THE SIZE OF THE FIGHT IN THE DOG

In Africa, we make a lot use of didactic stories, sayings, proverbs, idioms, and figurative expressions to teach moral lessons and to motivate people to actions that are productive and beneficial to both the individual and the society. These sayings and expressions are deliberately crafted to instruct as well as delight the listener.
The Bible, speaking about such words and expressions in Proverbs 25:11, says:
“A word fitly spoken is like gold in pictures of silver”

This scriptural proverb alludes to the fact that such expressions are beautiful and expensive all at the same time. There expensiveness stems from the fact that the lessons they teach and the motivation they bring can change a person’s life for good and eventually lead to success and fortune. Well articulated thoughts and ideas are a captivating fascination Worldwide chiefly because they facilitate human growth and development.

I want to use one such expression to bring out one or two lessons about life that I trust you will find very useful going forward. This particular expression is one of my favorite and ever since I came across it over two decades ago, I have used it to motivate myself and others with great results. It is a saying attributed to several people but the most likely author is Mark Twain. It says:
“It is not the size of the dog that is in the fight but the size of the fight that is in the dog”

This saying underlines the universal truth that the fastest does not automatically win races; the strongest does not automatically win fights; the wisest does not automatically win the best places; the most skillful does not automatically win favor; the most talented does not automatically win fortune; the most gifted does not automatically win wealth; the most connected does not automatically win the best positions. No! Other factors and forces come into play – factors such as how well you make use of your time, how smartly you take the opportunities that come your way from time to time, and how strongly determined and highly motivated you are in your pursuits – and these factors can and will tilt the equation to balance out in favor of the disadvantaged.

The Bible agrees with this position. King Solomon, the preacher, in Ecclesiastes 9:11, says:
“I returned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to wise, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all”
This means that if you are highly motivated and strongly determined, and you use your time and chances productively and purposefully; you can beat the odds stacked against you and end up successful in this life.

German author and poet, Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe (1749 – 1832) agrees. He says:
“Motivation will almost always beat talent”

Mary Kay Ash (1918 – 2001), entrepreneur and cosmetologist, adds:

“Those who are blessed with the most talent don’t necessarily outperform everyone else. It’s the people with follow-through who excel”
Italian actress, Sophia Loren, also agrees. She says:

“Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires avid faith in yourself. That is why some people with mediocre talent, but with great inner drive, go much further than people with vastly superior talent”

Financial and investment counselor, Charles Schwab, also agrees. He says:
“A man will succeed in almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm”
There you have it; confirmation coming from the mouth of people who know. You may be a small dog right now, do not give up or lose hope. Smallness is not a foregone conclusion that you will end small. Your case has not been foreclosed. You can end up as the top dog. Whatever you do, do not give up the fight. Stir yourself up. Stand tall and strong. Refuel your motivation and determination. Refire your enthusiasm. Go at your goals with an unflinching zeal. Pay the price, in time and labor, and the prize will be yours.

Professor Adebayo Williams started school at the age of 12, owing to his disadvantaged background. He studied and worked hard, and today he is one of the leading African scholars in the United States of America and the World at large.
Sir Olatunbosun Ige Olumide, a renowned educationist and theologian of international repute, also had a disadvantaged background. He pushed “amalanke” at the Lagos ports during holidays to make money to pay his way through school. By the time he died a few years ago, he had become one of the most educated and decorated human beings on the planet with six doctorate degrees that he studied for and earned in Business Management, Management Science, International Affairs, Hebrew Literature, Religious Education, and Theology, plus over 50 honorary doctorate degrees from leading universities and seminaries around the World.

Arch Bishop Benson Idahosa was born an ordinary man with an extra-ordinary inner drive and a forceful personality. He came from such a poor background that he wore his first shoes at the age of 18! But by the time he died 42 years later, he had become one of the richest and most influential clergymen, not only in Nigeria, but in the whole World.

Life is full of such inspiring stories where a combination of inner drive, determination, diligence, discipline, desire, etc, work together, overcome daunting challenges and serious disadvantage to rise to the top and accomplish great things.
Your story can not be different. Your disadvantaged background and unfavorable circumstances are not strong enough to hold you back as long as you are motivated enough to push forward against all odds. You will eventually breakthrough. You will come to the limelight. You will shine in this life. Nothing is impossible.

Coming In From the Cold

Are you an underdog, a rank outsider? Are you living under; underestimated, under-appreciated, undervalued, underpaid, and under everything negative? Have you been beaten down by life; defeated, dusted, bruised, and left on the ground? Are you left standing in the cold? Do not give up hope. Stir yourself up and give life a fight. You can beat the odds stacked against you. You can come in from the cold and be taken into the warmth of victory and success.

The legendary American poet and educator, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 – 1882), made a very powerful statement that I want to draw your attention to. He said:

“Noble souls through dust and heat, rise from disaster and defeat the stronger”

Defeat is never the end. It is not meant to be. It can be a retreat to reconsider and refire for a relaunch. You can rise out of it stronger and better. You can rewrite your script and act out a noble and glorious life. The question is; are you ready and willing to act nobly? Let me tell you about a lady that acted nobly and turned her story around. She did not give up when the going got tough and the odds were stacked against her. She is Yeka Onka, winner of Idol Nigeria 2011.

Yeka Onka is a good example of how determination and doggedness, a never-say-never and never-say-die attitude, can cause one to triumph against all odds and do better than people more talented and more gifted than you. She first auditioned for the show in the regional auditions in Enugu and was rejected by her judge on the grounds that she was not good enough for the reality TV show. That rejection would have forced any ordinary soul to give up their dream of becoming an international singing star, but not Yeka! That did not discourage her. She quickly gathered her things and travelled to Calabar and auditioned for the same show and was rejected for the second time for the same reason by the same judge! Certainly this is the end of the road for Yeka Onka? No!

Yeka Onka gathered her things again and travelled to Lagos for the final audition. As circumstances would have it, she appeared before the same judge who rejected her twice before, in Enugu and Calabar! When she came in and saw the judge, she felt like the ground should open up and swallow her! But, instead of turning around and running away, she gathered her emotions, steadied herself and put her entire soul into her performance, giving it her best. This time around, the judge was impressed and gave her the nod to join the show!

During the show proper, Yeka Onka was taken to task by the judges on several occasions and was bitterly criticized, especially by Yinka Davis who allowed Yeka no breathing space. Yeka Onka kept her cool and went through the show with equanimity and grace, believing and confessing that she will win. She made it to the finals and contested against Naomie Mac, a girl without doubt more gifted than Yeka but not as determined and desirous for victory as Yeka Onka. Naomie must have concluded that her talent alone will push her to victory. Big mistake! Talent is a great thing, but without pushfulness stemming from a strong desire to win, it will always come short. Yeka Onka had both talent and a jumbo-sized drive. Her desire was apparent and infectious.

Against the expectations of experts and those knowledgeable in music, and against the expectations of the judges on the show (Yinka Davis, Audu Maikori, and international super star -  Jeffry Daniel), Yeka Onka was voted winner by the international TV viewers! Her determination and self-belief paid off handsomely. She walked home with a prize of 7 million Naira, an SUV, and a recording contract, among many other things. Today she is an international singing sensation. She came in from the cold into the warmth of victory and success, living out her dreams joyfully.

Yeka Onka’s tenacity and dogged determination takes my mind to a famous statement made by William Arthur Ward (1921 – 1994). In it, he shows the link between success and determination:

“Success is sometimes a series of failure held together by strong hands of determination.”

You are created and wired for success, but life will not give you that success on a platter of gold. Because you deserve success does not mean that success will come to you cheap. You will have to fight to get what you deserve. You will experience defeat and encounter setbacks along the way, but defeat and setbacks are not an excuse to give up. They are a spur to dig in deeper and bring forth the awesome resources in you. They are a call to stir yourself to greater mindfulness and resourcefulness. They are a training to build and strengthen your muscles so you can hold on and move up to better things. Do not give up. Keep holding on. Keep believing. Keep working. Keep pushing forward. Just like Yeka Onka, keep gathering your things and moving forward to confront the next challenge. The cold will not kill you, as long as you do not give up. You will come in from the cold into the warmth of victory and success.

“Great things always happen to those who persist. Winners are people who are willing to try one more time” – Mike Murdock.

Keep moving forwards and upwards.
See you at the top.
I love you.

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