Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner said; “I always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific.” Failure is no accident. So is success. We set ourselves up for it. Some people are successful, others are not. Make a study of them and you will discover what sets them apart and appreciate my contention. How many times, since you were born, have you looked at and admired others and said to yourself; ‘. . . I wish I was like Nelson Mandela; . . . how I wish I was as smart as Steve Jobs; . . . only if I could make international news headlines like Malala Yousafzai, Cristiano Ronaldo, Trevor Noah; . . . how I wish I had business prowess of Richard Branson, political influence of the King of the United Kingdom, religious piety of the Pope, charismatic leadership of John Pombe Magufuli.
I may not know you, but I know - and I’m certain - that you have said this to yourself before. Several times even. Don’t beat yourself up. It’s normal to spot and admire good qualities in others and emulate them. We all do self-talk. But you must understand that people that you admire and would like to emulate defined their lives on a certain painstaking cause and conviction. They stand or stood for something. They committed their lives towards making this world a better place, not necessarily for themselves, but for others. Go back to the list above and you’ll get my point.
To live well, you must understand life. Those who don’t understand life, merely exist and struggle for survival. Those who do, become great. People that understand life are willing to struggle for something bigger and more significant. What is Nelson Mandela remembered for? . . . for leading the struggle for freedom for non-white South Africans. Mandela is a universal symbol of equality, reconciliation, and self-sacrifice. Of the three billion teenagers that were alive in 2012, what made the United Nations pick Pakistani Malala Yousafzai and name 12 July as Malala Day? What is she famous for? . . . for standing up against Taliban’s oppressive and discriminatory rule against young girls. She became a symbol of the struggle for girl child education. Mother Teresa died two and half decades ago, but her name is still fresh in people’s minds and a darling to many people across the globe. What is it that makes Mother Teresa a household name up to now and worldwide? . . . she is a symbol of servanthood for the less privileged and the destitute. As a matter of fact, she once said; “a day lived without doing something good for others is a day not worth living.” What made Steve Jobs be hailed as a business genius of his time? . . . for leading the field in four separate industries – music (iPod), movies (Pixar), computers (Macintosh), and mobile phones (iPhone). He designed the insanely sleek iPhone that users enjoy carrying in their hands and bags. (I wouldn’t think of moving around without an iPhone in my hand). Jobs is, above all, praised for building a multibillion-dollar company, Apple Inc, out of a garage. He is a symbol of computer modernization. What is it that separates the late former Tanzanian president John Pombe Magufuli from other African presidents? Mchapa kazi, as Magufuli was fondly referred to by his followers, is revered for his zero tolerance for corruption. He is a symbol of economic prudence. What is William Wilberforce remembered for? . . . for ending slave trade. He is a symbol of the abolition of slavery. If you carefully examine these people, you will discover that they have one thing in common – they all service above self. They got out of their way to help others. Is it not amazing that these sons and daughters of planet earth forsook personal glory for servant leadership to help others? Rather, they used what they were already doing as a platform and launch pad to do good for others.
In life, you are either winning or losing. It’s not possible to do both. Don’t cheat on yourself. You’re either in the stands as a spectator of your own life or on the field as a player. What you get out of life as an outcome is defined by the daily struggles that you chose or avoid. Those who struggle for a specific outcome that does not only benefit themselves but others as well become great. The decision you make when you are at the crossroads of comfort (giving up) and struggles (keep going) determines your level and scale of success. The decision to give up on struggles lowers the bar to growth and greatness. People who keep going amidst storms of struggle see the benefits of it and eventually become successful.
Have you ever wondered why names, such as Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Moses, Buddha, Saint Peter, Confucius, et al. are just as powerful today as when they lived? People, who feel compelled to struggle for others, build a legacy that outlives them. Forever. What legacy will you leave behind when you leave the job you are holding at your workplace? What will the organization you work for remember you for? What are your struggles as a family man or woman? Are you an advice-giver for your children or just a mere parent? Is the community you live in better off or worse off with you as a resident? What exactly do you struggle for in contributing to making your environment and this planet a better place to live in? Will you leave your name behind inscribed in stone for posterity or will it go to the cemetery and be buried together with your body in the grave? Remembering that you and I will die one day gives us a sense of purpose and psychological awakening. I am not here to scare you, but to try to awaken greatness in you and give you a sense of life purpose. Certainly, each one of us will die and have an obituary with two dates, that is - the date you were born and the date you died. Those two dates are important. The dates will be separated by a dash and that dash symbolizes what you struggled for when you were alive. How long will your dash be?
Lester Chinyang’anya ǀ General Manager - Operations ǀ Minet Malawi
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