness. In essence, your mindset is akin to the blueprint of your life. This implies that it will control your actions and this will invariably determine the outcome of your life. Those who possess the right mindset – positive mindset, are only a few metres away from greatness. They will easily achieve greatness if they are able to fruitfully utilize other components of the Seed of Greatness.
Adaptability
Greatness is achieved by people who are capable of adapting to diverse situations. They proactively fashion out the requisite survival instinct to make them adapt to the new environment. They are indeed – Friends of Change. Their sense of adaptation is always at their fingertips and they are very sensitive to their environment. Difficult situations do not deter them. Instead, they make appropriate adjustments toward overcoming the challenge and ultimately making progress. If there is a need to break barriers, they readily break it without looking back. Also, if there is a need to build or destroy, they achieve the needful without regrets – this is the hallmark of greatness.
Desire for Success
The hunger for success in the life of great folks is like the air we breathe. It sustains their drive to achieve more on a daily basis. Whatever they desire to do, has success as its destination. In essence, they are success driven. In whatever space great folks find themselves the desire for success is paramount in their daily walk. If you do not desire success, greatness can never befriend you.
Creativity
Great folks inherently see beyond the natural. The tendency to create things out of something or nothing is always in their consciousness. As a result, they are ever ready to birth new things. In fact, the desire to create is like the oil that lubricates their wheel of progress. This desire propels them to greater heights. The thought of ending a day with nothing new to show for it does not exist in their consciousness – their propensity to create perpetually puts them on the greatness plateau.
Discipline
The ability to subjugate self to success principles which entails not allowing our emotions to override our decisions and also proactively confining our flesh under the table of our project initiatives is paramount in the quest for greatness. The human spirit and body naturally detest problems arising from unpleasantness. As a result of this, the natural man has issues with discipline and self-control. Anyone who desires greatness must be ready to embrace the tenet of discipline. This quality is paramount to achieving greatness and also maintaining one’s sojourn on the greatness plateau. In essence, discipline enables and empowers us to sustain greatness.
Diligence
The aptitude for hard work is the panacea for greatness. No one can achieve greatness in an atmosphere of laziness. Anyone who aspires to be great must keep working at it. The ability to endure long hours of work in the course of achieving one’s goal comfortably places us on the path of progress and greatness. This is the major reason why fickle-minded individuals never become great. Little challenges easily frustrate them due to impatience and inability to keep working at an evolving process for “too long.” If you desire greatness – you must imbibe the culture of diligence.
Ideation
It is said that ideas rule the world. This implies that our ability to generate ideas makes us prone to becoming great. We must also acknowledge the fact that our aspirations always start as an idea. The act of generating ideas is subject to its potency. Great folks frequently swim in it. In fact, they daily grow to lubricate their ideas on the wheels of intellection. As a result of this, a day in their life without a great idea to work with is regarded as a failed day. In essence, ideas bring out the greatness in them.
Hunger for Knowledge
The best accomplishment of yesterday is not good enough for anyone who is yet on the road to greatness. You must learn from your yesterday accomplishment and boldly say to yourself – I can do better! The hunger for greatness cannot be separated from the hunger for knowledge. It is said that knowledge is power. The power for greatness is always a fruit of the hunger for knowledge. In essence, the power to become great is always propelled by hunger for knowledge. Going forward, the ability to seamlessly foray into the known and the unknown separates extraordinary folks from ordinary folks. We can also say that the hunger for knowledge is the building block for greatness. Certainly, no one can become great while dwelling in ignorance.
Teachable Spirit
Anyone who desires greatness must be ready to learn under the table of great mentors. Such folks must be men and women who are eager to daily learn and assimilate every lesson. Greatness cannot be associated with anyone who lacks teachable spirit because it is not obtained from the womb but a product of hard work, belief and talents. The heart of anyone who is living on the greatness plateau is always ready to learn. If you are not ready to learn – you are forever separated from greatness.
Endurance
The journey to greatness is certainly not a sprint but a marathon. This implies that you can never become great without developing the capacity to endure difficult situations. You must be ready to endure physically challenging and sometimes – bitter experiences that lie along the path to greatness. If you are unable to endure such, your progress on the path to greatness is already stalled. Oftentimes, such individuals end up making a u-turn. The funny ones impulsively engage the reverse gear.
Courage
As earlier highlighted, greatness is readily available in the mouth of a lion. As a result of this, anyone who intends to obtain it must kick-start the process by being courageous. We must also note that the road to greatness is always very lonely. Those who readily exhibit fear and also lack independence are likely to fall by the wayside. In fact, greatness cannot be found in the assembly of the fearful but the courageous.
Resilience
The ability to rise up after a fall is paramount to achieving greatness. If you lack such capacity, greatness will always be a mirage. The ability to absorb shock and move on as if nothing happened is a prime characteristic of great folks. Their eyes are always fixed on their destination. They regard a fall as a mere call to develop better shock-absorbers. The more times they fall, the exact times they rise again and learn every bit of lesson they need to learn. As a result of this, they become refined and better.
Achievement Driven
Great folks are always mindful of life on the greatness plateau. As far as they are concerned, they must get there – it is certainly not negotiable. If you are not driven by the desire to achieve greatness, you are very unlikely to breast the greatness tape. The power of focus is supposed to sustain you along the path while the desire to achieve greatness becomes the air you breathe.
Hunger for Solving Problems
Many years ago, while I was in high school, I sat down at about eight o’clock in the morning to solve mathematics problems. I succeeded in solving a rather difficult question after nine hours. At this point, I remembered that I was yet to have breakfast. This implies that anyone who desires greatness must learn to avoid procrastination. The hunger for solving problems is the food of greatness. You must remember that whatever you are great at started as a problem. The ability to consistently solve problems and desire to solve more problems ultimately makes you better. It also increases your capacity and ultimately takes you away from the shallow river of ordinary folks, to the deep sea of great folks.
Patience
Great folks do not arrive at the greatness plateau on the day they conceived the plan. They patiently journey through the path to greatness with a resolve to get there even if slowly. The road is always laced with all kinds of problems. Patience helps to usher them into an atmosphere where they can appraise themselves and their actions. This also gives them the opportunity to develop their character in the right direction. We must conclude by saying – the act of learning from your mistakes requires patience. Those who lack patience do not become great because there are no shortcuts to greatness. The more patient you become, the less time you will spend dwelling on frivolities that daily arise on the path to greatness.
Penchant for Details
Great folks are always hungry for details. What an average folk cannot see, great folks see through them in seconds. Oftentimes, the hidden details become candidates for research and development. Great folks readily pick up such and ultimately transform them into desirable objects of knowledge. Through this process, they exploit the unknown to achieve greatness. In essence, we can rightly say that the practice of going after details brings out the greatness in them.
Empathy
What is the use of greatness if you cannot put yourself in the shoes of others? Greatness is certainly not a pendant worn by stones. It is for men and women who have positively impacted the world. Anyone who intends to make such impact must be empathetic. Your desire to put yourself in the position of others will help you to understand their problems and be able to fashion out realistic solutions that can meet their expectations and beyond – this is the greatness in you. Let us conclude this chapter by saying – those who lack empathy end up in dustbins along the path to greatness.
Chapter 7
Engaging the Seed of Greatness
The last chapter exposed us to the components of the Seed of Greatness. You will agree with me that the knowledge of these components without acting upon them will perpetually keep us on the table of mediocrity. I suppose you do not desire to dwell on the path that leads to mediocrity. The fact that you have gotten to this page somehow signals your intention to achieve greatness.
Going forward, we must note that the eighteen components of the Seed of Greatness work as a team. In essence, they work together synergistically. In fact, a single component cannot singlehandedly pilot you to greatness. This explains why it is called a seed instead of seeds. We need to highlight this fact at this point so as not to send a wrong signal to those who may wish to assume that the possession of 50 percent of the components of the Seed of Greatness are enough for them to end up on the greatness plateau. How do these components work together? We can answer the question by simply comparing the Seed of Greatness to the human body.
The human body component parts include the brain, eyes, ears, mouth, nose, hands, legs, bones, lungs, liver, kidneys, stomach etc. The different individual parts cannot be classified as a human being. However, it is possible to remove some parts of the body such as the hand and legs without causing death to the individual. However, we must note that the individual becomes handicapped and would require the use of equipment such as a wheelchair and prostheses to be able to move around successfully. In such cases, the function of the removed body parts has been usurped by a third-party.
It is also important at this point to admit the fact that some parts of the human body such as the lungs, liver, kidneys etc. may not function at full capacity due to old age and disease conditions. In essence, age and disease conditions reduce their capacity to work optimally. This does not imply that the individual will cease to be called a human being. It only signifies a reduction in the output of affected organs. The Seed of Greatness also possesses this characteristic. You could have the eighteen components and yet fail to optimally utilize them. This is expected to result in decline in your output. At this point, let us deploy some illustrations to drive home the point.
Kerry
Kerry is a geologist who has been a regular sight on the path to greatness. He is a widower with lots of domestic challenges. The demise of Lucy – his late wife had been a bitter pill to swallow. Before her passing, Kerry had made tremendous progress on the path to greatness. In fact, he barely has two miles left for him to breast the greatness tape. As he journeyed along the road, the thought of Lucy had become a major impediment that has constantly affected his pace and as a result of this, folks who commenced the journey after him have already breast the greatness tape. Sometimes, his thoughts wander around the college of the greats. The fact that he had been overtaken made him a victim of depression. As a result, he has been in the same location for six months. Unfortunately, making progress has become a mirage and moving backwards is not acceptable to him. Before these challenges stalled his progress, he was vibrant and full of life. Unfortunately, despite having the eighteen components of the Seed of Greatness, his mindset had been at its lowest ebb – it is between positive and negative. In fact, it is neutral. Unfortunately, he has allowed his temporal challenge to override him. His foot has stuck – two feet deep beneath the earth along the path to greatness – no one is available to rescue him. Everyone is on a solo effort.
Cynthia
Cynthia is an alluring and highly resourceful professor who had been on the path to greatness for quite a while. In fact, she had made progress beyond the imagination of her peers. Being very youthful had somehow been an advantage. She adorns herself with the eighteen components of the Seed of Greatness. The seed had piloted her to her present location. She has lately become the point of reference in academic circles. In fact, she rose to become a college professor eighteen months after her Ph.D. Her achievements had been on merit. Unfortunately, despite her towering accomplishments, she had lately begun to question her sojourn on earth. Suicidal thoughts had become her weekly visitor. In her space, she had begun to believe that she had achieved all she needed except to breast the greatness tape. Unfortunately, she pushed herself to the sorry-state as a result of impatience. Her depression had overwhelmed her to the extent that her progress on the path to greatness had become Snail-Like. The most painful aspect of her sojourn on the path to greatness is the fact that she had less than two miles to breast the tape. Unfortunately she followed the path of suicide and fell by it.
Tracy
Tracy has spent quite a while on the path to greatness. She is a forty-five year old entrepreneur whose foray into the business climate had exposed her to top players in the business world. She had ascended the success ladder in a record time. She has investments in key sectors of the economy to the extent that the high and mighty in the society had been at her beck and call. Despite having the eighteen components of the Seed of Greatness, her movement along the path to greatness has been relatively slow because her business activities have completely swallowed her up to the extent that those who started the journey with her have already breast the greatness tape. Apparently, it appears she has lost interest in the quest for greatness. She had suddenly begun to believe that she has a mouthful of other important commitments to address. In essence, Tracy has imbibed the culture of indiscipline – her new love has succeeded in giving her the u-turn ticket – an unfortunate exit from the path of greatness.
Bill
Bill, a fifty years old accountant, has swum across many murky waters. His past has always trailed him like the relationship between the snail and its shell. His doggedness has propelled him to become an accountant. However, despite his inglorious past, he had become a departmental head in a blue chip conglomerate. He began the journey to greatness as soon as he graduated from college with a first class degree. Unfortunately, he had hit an abrupt end when he allowed a minor domestic squabble to degenerate beyond his control – he was charged with third degree murder. As fate would have it, he was acquitted. By dint of hard work coupled with the fact that he possessed the eighteen components of the Seed of Greatness, he successfully bounced back to the path to greatness. Along the line, he began to navigate through troubled waters – his colleagues had embraced corrupt practices and had tried to influence him to join their boat. Fortunately, being a man of integrity, his conscience did not allow him to change boat. As a result of his resolve never to join the bandwagon of corruption, he ended up being rejected and isolated by colleagues. Despite his ordeal, he kept mute. His colleagues went further to set him up and was accused of fraud. Unfortunately, his accusers are members of the jury set up by management to adjudicate over the allegation. As expected, he ended up at the other side of the gate. Bill had been on the path to greatness but had to fall out as a result of the fact that he threw courage overboard when he needed to use it. Instead, he kept mute and his decision became too expensive for him – he simply could not afford it – he lost it.
Craig
Craig had been a very meticulous, diligent and dedicated research scientist for twenty years. During this period, his numerous research findings had been published in prime scientific journals. He also earned numerous awards as a result of his work. As expected, his foray on the path to greatness has witnessed tremendous progress. His hunger for solving problems has been remarkable. Surprisingly, his fortune began to nose-dive as a result of frequent bouts of debilitating illnesses. It got to an all-time-low when he was bedridden for two months. When he returned to work, he discovered that projects that were nearing completion had been contaminated to the extent that he needed to begin anew. At this point, he slowly moved into a season of depression because some of the ill-fated projects had made him waste between six months to two years of research effort. However, after numerous attempts, he put the train back on track and continued with the projects. In fact, he became the envy of all. As he made a triumphant reentry to the path of greatness, he began to encounter an increasing number of bottlenecks along the path. After a while, his hunger for solving problems began to decline until he could no longer make progress – he dropped out.
We have deliberately decided to highlight five out of the eighteen components of the Seed of Greatness – the importance of:
Positive mindset
Patience
Discipline
Courage
Hunger for solving problems
The highlighted cases clearly show the negative impact associated with their deficiency or misuse on the path to greatness. If you desire greatness – go ahead and pay the price!
Chapter 8
Leveraging on Talents
Talents are the foundation of greatness. Your talents are your natural endowments. It is an unquantifiable treasure deposited in us by God. At this point, we must admit that talents cannot be acquired but can be developed and polished to glittering levels. Surprisingly, the greatest problem on the face of the earth is the non-use and underutilization of talents. It is said that the greatest treasures on earth are found in graveyards. What are those treasures? Your guess is as good as mine – Talents!
A great number of people end up in graveyards with undiscovered and undeveloped talents. The major tragedy of the graveyard is the colossal amount of unidentified talents that has been buried with dead bodies. These are the treasures of the graveyard. In fact, my heart bleeds at the thought of many great destinies that ended up on the table of mediocrity – those who are supposed to lend to nations, die as paupers. Also, folks whose life would have made a huge difference ended their sojourn on earth as miserable lots.
