“Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.” William Shakespeare
For many an African, being born great is a reality far out of reach, and having greatness thrust upon oneself in a continent where pulling each other down is a norm is a dream only a few dare to dream. This leaves the only way to greatness, being that long winding road laden with thorns and thistles where one purposes in their heart, to achieve greatness. The challenge many young Africans face today is finding resources that enable them to escape from the vicious cycle of poverty. Many have great ideas but lack the resources and information that leads to turning ideas into reality. Many had big dreams but the dreams are quashed by naysayers who see no hope in the earth we walk laden with treasures untold.
While working towards achieving my own dreams, I have faced many challenges, funding for higher education, capital to start a small business and lack of faith in my ideas by those I shared my dreams with. Listening to this teaching by a man who understands what coming from a humble background means, I realise that in order to overcome the challenges we face as a continent, we need to cultivate a culture of supporting one another and sharing information at every turn.
Success for many an African comes through blood, sweat and tears, one thing we need to understand is that success served on a silver platter often comes at a high price which we will pay sooner or later.
Listening to the talk by Dr Mensa Otabil, a well-known Christian speaker and pastor from Accra, Ghana in West Africa, I realize again that if we are to succeed as a continent, we need to learn the culture of sharing and depending on one another. He highlights 3 important people we need in our lives in order to see our dreams become a reality:
1) burden sharer – someone who shares the same passion as you do, someone who is able to relate to what you are going through and who has only best interests at heart.
2) dream maker – someone who ushers you into your destiny, who sees the special gifts in you and guides you on the path to achieving those dreams.
3) way maker – someone who prepares the way for you and makes you realize that indeed your dreams are possible.
You may be wondering how do I identify a burden share, a dream maker or a way maker or even feel like you have none of those people in your life, do not despair. True and lasting greatness begins at the point of understanding and embracing one’s purpose. Having said that, embracing purpose can be extremely challenging – if not impossible – without acknowledging the one who created you for a reason. If you would like to know more about the one who is at the centre of all purpose and want to explore a relationship with him, click on the banner below and watch the video that follows.
If you want to talk more to us about any questions you have about greatness, please get in touch by commenting in the space below or writing to us on our Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you!