Talent - A Myth?

Right now, I am in a conference room at work. I just finalized a presentation due to be submitted before the week runs out. I have worked for Procter and Gamble now for 6years and with each passing day, I keep learning. I have worked with very great people, all with different strengths and different styles. I have worked with 5 different direct bosses, from 4 different nationalities. I have worked with people who succeeded in there assignment and those who failed woefully. In all this, I have come to a conclusion that I want to write about in this piece. You need more than talent to succeed! Talent, all by itself cannot bring you success.

You need more than talent to succeed! Talent, all by itself cannot bring you success.

At some point in your life you noticed that some people were unusually good at certain things. The brainiac who aced all his exams. The star jock that scored both on and off the court. The person who oozed charisma and everyone loved. What makes Tiger Woods great? What made Chairman Warren Buffett the world's premier investor? Why were they successful? Some people probably told you it was because they had talent, a natural affinity for greatness. I think they are full of crap. Well, folks, it's not so simple. For one thing, you do not possess a natural gift for a certain job, because targeted natural gifts don't exist. (Sorry, Warren.) You are not a born CEO or investor or chess grandmaster. You will achieve greatness only through an enormous amount of hard work over many years. And not just any hard work, but work of a particular type that's demanding and painful.

This lie of talent, of gifted-ness has to be one of the most poisonous lies people have deceived themselves into believing. The belief that certain people, maybe even us, were born with abilities that you lack the power to replicate. Unfortunately, if you tell a big enough lie enough times, people start to believe it. Long ago people use to believe that the earth was flat; the sun revolved around us and lightning was hurled from the top of a mountain by a guy who gave birth to one of his daughters from his forehead (lol). Just because something can explain an observation, doesn’t mean it is correct. The same is true for the myth of talent.

The good news is that your lack of a natural gift is irrelevant - talent has little to do with greatness

Buffett, for instance, is famed for his discipline and the hours he spends studying financial statements of potential investment targets. The good news is that your lack of a natural gift is irrelevant - talent has little to do with greatness. You can make yourself into any number of things, and you can even make yourself great.
Scientific experts are producing remarkably consistent findings across a wide array of fields. Understand that talent doesn't mean intelligence, motivation or personality traits. It's an innate ability to do some specific activity especially well. In an extensive study, evidences surveyed do not support the notion that excelling is a consequence of possessing innate gifts. Researchers are beginning to say that talents are developed from huge amounts of conscious training, rather than gift. Michael Jordan may have been born slightly better suited for basketball, but without all the years of training, nobody would take a second look at his ‘talent’.

No substitute for hard work

The first major conclusion is that nobody is great without work. It's nice to believe that if you find the field where you're naturally gifted, you'll be great from day one, but it doesn't happen. There's no evidence of high-level performance without experience or practice. Your talent may set you up for success, but hardwork is what delivers success to your hands.

Reinforcing that no-free-lunch finding is vast evidence that even the most accomplished people need around ten years of hard work before becoming world-class, a pattern so well established researchers call it the ten-year rule. What about Bobby Fischer, who became a chess grandmaster at 16? Turns out the rule holds: He'd had nine years of intensive study. And as John Horn of the University of Southern California and Hiromi Masunaga of California State University observe, "The ten-year rule represents a very rough estimate, and most researchers regard it as a minimum, not an average." In many fields (music, literature) elite performers need 20 or 30 years' experience before hitting their zenith.

In the school of success, the only substitute to hard work is hard life!

So greatness isn't handed to anyone; it requires a lot of hard work. In the school of success, the only substitute to hard work is hard life! The choice is really yours. The dictionary is the only place in the whole world, where “Success”, comes before “Work”.

Yet that isn't enough, since many people work hard for decades without approaching greatness or even getting significantly better. What's missing?

Practice makes perfect

The best people in any field are those who devote the most hours to what the researchers call "deliberate practice." It's activity that's explicitly intended to improve performance, that reaches for objectives just beyond one's level of competence, provides feedback on results and involves high levels of repetition.
For example: Simply hitting a bucket of balls is not deliberate practice, which is why most golfers don't get better. Hitting an eight-iron 300 times with a goal of leaving the ball within 20 feet of the pin 80 percent of the time, continually observing results and making appropriate adjustments, and doing that for hours every day - that's deliberate practice.

Consistency is crucial. As Ericsson notes, "Elite performers in many diverse domains have been found to practice, on the average, roughly the same amount every day, including weekends." Evidence crosses a remarkable range of fields. In a study of 20-year-old violinists by Ericsson and colleagues, the best group (judged by conservatory teachers) averaged 10,000 hours of deliberate practice over their lives; the next-best averaged 7,500 hours; and the next, 5,000. It's the same story in surgery, insurance sales, and virtually every sport. More deliberate practice equals better performance. Tons of it equals great performance.

Let go of the belief that others have a talent you can’t learn. Success is a skill. Skills come from an intention to work and the formula for doing so. Don’t fall into believing the myth of talent.

Oopssss….it’s time for another meeting. I have to run now. I’m still thinking about this myth…..

Whatever You Want Wants You

What you can conceptualize in your mind will materialize in your life. WOW! Think about that for a minute. Whatever you focus your powerful mind and energy on, will manifest itself into physical form. This has been going on your whole LIFE and you may not have even noticed it.

Have you ever been on your way to a meeting and said, "There is no way I'm going to get this deal?" Then, sure enough, you didn't get the deal. You probably thought, "See, I knew I wasn't going to get that deal." You're right, you didn't stand a chance, because you had already created a self-fulfilling prophecy and declared that there was no way you were going to succeed. You have no one to blame but yourself. Failure was pre-conceived by you, through you, and out into the Universe. It simply gave you what you asked for!

It's not that people want too much, it's that they want too little.

Your mind is that powerful. You don't even have to speak what you are thinking in order to see it come to fruition. Think of your mind as having the Universe on speed dial. It is THAT powerful. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so he his”, say the greatest book ever written. Notice something there. As man thinketh, so he is already…not so he would be! Since your mind is such an amazing instrument, you must use it with care. Remember, great thinking creates great results. Mediocre thinking creates mediocre results. Which do you want?

Artists absolutely amaze me! They start with a blank canvas – not a splatter of color on it – and they create phenomenal masterpieces with just their minds, brushes and paint. How do they do it? How do they know what to paint? Before they ever picked up a brush they had already conceived in their minds exactly what they were going to paint. It is already there. Their job is to make sure that the artistic concept is transferred from the mind to the physical form. That's what I want you to learn to do – to conceptualize your dreams, whatever they may be, and change them from mental into physical. Because – just like an artistic masterpiece waiting for the artist to create it –your dreams are waiting for you to make them into your reality.

We all have a calling. We all have a purpose in life. Not all of us are meant to be artists who paint on canvases, but we all have a gift. Sometimes it is presented to us early in our lives, and other times we realize our special gifts later, when we least expect. Take Mother Teresa, for example. She heard her calling in 1947 when she was already acting in service to God as a principal of a Catholic high school. At that point, she discovered her purpose in life and decided to live in the Calcutta slums with "the poorest of the poor." She knew what she wanted to do, what she had to do, and she did it.

How do YOU do this? Well, just like Mother Teresa, before you can achieve it, you have to conceive it. The word "conceive" means "to cause to begin life; to form or develop in the mind; to understand; to put in words, to express." And that is the order that your dreams will be realized in.

First, you conceive an idea, your dream or goal. The first moment that you decide that this thing – this goal, this dream – is what you want, it begins to live.

You feed your dream by thinking about it, turning it over and over in your mind. As you develop the idea you begin to understand it, to know what it is that you want – the thing that wants you. Once you express it by writing it down, putting it into words, it's like pouring fuel onto a fire. You have made a request from the Universe. After that your dream takes on a life of it's own.

So, what do you want out of life? Whatever you want also wants you in return.

Billionaires In Training

I had the rare privilege of helping to organize and put together the first Billionaires in Training in Ibadan, Oyo State. After several weeks of planning, the event eventually took place yesterday. It was a time of fun, thinking and learning. It was so well planned and executed that we already have 2-3 requests to run the program in other places. Who knows? It could become a monthly event. It is my candid belief that a better life is a product of brighter light. When we see brighter, we will shine better. Cashflow 101 is one of the financial tools that can open your eyes to a lot of financial truths in a couple of hours! It has the capacity to make you richer. Infact, the more you play it, the richer you become.

A better Life is a product of brighter light

During the game that was played yesterday, and from comments I heard during the debrief session, I learnt a couple of things. Will you permit me to share with you?

You Can Live Your Dreams

To start the game, every participant was meant to place his/her cheese playing piece on one of their dreams. For 1st time players, this was really a tough task. What is my dream? What do I really like? What will I like to have if nothing in the world could stop me? Believe me, many people will not readily give you and answer. They do not know. What if I ask you? What will you like to accomplish? What would you call success? Do you have a dream at all? Writing down your dream in a way that it can be visualized in the 1st thing you must do in your journey to success. At first, it was unimaginable how people will accomplish their dreams, but people got more confident as the game wore on. Infact, we did not end the game until a couple bought their dream! Listen. You can live your dreams. You can get it if you really want.

Risk is not the same as Loss

One of the greatest hindrances to success is that people equate risks and loss. They are definitely not the same. That a deal is risky is not enough reason to walk away from it. In the school of success, the riskier it is, the more beneficial it is likely to be. Successful people do not run away from risks. They weight it, plan for it, and take it! If you are averse to risks, I can predict that you will not amount to much in your walk towards financial freedom. You need to take calculated risks as you plan to get out of the rat race.

You can be in the rate race forever!

This is a bitter truth. Billions of people all over the world are in the rat race and will be in it till they die. You are not just in the rat race because you are in paid employment. Some business owners are also in the rat race. You are in the rat race if your total expenditure is more than you passive income – no matter what you are doing. Till we finished the game, many people were still stuck in the rat race. Thankfully, that was just a game. In the game of life, the same is true. Many will be stuck in the rat race until they decide to do something about it.

You are in the rat race if your total expenditure is more than you passive income – no matter what you are doing.

Financial Independence had no respect for Occupation

This was a very interesting discovery. When people were picking their occupation at the beginning of the game, those who picked seeming good occupations (Pilots, Doctors, e.t.c) were making jest of those who picked poor paying jobs (Janitors, Truck Drivers, Police Officers e.t.c). Guess what? The 1st two people to get out of the rat race were both Janitors! They were getting very low salaries. However, their expenses were also low and they could strategize to earn passive income that will surpass these expenses. For the pilots and Doctors, their expenses were usually very high (to go with their status). They will need to build a high passive income to be able to get out of the rat race. Instead of trying to reduce their expenses, the focus only on increasing their passive income. Most often times, their expenses increase as their passive income increases.

Your occupation is irrelevant on the road to financial freedom. What matters in financial intelligence to make sure that your passive income is always ahead of your expenses.

It is Okay to Borrow

This was one truth that I had to personally deal with. I hate to borrow. I feel more comfortable not owing anyone. Infact, I used to brag about this and thought that it means I was headed towards financial freedom. I saw another angle to it. Borrowing is good. It depends on what you are borrowing for. Successful people have mastered the art of using other people’s money to make more money. They take money from others or from the bank and invest it to make more money. My advice is this- Do not borrow to buy liabilities. However, it is okay to borrow and invest in anything that will increase your passive income. Learn to use other people’s money to make money.

Successful people have mastered the art of using other people’s money to make more money.

Opportunities are all around us

Almost at every turn, one player lands on an opportunity. We are not poor for lack of opportunities. We are poor when we do not make the best of opportunities that comes our ways. We are poor when we Pass Over Opportunities Repeatedly. Opportunities are everywhere. Many see it as such while others see it as problems. During the game, someone purchased a piece of fallow land for a ridiculous amount. There were no roads and all there. However, he held on to it until a time in the game when he sold for over 10 times the amount! After that deal, he had enough cash to pay off his liabilities and in no time was out of the rat race. Can you smell opportunities? I believe that the power problem in Nigeria is an opportunity of someone to make billions on dollars. Could it be you?

The Place of Charity

One of the things I knew before was also reinforced. Givers Never Lack. As they solve other people’s problems, life presents them with more opportunities and speed. In the game, whenever you land on “Charity”, you had a choice to donate to charity. Once this is done, you can play your next 3 rounds with 2 dice, instead of 1. The same is true in the game of life. Poor people think that they can accrue more money by holding on to what they have. Rich people know that they can achieve much by helping other people. Have you being involved in a charitable deed of late? I have a friend who celebrated his birthday in an orphanage and asked all of us to convert the gifts we had for him to a gift for the kids. Can you imagine that?

I learnt also from a friend that the year Warren Buffet overtook Bill Gate as the richest man on earth was also the same year that Warren outgave him in charity! I do not think that this is a coincidence!

You can awaken your financial genius by playing this game over and over again. You do not necessarily need money to make money. You need a financial plan. As you make up your mind to get out of the rat race, my prayer is that we will meet at the top of the topmost top – where nothing is impossible!

Special thanks to my bosom friend, Adeolu Akinyemi (www.deoluakinyemi.com), who took out time out of his busy schedule to guide us through the game. Only time and eternity can reward you as you bless your generation. You will certainly be celebrated!

Things More Important Than Money

One of the myths of entrepreneurial success is that you must have a lot of money. “It takes money to make money”, I have often heard. Of a truth, when starting a business or an enterprise, the value of having enough money cannot be overemphasized. However, there are several other things that make for success other than money. I have read tonnes of stories of successful men, who started with little or no capital and went on to build great business empires. How? You may ask.

Well, I believe there are actually some things that are more valuable than capital that can lead to your entrepreneurial success. Let me give you the list.

1. Time.

Time is more valuable than capital. Infact, God never gave anyone money. What he gave us initially was time. You go and invest the time to get money. In my opinion, time is the most evenly distributed of God’s gift. Everyone on the planet has exactly the same amount. The US President elect has 24 hours. A beggar on the streets of Lagos has 24 hours. How you spend these 24 hours goes a long way in determining how successful you will be. Some waste it and amount to nothing. Some set it aside to be invested in an enterprise that brings value to the marketplace with the hope of making a profit.

How valuable is time? Time properly invested is worth a fortune. Time wasted can be devastation. Time invested can perform miracles, so you invest your time.

2. Courage.

Courage is more valuable than capital. If you've only got N100 and a lot of courage, I'm telling you, you've got a good future ahead of you. Courage in spite of the circumstances. Humans can do the most incredible things no matter what happens. Haven't we heard the stories? There are some recent ones from Kosovo that are some of the most classic, unbelievable stories of being in the depths of hell and finally making it out. Its humans. You can't sell humans short. Courage in spite of, not because of, but in spite of.

3. Ingenuity.

This is all about putting your brains to work. Probably up until now, you've put about 1/100 of your brainpower to work. What if you employed the other 99/100? You can't believe what can happen. Humans can come up with the most intriguing things to do. Ingenuity. Haven’t you heard of people who made millions using other people’s money? They’ve got the idea, the ingenuity. I believe strongly that ideas rule the world….not money.

What's ingenuity worth? It is probably worth more than a fortune. It is more valuable than money. All you need is a $1 and plenty of ingenuity. Figuring out a way to make it work, make it work, make it work.

4. Desperatation

Desperate people do desperate things. I do not mean this in a negative way. However, when a young man is determined and desperate, there is no limit to what he can do. I read about the story of Bill Bailey who went to Chicago as a teenager after he got out of high school. And the first job he got was as a night janitor. Someone said, "Bill, why would you settle for night janitor?" He said, "Malnutrition." You work at whatever you can possibly get when you get hungry. You go to work somewhere -- night janitor, it doesn't matter where it is. Years later, now Bill is a recipient of the Horatio Alger award, rich and powerful and one of the great examples of lifestyle that I know. But, his first job -- night janitor. Desperation can be a powerful incentive. When you say - I must.

I will share the other things in the 2nd part of this article coming up shortly

Meanwhile, I am using this medium to invite anyone in Ibadan, Oyo State, to the maiden edition of Billionaires in Training. It will take place at Jogor Centre on the 31st of January 2009 at 10.00a.m. There are limited seat available. Individuals are to pay 2000 NGN per person, while couple would pay 3000 NGN. If you are interested, please call Yinka on 08062851294

See you at the top!

What Does The New Year Hold ?

Celebrations are taking place all over the world to mark the beginning of another year. We dealt with the old (2008) and took hold of the new (2009). From Sydney to Hong Kong, from London to Rio De Jenerio, from America to Africa, fireworks hit the midnight sky as the clock tickled past midnight. Some 400,000 people braved freezing temperatures in London for a fireworks display beside the Thames. In New York almost a million people packed a freezing Times Square as the famous Waterford crystal ball descended to cheers at midnight. It was, to say the least, breathtaking.

The year 2008 was a different year in many respects. America witnessed the election of the 1st black President, after several months of political maneuverings. We were told that the earth’s rotation in 2008 was also somewhat slower; hence one leap second was added to the clocks worldwide as the year drew to a close. Not only did the earth’s rotation slowed down, global economies were at an all time low. It is almost unbelievable how many established companies is either folding up or downsizing. Those who are not are running to the government for help. The stock exchange is not spared for this troubled times. Stock market in tumbling at an alarming rate. I mean some people practically lost all their retirement benefits to this fact. A barrel of oil that was sold for $147 in July is not sold for less than $40. Can you imagine what that means to the economies that are solely dependent on oil (like my dear country, Nigeria)?

A barrel of oil that was sold for $147 in July is not sold for less than $40.

The truth is that most people entered the New Year with lots of caution and pessimism. Unlike the promises that the New Year brings, this year promises tougher economic crises, tougher financial situations and a lot of uncertainties. Listen to speeches from leaders around the world, and the message can be summarized – The year 2009 won’t be an easy year. We will have to find new ways to solve the world’s overwhelming economic crisis. What then does 2009 hold for us?

All hope is definitely not lost. I believe strongly that one can thrive well even in the midst all these clouds. During the all night service I attended at Daystar Christian Centre to mark the New Year, the Pastor of the church, Rev. Sam Adeyemi, gave some keys to ride on the winds of the Season of Change that we are experiencing all over the world. May I share some of these points with you?

Put Your Trust In God –

The truth is that even our leaders are sort of confused about the economic situation of the world. They know we won’t pull put of it fast. The only one who has the solution at the tip of his fingers in the Leader of all leaders. You had better put your trust in him. The arm of flesh will fail. Formerly proven ideas and methods won’t work. Only God inspired ideas will thrive in the year 2009. Wouldn’t you rather bank on the one whose capacity to fail is zero? I will!

Formerly proven ideas and methods won’t work. Only God inspired ideas will thrive in the year 2009

Build Your Life On Scriptural Principles

Methods changes with time. Principles don’t. Whatever goes up must come down. That’s the principle of gravity. Principles have no respect for economic situations. They have no respect for location. They are universal laws that hold through, no matter what. In the year 2009, we need to build our lives on principles and not methods. As change occurs, we adjust our methods, but not the principles.

Act In Faith

Whenever there is a global recession, it always comes with a redistribution of wealth. Position yourself in faith to be on the receiving side of the redistribution. Step out in faith and take positive actions. Do not sit down with your hands folded, waiting for government to effect changes. Don’t cry over spilled milk. Yes, it’s going to be a tough year and it will take tough people, not only to survive, but to also succeed.

Pursue the Expansion of God’s Kingdom with a Passion

When you mind God’s kingdom, then he will appoint to you a kingdom. The purpose of this coming wealth transfer /redistribution is to promote God’s kingdom. It’s not just to make our bank account fatter or for show off. It is to propagate His course on earth. If you will not mind God’s business then do not expect Him to mind yours. What kingdom activity will you be involved in this year? This is what will compel God to act on your behalf.

If you will not mind God’s business then do not expect Him to mind yours.

Maintain Your Joy

Sometimes, things will not go exactly the way you have planned it to go. As such times, you need to keep your joy. “The Joy of the Lord is your strength”. If you lose your joy, then you have lost your strength. In high and low times, keep your joy. Even when you are behind on your dreams and on your bill, rejoice in the Lord your God! “Although the fig tree may not blossom, neither shall fruits be in the vines…..yet, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation”.

Here is wishing you a splendid year ahead. You deserve one!

Happy New Year.

It All Began In A Manger

What’s the big deal about Christmas? Why do we celebrate the birth of someone who died over 2000 years ago? Why does everything in the whole world have to come to a stand still to remember and celebrate this day? The interesting thing about it all is this – his birth wasn’t really celebrated. His birth sure didn’t appear on the national dailies of his days. There were no fun fares. No fire works. No special team of Doctors ready to help with the delivery. It was an ordinary day. Were someone to chance upon the sheep stable on the outskirts of Bethlehem that morning, what a peculiar scene they would behold. The stable stinks like all stables do. The stench of urine, dung, and sheep reeks pungently in the air. The ground is hard, the hay scarce. Cobwebs cling to the ceiling and a mouse scurries across the dirt floor. A more lowly place of birth could not exist.

His birth sure didn’t appear on the national dailies of his days. There were no fun fares. No fire works

Off to one side sit a group of shepherds. They sit silently on the floor, perhaps perplexed, perhaps in awe, no doubt in amazement. Their night watch had been nterrupted by an explosion of light from heaven and a symphony of angels. God goes to those who have time to hear him—so on this cloudless night he went to simple shepherds.

Near the young mother sits the weary father. If anyone is dozing, he is.He can’t remember the last time he sat down. And now that the excitement has subsided a bit, now that Mary and the baby are comfortable, he leans against the wall of the stable and feels his eyes grow heavy. He still hasn’t figured it all out. The mystery of the event still puzzles him. But he hasn’t the energy to wrestle with the questions. What’s important is that the baby is fine and that Mary is safe. As sleep comes, he remembers the name the angel told him to use . . . Jesus. "We will call him Jesus."

Wide awake is Mary. My, how young she looks! Her head rests on the soft leather of Joseph’s saddle. The pain has been eclipsed by wonder. She looks into the face of the baby. Her son. Her Lord. His Majesty. At this point in history, the human being who best understands who God is and what he is doing is a teenage girl in a smelly stable. She can’t take her eyes off him. Somehow Mary knows she is holding God. So this is he. She remembers the words of the angel, “His kingdom will never end.”

Meanwhile, the city hums. The merchants are unaware that God has visited their planet. The innkeeper would never believe that he had just sent God into the cold. And the people would scoff at anyone who told them the Messiah lay in the arms of a teenager on the outskirts of their village. They were all too busy to consider the possibility.

The circumstances surrounding his birth however did not diminish the concept.

Those who missed His Majesty’s arrival that night missed it not because of evil acts or malice; no, they missed it because they simply weren’t looking. Little has changed in the last two thousand years, has it?

The circumstances surrounding his birth however did not diminish the concept. A king was born. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isa 9:6). In our world today, people are often remembered for the problems they solve. Of course, we know some people because of the problem they created (remember Osama Bin Laden?). However, they are not often remembered for long, neither are they celebrated. Solving problems is one of the ways that one can be remembered for a long time to come. Faraday is often remembered today for solving the world’s electricity problems. Jesus, the reason for the season today, solved the greatest of man’s problem – SIN

When God created the world, everything in it was good. There was no problem at all, until sin came in. The fall of man when he sinned exposed him to all kinds of things imaginable. Sickness came, Poverty got hold of him. Death overpowered him. Fear gripped him. Man entered into the “crisis” mode as a result of SIN. Sin is a sinker my dear readers. It sank the destiny of man, and still does till date. The greatest hindrance to enjoying a good life is Sin, and Jesus came to solve that problem. By hanging on the cross, he paid the debt he didn’t owe; all because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay! Celebrating Christmas without understanding this is just like celebrating a mass. Christ is what makes an ordinary mass become Christmas.

As you celebrate Christmas today, ponder on these things. Ponder on the greatest love story ever told – the story of a man who laid down his life for his friends.

Merry Christmas to you all.

The Danger of Sitting on the Fence

Last Friday, as my custom is, I was training my team at work. I was training specifically on Non Value Added Work Elimination Tools. It was an eye opening session for several of them. It’s always interesting when old theories are challenged and you realize that most of the work that you are doing now are non value added- they add no value to the product or service in the eye of the consumer/consumer. I guess I will talk about this some time soon via this medium. The last quarter of the hour I spent training was used in filling out a survey form for the department. In this survey, people were supposed to answer certain questions truthfully and honestly, rating each one from a “5” (Strongly agree) to a “1” (Strongly disagree). From my experience, it is very common to see a lot of people scoring the questions “3” (Neither agree nor disagree). This amazes me and it shows clearly that the middle ground looks like a good place to hide! Can you reckon with that?

While trying to warn them of the dangers of choosing “3” for most of the questions, a story I read several years ago came to my mind. It was a perfect story to drive home the point, and I got a loud applause for it! May I share it with you, dear reader (I hope to get the same applause, lol).

There is a great danger staying in the middle of the road. Sitting on the fence is not a wise thing to do afterall.

Long time ago, a war broke out between 2 neighboring towns. The inhabitants of these towns look so much alike and they decided to devise a means to ensure that they do not kill their own kinsmen during the war. They decided to wear uniforms. Town A decided to go with a red coloured uniform while Town B chose a black uniform option. That way, they can attack each other and not people from their town. As this was going on, there was a man who thought himself wise and smart. He was afraid to join either of the armies for fear of being killed. He thought of a plan – an excellent plan to make sure that whichever way the war goes, he will be safe. He decided to sew a uniform with both colours! The front of the uniform was red while the back was black. He then went to the battlefield, and was bold enough to get right in the middle of action. Since the side of his uniform showing Red was pointing to Town A armies, and the side with Black was pointing to Town B armies, many thought him bold and daring. “What a bold fighter”, they praised! He was getting praises and commendation from both armies. In the midst of all the accolades, he got carried away and turned around, the red side of his uniform now facing the army with black uniform, and the black side of his uniform now facing the army wearing red. You can guess what happened next. He was shot on both sides! The smart guy wasn’t so wise afterwards!

What’s the morale of the story? I guess it’s quite obvious. There is a great danger staying in the middle of the road. Sitting on the fence is not a wise thing to do afterall. It may seem like a temporary solution but it always often backfires. There is no middle ground between telling the truth and telling a lie. You are either lying or telling the truth. Sitting on the fence between honesty and dishonesty poses a lot of danger to you as an individual. You will not achieve much staying in the middle of the road. Infact, I can predict that you will get the same treatment that this “wise” man got.

What happens to a car that drives in the middle of the road, especially when the road is dual carriage road? Your guess is as good as mine. May I say that the same thing happens to destinies that are always compromising? Listen, it is better to be on the wrong side of the road, than to be right at the middle! I saw a proof of this even in God’s holy book. Hear what He says

“ And to the angel of the church of the Laodeceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth……” Rev 3:14-16

Can you imagine? God almighty himself prefers that we are either “hot” or “cold”. As far as he is concerned, he doesn’t want anyone sitting on the fence. He is simply saying…” hey, let’s know where you stand”. That’s the starting point. If we know where you stand, then we will know if it’s the right or wrong place. If it’s the wrong place, then we will know what to do to get you to the right place. So, where do you stand? When it comes to morality, where do you stand? When it comes to being honest, where do you stand? When is comes to giving bribes, where do you stand? When it comes to money matters, where do you stand? When it comes to God, where do you stand? I sincerely hope you are not standing right in the middle of the road. If you are, you have two choices – Get out of the middle of the road, to any of the sides (I recommend the good side, of course), or get ready to perish!

You may just not be smart afterwards!