Boosters to successful achievement

By Lanre Oyetade

My pastor, Gbenga Efueye, recently preached a message similar to this under the topic: ‘The place of courage’, citing the following as boosters of courage, with the argument that courage is a critical success factor in life. As usual, I was touched by the message and, believing that it would benefit my readers, have decided to share it with you on this column.

Courage as sine qua non to achievement
The necessity for courage, it was argued, can never be over-emphasized when it comes to considering factors necessary for successful achievement, for there are indeed many impediments and stumbling blocks in the way of a person ready to tell him ‘NO’ to his aspirations.
There are, however, some factors that act as boosters to courage and therefore to successful achievement. And here goes:

1. Reflect on past victories and successes
These act as veritable tools or tonic to future achievement. Your bringing into remembrance that you have done it before will fire up your courage and belief that you can do it again.

2. Realise you carry Divine presence
Remembering that, as a child of God, you carry Divine presence within and around you, will assure you that you are not alone even in the darkest and thickest hours of life’s experiences, and provide the courage you need to face every situation.

3. Have a right sense of self-worth
You need to place the right value on yourself, for if you sell yourself short, no one will buy you expensive. The value you place on yourself is largely the value others will place on you. Even without money in your pocket, remember you are worth much. Tell yourself that ‘I am important, not worthless’; ‘I am a success and so I will succeed’. See yourself the way God sees you; the way He meant you to be. He says you are a king and a priest! Those were the highest positions in the days of yore.

4. Declare that which you desire
It is said that what you don’t declare cannot be clear. The mouth wasn’t just made for eating; it was mainly made for professing into being in faith that which is desired, even though such may not yet be in existence. Our God is not bothered by what the situation or the enemy says about us; He is concerned about what we say about ourselves!

5. See the good in all
There is a good and a bad side to every situation; learn to see the good therein. I wrote a little while back asking us ‘What do you see?’ Do you see the hole in the doughnut or the doughnut around the hole; do you see the cup as half full or as half empty? What you choose to see will affect your situation. I challenge you to see only the positive.

6. Look good
There is much truth in the clichés that ‘Looking good is good business’ and that ‘The way you are dressed determines how you are addressed’. It’s not difficult to identify a man who is discouraged about things, who is generally pessimistic or complacent and has lost courage- it is all reflected in the way he is dressed; in his language; in his carriage and in his disposition.Such a man constantly complains, picks faults and murmurs. He often looks pitiable and beggarly.

Even when you don’t feel great, endeavour to look great and wear a winner’s look. The Good Book says you are a god; you are divine. Whatever the circumstance, look no less! You never know when your look will make a difference; the fact is that it always does.

I learnt of the case of an extremely brilliant final year student at one of our universities that was being considered for a first class degree but was dropped to the next class because he was ill dressed and smelled of cigarette at his defence.

7. Be persistent
Keep hitting the rock for you never can tell when it will crack open, but you can be sure it will. Persistence, when mixed with patience, is the tonic for courage and for all life’s successes.

8. Do things right
When you do things right, you are courageous to face life’s situations, for courage is the absence of fear. Doing things right will ensure you have little or no fear and propel you to taking bold steps knowing well that you have no skeletons in your cupboard. The Good Book puts it this way: ‘The righteous is as bold as a lion!’

I beseech you to take the admixture of the components offered above and add it to your own formula for success and then act on them.

Until we meet again next week, you are urged to stay inspired in His presence.