Nothing Is Impossible.

Let me start by saying that nothing is too hard or difficult that it cannot be learnt,  mastered and overcomed.  Absolutely nothing. If you put your mind to it and exert yourself consistently through necessary preparatory practice and training,  and are willing to give time and energy to it, you will eventually master and domesticate your challenge and difficulty. You will become a master of your life and circumstances. 

Do not forget that the 'impossibility'of yesterday is the routine practice of today; the record of yesterday is the starting point of today; the 'science fiction' of yesterday is the 'science reality' of today; the ideas of yesterday are the inventions of today, etc. 

If you refuse to be knocked out by the challenge or difficulty currently facing you, and are willing to get up, dust yourself up, swallow your pride and give it another try, you will eventually overcome and master your challenge and difficulty. Your stumbling blocks can become your stepping stones. 

Let me share with you a personal experience to help drive this point home. 

Most of you do not know that I am a 4-star General (the highest rank any chaplain can attain except the Commandant General who is the only 5-star General) under the International Institute of Pastoral Education and Chaplaincy,  IIPEC, an affiliate of the International Chaplaincy Association,  ICA. I had the honour of studying and working under the direct command of the incomparable Sir Ige Olumide, the man who brought pastoral chaplaincy to Africa from the USA. 

I also learnt Alot from Prof. Emmanuel Akinlotan,  Mama Mercy Etuk Akpan and,  when I was made a member of the Central Executive Council for Africa,  CECA, I came under the direct mentorship of Prof. David Oluremi Folarin. I will never forget the many leadership lessons I learnt from Prof. Folarin during the many work tours he took me along. 

Back when I was in training,  each year, we had classes from October/November to April/May when class work was then mixed with practical field work (marching and formation drills, fitness drills,  command and demonstration drills, etc) until the Passing Out Parade, POP, on the first Friday of September. I took both lectures and drills seriously. I made it a point of duty not to miss even a single day. 

During one of my early days on the field,  I was selected by General Mercy Akpan,  the Parade Commander,  to join the Special (Demonstrations) Squad. I was selected because of my height, erectness and the little promise I displayed during training. 

This squad was made up of the best marchers and demonstrators. To belong and eventually perform during the POP,  you had to be fit and at the top of your game. I was not fit,  nor was I at the top of my game. I had not done any drills since I left the Boys Brigade over two decades earlier. I tired easily,  plus I had serious difficulty learning the demonstration moves. I felt like giving up, but I forced myself to keep learning and growing. 

Then I fumbled badly... 

Unknown to me,  the Field Command had decided to make me the leader of the Special Squad for that year; subject, of course, to my learning and mastering, faultlessly,  all the relevant moves and commands. So, I worked hard to master both the commands and the moves,  but I had trouble learning how to come to a halt at the command to do so in the midst of a quick march. This was an absolute necessity as almost all the demonstrations are done after we come to a halt during quick march.

On the day we practiced this basic move,  Anthony Oyinlola, elder brother to former military and civilian governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola,  and himself a retired soldier and a member of IIPEC, was on the field with us. As a matter of fact, he gave the command that day. Several other top commanders were around that fateful day. It was a full house and that was the day I failed to get the move right. 

When the command was given, all the members of the squad got it right except me. And I was in front of the squad!

The same command was repeated over and over again, and each time everyone got it right except me. Some squad members were called out to specially demonstrate the move for me,  and both Generals Mercy and Anthony demonstrated it to me,  but I still missed it. It was a big fumble in front of everybody. 

General Anthony Oyinlola was livid with anger and general Mercy threatened to remove me from the squad altogether. I calmly asked to be allowed the time between that day and the next drill day to practice and,  if after that I still fumbled,  I promised to remove myself from the squad. One elder General,  whose name I cannot readily recall now,  pleaded for me to be given that chance. General Mercy told me I was a goner if I failed to perform right at the next practice. 

It was a big challenge and I was determined to overcome it. 

When I got home that evening, despite how embarrassed and tired I was, I took time and practiced. During the intervening days I practiced over and over and over again, until I mastered it perfectly. It was not easy,  but I did it anyway. 

The day came and I was among the earliest on the field. When training started, every eye was on me. The command came and I got it right the first time! The whole field clapped for me,  including some of the generals and my squad mates. I did not know, untill then, that so many people were rooting for me!

well,  I was confirmed the leader of the Special (Demonstrations) Squad and went ahead to successfully lead it during that year's POP, and 6 more years after,  becoming the first person to have served that long. During these time,  I met and groomed many wonderful chaplains, introduced many innovations and became friends with both Generals Anthony Oyinlola and Mercy Etuk Akpan. I gradually rose to the top of the chaplaincy profession and had some unforgettable experiences along the way.

This experience showed me that nothing is impossible. It may be hard and challenging,  but not impossible. If you put your mind to it and work hard, you will eventually surmount the difficulty and successfully Master it.

You can do it.

It is all within you.

It is Agoso Bamaiyi, your friend for a greater Nigeria and the best things of life.

(P. S. I would love to hear your story. Tell me how you overcame an embarrassing failure, turning it into a victory. You never can tell who your story might motivate to do great things)