JUST A LITTLE PUSH CAN MAKE A LIFETIME OF DIFFERENCE

JUST A LITTLE PUSH CAN MAKE A LIFETIME OF DIFFERENCE

(Culled from "My Story" in THE GREATNESS SERIES)

About 13 to 14years years ago, just before I began the art of writing, never would I have imagined anyone picking interest in reading my stuff. Besides, I was naïve and shy and dreaded appearing before any audience so much so that if I were to speak before an audience of 3 persons my feet would shiver and all the rehearsed words would vapourize.
 Back then, one day, my bosom friend, Michael Olu Titus (I celebrate him) looked at me (not considering surrounding factors) and said, "Bukola, you can write". What a push! He probably saw some minor "insignificant" works of mine, but he looked beyond them and saw things I never saw. With that push I set out, writing poems and many other stuff and passing them to my cousin, Lanre Obalaja (I celebrate him) to read through and make observations. He was always impressed and that left me an impression; "it would just be a matter of time". I got the courage and I've not stopped since then.
 Years have past, I've written a book, stood and talked infront of large audiences, been on TV and radio several times, interviewed great people..and receiving words of commendation by my mentor, Sam Adeyemi, but one thing has not departed from me, those words spoken by Michael Olu Titus. They are alive and ever new, never  ceasing to ring in my ears. They have formed the core of an unending motivation for me. They formed the PUSH that has kept me on my feet when situations bring me bending. When circumstances push me down and people despise what I try to do, those little words have been the much needed antidote to discouragement. When impossibility stares me in the face, my heartbeat changes to those words "Bukola, you CAN...", and a fresh blood of courage, faith and hope start to flow again.
 In this journey you should have something to keep you going. Anyone moving on the path of greatness in this present world is surely moving against the tides. Many times you fail and fall; many times you are hit below the belt by circumstances and people..but it is always better to die fighting for what you believe in, so at such points, just change your belt and resume the fight. Rejections are not always ejections but avenues for reflections. Those who reject you can only make you stronger. When they look down on you today, they are only teaching you not to look down on others when you get up there. Never give up, maintain the push.
 On this journey you get high and low moments, but I've found out that low moments could bring out high values. The darker the night, the brighter the light; the hotter the furnace, the brighter the gold. Greatness is often hidden inside a mud house. Look beyond today and have hope for tomorrow. When anyone tries to look down on you today, tell him to judge you by your tomorrow. Tomorrow is the better judge. When there is nothing to push you, push yourself!
 There are no odd moments. When things are not working is the best time to try. When you are down is the best time to rise. When anything or anyone presses you down, push yourself up. Odd moments can become up moments. Inside the O lies Opportunities; inside the D lies Dreams, and inside the last D lies Destiny. This is what I call The ODD Phenomenon I developed for myself. Your weakest moments are actually your strongest moments in disguise.
 I've learnt that;
# You never know what you can do until you are pushed
# You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you've got
# You never know how far you can go until you start something
 It is in our most frightful moments that we do the almost impossible things. Physiologically, they say it is due to the hormone called Adrenaline. I call it the PUSH HORMONE OF GREATNESS...just a little push can land you into a level unimaginable. And when no one is ready to push you, please push yourself. When you don't try, your chance is zero...when you try, you might just stand a chance, even if it is 1%. You can be great!
(Dr. Bukola Williams is the founder of Covenant StoreHouse of Treasure Int'l and Author of THE SEED OF GREATNESS. For more information, visit www.treasuredhouse.org)