He Came in Second Place!

And a bit of personal development for Christmas.

Yesterday was Christmas and a very busy day for me. I do most of the cooking at home so this should not be too surprising.

However, I got an early Christmas present. You see my best friend Chibuike had contested in a choral competition. He called to tell me that he came in second place. And I was so happy.

This happiness stems from the fact that when it comes to music I have not seen anyone that works as hard as Chibuike does.

He even left me once when I was sick and went for choir practice and he is supposed to be my best friend oh.

I am glad that this hard work is finally paying off. But there is a lesson here for us.

See let me tell you Chibuike’s story.

Chibuike started singing at the age of 9. He was fascinated with the way people sang in church and he wanted to sing like them. To be part of them. So he always tried to sing along. He practiced with the sound of music. Have you watched the movie? If you haven’t your childhood is not complete oh!

He saved up his allowance to buy opera movies. He sang in the bathroom, he sang and practiced everywhere and he was not even in the choir yet. He was not old enough but that did not stop him from doing what he loves. He did it and he did it without ceasing.

Eventually, when he was old enough he joined the choir. But did he stop here? He realized that he could do better. He sought constant growth. He started learning the transcription of music. He practiced relentlessly and he got better.

Then something happened!

Along the line, he was told he could not sing soprano again. They told him he would have to start singing alto. He did not take this well but in the end, he followed this path with as much dedication as he did when he started. The result is the amazing chorister that he has turned out to be.

Now, what are the lessons we can gather from this little story?

Firstly, passion can only account for so much. The rest is hard work. If you do not plan on working hard for that dream, then you might as well have failed before starting. Chibuike knew what he wanted and he knew that it would take a lot of hard work to get him there. He was not daunted.

Something else you should take away from this story is that there is no such thing as an overnight success. Chibuike did not get where he is today overnight. He worked hard and he stayed consistent. I have written about the myth of overnight success and you can read about it HERE.

Take pleasure in the little things. Your little wins are more than just wins. They are markers that you are on the right path. Chibuike took pleasure in the little compliments and gifts he got. He didn’t let those little wins fool him though. He knew where he was going and he knew he had not gotten there yet. Try and map out where it is you want to be and work towards it. Realizing that all the small wins are just markers. They mean that you are on the right path and should stay on that path.

Finally, know when to stop and rethink. Always do an internal audit of your capabilities. Know how far you can go. Know when to stop and strategize. But the main thing is never to give up.

That is all I have for you today but before I go, I want to ask you whether you have gotten my book on branding yet? If you have not then I have good news for you. All you have to do is click on the subscribe button and subscribe then come back and click HERE. You will automatically get the book free of charge.

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Once again Merry Christmas and a Beautiful New Year in advance.

I love you

Stay Peachy

Cherechi.