#Making_youBETTER with Edidiong Brown:

         

It's a nippy Wednesday morning and I must say that my heart is filled with joy to bring to you this edition of #Making_youBETTER with #EdidiongEmmanuel

Today, I am writing to tell you that DETERMINATION: THE STRENGTH OF A CHAMPION

A friend once decided to participate in a reading contest. Everyone knew how badly he performed when it came to speaking English, talk more of reading before an audience.

 They all teased him and called him names. He said something that made me marvel at how much determination he had.

"It is my life and if I say I can do it, I sure can" were the words that performed the magic.

He surprised everyone (not me, because I had seen it coming - his determination was visible) by winning the trophy. They all gathered and praised him. Their conception of him changed for the better. They no longer laughed at him but they laughed with him.

He could succeed because he was determined. He did not let the teasing weigh him down or discourage him. He decided to prove to everyone that he could do it - just like he had said. He spent hours, days and weeks preparing for the contest.

His success was as a result of his determination.

What does the word 'determination ' mean to you?

I will not like to go by the dictionary meaning of the word but I will provide you with a more self explanatory definition. Let's take a close look at the word.

D  - Defining
E  - Everything
T  - Through
E  -  Eternal
R  - Reasoning,
M - Maintaining
I    - Inspiration, and
N  - Not
A  - Allowing
T  - Things to
I   - Intimidate
O - Our
N - Notion

Determination is like the fuel that drives a vehicle. It is like blood that must flow through the human veins to support life. Without fuel, the car cannot reach it's destination. Without blood, it is impossible to live - this is what determination is to man.

Determination is the strength of a champion. It is what keeps you going even when all odds are against you. It is what takes you to the throne no one could imagine you being there. A determined human is the most successful human.

Life is a journey - If you lack determination, your fuel tank is empty and you can never achieve your goals or reach your destination - if you lack determination, you lack the blood to live.

An undetermined human is like flowing water - it can be tossed by the wind to any direction to form waves - high and low.

Someone without determination is someone who does not know what it means to live. If you are not determined, you can never be successful - you can never move forward - you can never climb higher on the ladder of success.

I know you are wondering why undetermined people are unsuccessful people.

I will tell you why.

Let's cast our minds back to my introduction - my friend participated in the contest despite the fact that he was being laughed at, he was called names, he was crowned as a failure. My friend saw their thoughts as irrelevant to his goal - he wanted to put them to shame. He used their laughter to challenge himself. He was bent on winning and nothing stopped him.

You see?  If he was not determined, he would have felt discouraged and wouldn't have participated in the contest, neither would he have won the trophy. His determination pushed him to succeed - it shot him from the bottom to the top - it changed his name and identity.

You maybe going through some hard times - you maybe in a very ugly phase of your life - your steps maybe unstable - your tears may fill a bucket - your friends may have called you all sort of names - they may have defined your abilities.

All these shouldn't bother you - the names they call you should not get you intimidated - the way they see you should not make you change how you see yourself - the challenge shouldn't make you give up - the pain shouldn't decide your fate.

You are stronger than they think - you are better than you can imagine - you can do more than you can ever think of. All you need to do is to stay strong - never see giving