Juliet Benjamin–Okeke
“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them”
– Walt Disney
GREAT things do not come out from comfort zones. Corita Kent once said that life is a succession of moments; to live each one is to succeed. Certainly, living a moment of truth could be the hardest moment but what one makes out of it determines one’s success.
The happiest state of a man is his darkest – when everything seems to be moving upside-down. A state where: A smile means a cry; A walk leads to a deadlock; The night lasts forever; Friends are farfetched and enemies abound; The least currency means the highest currency; The rich are very far from the poor; One’s voice suddenly becomes voiceless; One fights oneself, past and conscience; All the whys keep rolling out of one’s mouth; And one is in a battle with oneself for survival.
The current global effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has ridiculed the world economy, relieved many of their jobs, increased hunger, poverty, increased crimes and left others in the hands of fate.
It is therefore paramount to note that the situation of this pandemic has generally inflicted some challenges of mental health like depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia or mood disorder with psychotic features just in seconds. With this situation, it is important that one live each day at a time to avert death occurrences. Hence, living by fate and in faith becomes a priority.
So what has fate done for you? As a young entrepreneur, fate has translated my mere dream into purpose. Opportunity created by COVID-19 lockdown, entirely returned some atmosphere of peace, renewed mind-set, created a clear understanding of my mission and goal in life and has further redirected my strategies to embrace the new normal and bringing into light evidence of my capabilities in the challenging times; reconstituting my efforts to co-exist in the new normal. Little did I know that I needed a harsh condition to birth phenomenal strategies to forge life ahead? Not only did the peaceful atmosphere my soul encountered motivated my thoughts; making bold steps into taking actions enlarged my capabilities into setting a vibrant goal to actualize my vision.
Have you ever thought of manufacturing a car? Yet you have limited knowledge of how to fix a bicycle. That was exactly how I felt. BIG dreams, i call it – Yes! With perseverance, determination and focus, one would achieve one’s BIG dreams. It doesn’t matter how big or impossible it may look, it doesn’t matter how people see it, what matters is what the dreamer is seeing. Just be focused. Being focused does not mean everything will fall like manna for you, it really means being committed, consistent and confident in your dreams no matter how bad the situation presents itself.
Commitment is one of the practical steps towards achieving success in life. Being committed would narrow your ideals towards achieving greater ideals. It will mould your personality towards engaging in fruitful ventures that will take you nearer to actualizing your dreams. Like I said earlier, little did I know that I needed a harsh condition to birth phenomenal strategies to forge life ahead? I said this because I entered the new normal with a choice to succeed and not to complain about what is happening around me. I made a strong decision to take charge of what happens around me, within me and inside of myself. I did what I have never dreamt would be possible – Yes! What I would ordinarily would not like to do even when I see people cashing out profitably, genuinely and legally from such ventures.
Did I ever want a change? Yes! I knew things were not normal, I needed to achieve my goals: I needed to build that house, make that trip, drive that car, make an impact in the society, build that organization, take care of my parents and family, set up my children and businesses, yet I couldn’t just see myself achieving 30% of this dream even in a year.
Aside from praying, fasting and self –development, making a decision to pull down the rock no matter how strong it poses to be is the biggest self- assurance and commitment one can get in planning to succeed. Making the right decision and sticking to it can change everything about your present situation. Decision-making has a spiritual power attached to it and once you make that right decision, everything will fall in place. Constituents of decision making are driven by will-power, perseverance, hard work and commitment. However, in the face of a new normal, decision-making is paramount in moving forward and creating new ideals. Once one is focused on the right decision, achieving success will be a ride on a horse.
What did I do? I made a right decision to forge ahead in life despite the dark moments COVID-19 brought to the entire world. I was committed to following the decision, persevered and determined to get to the last point– achieving my goals.
Did I succeed despite the discomfort zone? Yes! Making the right decision brought in various solutions before I could get at my mission. Realizing various solutions got me committed and I persevered to hit the last point through prayers and self-development. Yes! At some point you need to seek mentorship, increased skills and of course be guided with prayers or one’s belief. I tactically turned my dark moment to bloom. I saw light in the dark, I saw solutions that defy human comprehension and I dreamt bigger than I could imagine – it’s like magic.
True success can be achieved in dark moments, passionately and in a great way.
Benjamin-Okeke writes from Lagos