How Bad Do You Want It?
I looked through my friends wedding pictures. I thought her
husband wasn’t so bad… and then it hit me and I mentioned it to another friend, we or
rather I would never have thought him ‘not
so bad’ if I saw him on the streets, now that she’s married him, he’s looking
like ‘a catch’. You see I would not
have given him a second thought if he ever said hi to me, or even hand over my
number if he asked. But she’s worked on him in her own way which is
no way at all, just by agreeing to take him and see him for what he is, she’s suddenly made
him a charming young man in our eyes and oh, what a catch he is… How lucky she is we say.
Some people compliment me on my skin(Yes they do :P). They’ve asked what I
use and are ready to start breaking the bank for magical products… See I
used the expensive stuff before, my heart doing a little triple beat when my Germaine de Capuccini products were running out, but then i found and then settled for natural Shea butter and good
old black soap when i saw the benefits. I shelved all the processed products a long time ago. They turn
their nose up when I tell them what I use…they complain about the unpleasant
smell of Shea butter or one thing or the other… it isn’t glam enough to don
their tables (forbid it that their friends should come visiting and there is no
Clarins et co on the table) So they are not willing to use it, meaning they
don’t want that change bad enough.
My mom just started a business. I’m on ground with her,
and everyday we see new challenges. If she wasn’t willing to see it through,
she’d have folded up and told her foreign partners to pack up and go long ago.
She’s keeping on; no one envies her at this stage… I don’t envy myself at this
stage, some days I want to RUN, tell her I want out… But the truth is we stand on a goldmine, and once we’re
through with digging through the dirt, the shine would be worth the trouble. That’s
when people would envy, thinking we woke up one day to be at the place we’re at.
Forgetting the invisible labor. My friends have expressed ‘concern’ at my being
back in Makurdi. The understated pity and advice to hurry back to Lagos or
wherever they think I should be kind of irritates me. If I’m going to share in
the glory of this story and get true satisfaction from it, I have to be a part of the story as much as I would
rather be somewhere else.
These days we pick up magazines and see other ladies holding designer bags, or watch as some fly first class and think that's the life we want. We don't want to hear about the grass days of hustling, the labor to get to the place these people are at, how they met their husbands in the days of his digging... how they pursued their passions till they got success. No one wants to hear that part, and so we cut corners, rushing for undeserved glory... like refusing to build a house with foundation because you don't want to go through the trouble, you want a house this minute... It'll come crumbling down on you.
You see, we’re not ready to work for what we want, or make the
necessary sacrifices to get there. Meaning we don’t want it bad enough. No one
wants to do the dirty job, we all just want to dress pretty and show up at the celebration of the end
result. You’ve got to be willing to go through the dirt if you truly want to
shine.
The diamond would remain useless as long as its buried, until it’s dug out of the ground, taken out of the dirt and processed, it would never become the exquisite jewelry to die for that it is. It would never transform to become one admired and talked about for ages, adorning the neck of royalties and highly sort after and coveted by many. Every diamond has gone through dirt to become what it is today.
The diamond would remain useless as long as its buried, until it’s dug out of the ground, taken out of the dirt and processed, it would never become the exquisite jewelry to die for that it is. It would never transform to become one admired and talked about for ages, adorning the neck of royalties and highly sort after and coveted by many. Every diamond has gone through dirt to become what it is today.
If you want it bad enough, you'll search for the guts to go through it, till you get to it. Don't get discouraged, the bible says you can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you.(Philippians 4:13)
When God
called me to ministry, it didn’t happen overnight. There were many years of
preparation and building up what is now a worldwide ministry. During those
years, I wanted to quit many times. But my testimony is, “I’m still here!” And
if you won’t give up, you’ll have victory too. –Joyce Meyer
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ReplyDeleteGreat post, Inyamu. You are sooooo right, many people want to get the product but don't want to go through the process. Some are scared of failing, some are not even clear about what they want, some are just slothful. But, hey "it is better to fail in doing something than to excel at doing nothing." And when we fail, we should learn from that experience and get back up.
DeleteMany a time, we dream big and pray to God to grant us success and all the good things but we easily forget that prayer without works is dead. We must make an effort, we must must be committed, we must stretch, we must work...
Laziness is a terrible disease, it cripples you and limits your potential. Don't fall victim! You don't want to miss the immense sense of self fulfilment that comes from enjoying the work of your hands.
Find your purpose today, set clear goals, don't be afraid to take baby steps, before you know it, they'll become giant steps and you'll find yourself basking in your glory.
Thank you, Inyamu for this great reminder.
You're so right. So many of us want to reap without working hard for anything. I hope your mum's business takes off and God bless the work of your hands.
ReplyDeleteAmen Myne..!!
DeleteVery nice piece, a big help too....Thank you and GOD bless you.
ReplyDeleteBless you too...
DeleteVery true. There are no short cuts in life.
ReplyDeletenone whatsoever.
Deleteyou are truly inspirational. Your words blesses and encourages. I wish you and ur family success. and may you continue to bless us with ur words.
ReplyDeleteAmen, and thank you.
DeleteWise and encouraging words. Your write-up reminds me of this quote that used to be on the Notice Board in secondary school:
ReplyDelete"The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
All hardwork brings a profit. That's what God's word says. We have to believe it. Believing it means putting it into practice.
P.S. Ironically, I am listening to an album right now called "Still here." The Spirit is one, ba?
lol, the spirit is one indeed. those words... deep!
DeleteI wish there was a button on your blog that says "love"...I so love this post. It speaks of the truth and the reality. If we want something bad enough, we know the extra effort we will be willing to put or extra lengths we will be ready to go
ReplyDeleteMost times we miss out, cos the hard work seems too much a price to pay.
DeleteSometimes, what you want so bad or in my case, what you love doing so much and see as your God-given ministry, just seems to cause 'hiccups' in your life for reasons you just cannot understand and at those times you are just like 'I give up! Lord if this is something you have truly called me to do, work it out o! Cos I cannot do this anymore like this. For now, I am standing still.
ReplyDeleteEvery once in a while I get to these places in my mind but somehow, God always finds a way to shake me up and get me to get over myself and know that, as long as he has sent, he will make a way. Today, he used your blog. Thank you.
:) Words like this encourage me... thank you and God bless you with strength to finish what he's called you to do.
DeleteThis is so true!!! We shouldn't ever despise the days of little beginnings.
ReplyDeleteno we shouldn't... there's so much strength gotten from 'back in the day"
DeleteThe truth is most times when I come here, I'm plunged into a deep reflective mode so I have nothing profound to add. May God continue to polish your excellent skills at bringing forth truth in amazing pieces. And as for this piece, may we learn to tell our testimonies well, not hiding the parts when our gold was thrown into the fire, but instead saying the whole story...and nothing but the entire beautiful story. Who knows how many countless lives are watching? The whole earth groans for the manifestations of the sons of God.
ReplyDeleteAMEN!!! Thank you for your kind and encouraging words.
Delete