S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

This 7-letter word is one of the most-desired qualifications under heaven. I've not come across anyone who doesn't want to be referred to as successful. Ironically, I have come to realise that as absolute as it is, a significant percentage of people reason that success is relative. "It depends on what we're talking about", they think or say.

I posit, however, that success is absolutely absolute. One is either a success or a failure, no midland. And to think it is relative; relative to what?

Simply put, success is ACHIEVING PURPOSE OF DESIGN. Whatever it is that does well in a purpose for which it is not designed is only subjectively successful. That is, it is only successful in the sight of onlookers who will have no say in its final assessment.

An example: A pen is meant to leave indellible marks while a pencil is made to leave temporary, erasable marks. I bet no one would buy a pencil that leaves marks that an eraser can't handle; and when the marks of a pen is easily erased, it has failed even though it still makes its marks!

It means, to me therefore, that your success is independent of

whether or not you're rich

whether or not you're powerful

whether or not you're long-lived

So what does it depend on? This is one question I can't answer alone. Don't hesitate to leave your comments on this issue (it tkaes a few moments) as we consider it for the next few weeks.

MY POWER WORKS BEST IN YOUR WEAKNESS 2CORINTHIANS 12:9

At 19 months, Helen Keller contracted the illness that eventually left her without hearing and sight. Back then those labelled deaf and dumb were classified as idiots. But Helen’s parents didn’t agree. They hired teacher Anne Sullivan to work with her and eventually she learned to read and write using Braille. Amazingly, in 1904 she graduated with honours from Radcliff College, and then devoted her life to helping others. Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie paid her an annual income; writers Mark Twain and Robert Louis Stevenson praised her and almost every President of her day invited her to the White House. When asked if there was anything worse than being blind she replied, “Yes, having sight but no vision.”

At 12 Thomas Edison developed such severe hearing loss that his teachers recommended he be taken out of school. Instead, Edison used his handicap to drown out distractions and focus on his work. As a result, the boy who was labelled a slow learner gave the world over 1,000 inventions, including the light bulb, the phonograph and the motion camera.

Who gets to define normal anyway? Is it being short versus tall, or rich versus poor? The truth is God’s given all of us unique abilities that He expects us to explore. And interestingly, the real handicaps don’t belong to those who are born with physical and mental challenges. No, they belong to the so-called normal people who’ve accepted lethargy and limitation as part of life.

God said, “My power works best in your weakness”; so you can let your difficulties impede or inspire you. Which will it be?

courtesy Grace So Amazing Foundation

DESPITE ALL THESE THINGS…ROMANS 8:37

Composer Gian Carlio Menotti said, “Hell begins the day God grants us a vision of the gifts we’ve wasted, of all we might have done but we didn’t do.

Wilma Rudolph, who won three gold medals at the 1960 Olympics, would agree. What she accomplished isn’t as impressive as what she overcame. As a child Willie contracted polio and couldn’t walk without braces. Then at age 13 she regained the use of her legs and went on to become the fastest woman alive. But her challenges weren’t just physical. One of children born to a poor black family, she inspired us by transcending poverty and racial animosity. She said, "I can’t" has never been in my vocabulary.

At age two, Scott Halton, another famous Olympian skater, stopped growing because of a childhood illness that almost killed him. But his parents encouraged his rehabilitation by teaching him to skate; and the rest is history!

In 1976 when Brad Parks was injured in an accident that left him in a wheelchair, he strengthened his arm by whacking tennis balls against his garage door. Three years he formed the National Foundation of Wheelchair Tennis.

Paul said despite all these things victory is ours through Christ.

Rick Warren writes: Why does God use our weaknesses? Because when He does, He gets all the glory.

If God only used your strengths, others would look at you and be jealous or discouraged. But when God uses you in spite of your weaknesses they realise God could use me too! Your weaknesses aren’t an accident. God allowed them for the purpose of demonstrating his power through you.

courtesy Grace So Amazing Foundation

What Do You See?

Usually when things appear, different people see them in different lights and from different angles. The same occured in the case of Anousheh Ansari, history's first female space explorer and Space Ambassador. Majority of the comments that trailed the expedition were quite negative. I wondered, after seeing a few of those comments yesterday evening, why God created us not to see things the same way. "For God's sake," I thought, "why would anyone have problems with that charitable young lady who decided to pioneer for us what we would otherwise find hard to imagine."

Honestly, I think we have a right to what we think and say, but in doing that, we'd do better to be a bit more reflective. I like you to go through what one of the masterminds of Anousheh's expedition wrote - and think deeply. Take with that the post on tempers that I placed sometimes ago, and then you'll see what I mean: WHILE YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO YOUR OPINION, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT IT IS INFLUENCED BY WHAT YOU SEE; AND SINCE YOU CAN'T SEE EVERYTHING, SOMEONE WILL ALWAYS HAVE A SUPERIOR OPINION. THE MOST MATURE PEOPLE ARE THOSE WHO TAKE THINGS OBJECTIVELY.
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Peter @ 11:20 pm

This is for anyone who might be critical of Anousheh’s flight — even though it’s a small percentage of the discussion here.
First of all, I need to say that Anousheh and her family are among the most thoughtful and generous people I have ever met.
When someone spends their money to purchase artwork or fancy automobiles, I don’t hear the outcry of “how could you spend your money in that fashion.” The fact is that Anousheh’s support of private spaceflight is not a whim, but the fulfillment of a dream that will yield very positive long-term implications for humanity.
Stop to think about the wealthy adventurers of the 18th Century who spent their money to venture across the Atlantic, or the wealthy clients who purchased the first airplanes or airline tickets. Today most of us living in the US don’t stop to thank those early trans-Atlantic adventurers for risking their lives and their wealth to open the Americas.
Do you thank the first “aeronauts” every time you purchase a low-cost Southwest or EasyJet airline ticket? Yet you benefit from their investment. How about everyone looking at this blog on your computer… The first computers cost millions.
The bottom line is all of the “Breakthroughs” we have today were at one point expensive, dangerous and difficult. We take this for granted now, but each of these industries began with pioneers.
Thank you Anousheh for making the investment, for taking the risk and for being a pioneer. Hundreds of years from now when Earth is benefiting from the resources of space, when millions of humans are living beyond low-Earth orbit, you will be remembered for taking some first steps and showing us the way.
Tomorrow, Oct 4th, 2006, on the second anniversary of the Ansari X PRIZE win, we will announce our next $10 million X PRIZE for Genomics. This competition will be for rapid genome sequencing, a technology that will literally revolutionize medicine and increase the quality of life for millions of people. The X PRIZE Foundation was able to create this prize in part because of the Ansari Family’s generosity. Had they not funded our first prize, we’d never be doing a follow-on!

Peter H. Diamandis (Chairman & CEO, X PRIZE Foundation, Washington, DC)

WHAT'S FOR INDEPENDENCE?

On October 1st 1960, the Union Jack was brought down in Nigeria and the "green-white-green" was flown. Today, 46 years after, the Nigeria that we know is far from it used to be. Many reasons have been advanced for the downward trend this nation has suffered over the years but it all boils down to one thing: POOR LEADERSHIP. And that's what has made the difference between us and the United States, for example.

I was not there but I was told and I've read that the quest for independence cost us so much as a nation. It is unfortunate, however, that we are now our own taskmasters despite the price we paid to free ourselves from the foreigners. The extent of steady decadence over the years, and the fact that many of us in this generation were born into it, has led many Nigerians to believe (erroneously, though) that Nigeria "ko le dara mo" (can no longer be good).

I am one Nigerian who sees a bright future for this land and in spite of all, I'm always quick to say "THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER." I am so excited about it and I believe every Nigerian should. NIGERIA IS WORKING AGAIN AND IT SHALL WORK EVEN BETTER; the truth, as I believe, is that WE HAVE TO JOIN HANDS TO MAKE IT WORK with the FAITH that our fatherland WILL work again. WHETHER WE THINK IT CAN OR WE THINK IT CANNOT, WE'RE RIGHT.

For you to know that I'm not a lone ranger on this path, I give to you a text message on January 2nd, 2006 at 3:22pm

This is to wish you a fulfilling 2006.

May we live long enough to witness

A Nigeria where Power Holding (NEPA)

Will announce before a 5-minute interruption

Where our streets will be gleaming with bitumen

Where our able-bodied will choose

The type of work to do

Where the disabled will live

Without having to beg

Where tummy tuck can be done

At our Community Health Centres

Where we shall have surplus

That we initiate immigration programs (visa lottery)

Where our young shall die at the age of 80

Where no man shall sleep with a woman/lady

In order to make ends meet

But out of love/choice

Where our brothers/sisters overseas

Shall come back home

Not out of ill-luck or failure

But because they will be left out

Of civilisation if they fail to do so

Where we shall not ride okada for a living

But power bikes for Formula One

Where we shall look forward to retirement

Because it's sweet

DID I HEAR "AMENS?"

That piece was sent to me by EMMANUEL OLUWATOSIN, a product specialist with Globacom