Many people consistently fall short in life, business and leadership for the reason that they pick to take no notice of the critical issue I am sharing with you today. When you step out without ‘doing it’, you are unquestionably going to fall flat on your face. Please understand that every go-getter in every field of life understands what I am sharing with you in synopsis at the moment and they do not joke with it.
The African man is where he is at the moment because he either does not know what I am addressing at present or he has been deceived that great and significant things can happen on their own—without walking-out in shoe-leather, the principle I am laying bare as onions before you today. Are you ready to take pleasure in and relish the meal that I have got to serve you? If yes, then fasten your seat-belt and let’s set the ball rolling.
In recent times, I watched the making of one of the movies produced by an American that won an award. I was amazed to learn that it took the man and his team about twenty years to prepare for the film in question before shooting it. It was during those years of preparation that every “cost” was taken into consideration and when the movie finally came out, it did hit the ends of the earth in a few weeks! This is the startling and astonishing power of preparation!
In Nigeria, most of our movies are wishy-washy, because we do not invest quality time into preparing for them before shooting them. We are always in a hurry to make cheap money. And as an effect of this, most of the movies we bring into being here do not replicate excellence. I do hope the future generations of actors and actresses will take up the issue I am addressing today and live it out to the letter. To do anything that is going to have a global appeal and endure for generations for come, you will need to spend a long time on it, in the room of preparation.
Let me go off on a tangent a little. Nigeria is a very religious country, but it is becoming glaring everyday that we are not Godly a hoot. We go to the mosque and church almost every-day, but we detest ourselves and we whip and pilfer what does not belong to us…Let us get back to the issue before us today. In Nigeria, most of our religious organizations do not emphasize values. And you know that people in point of fact do become what they consistently listen to. As a replacement for emphasizing values that make developed nations tick, our religious leaders, without fail, do present “Santa-Claus” to the people as God. Has this enriched them? Yes. And has this impoverished the masses? Yes. Let no one deceive and misinform you. To become successful and significant on earth, you’d need to prepare for it. In the realm of success, significance and greatness, preparation is non-negotiable.
Over the years, I have met with many people, who wished to have successful homes, but the truth is, successful homes do not respond to mere wishes, but serious preparation. Also, in this day and time, people only do prepare for the wedding, but they hardly do prepare for the marriage. Consequent on this, there are many successful weddings with a very few successful marriages. Are you a youth, reading through this piece and you wish to have a successful home in the days to come? You’d need to be sincere with yourself and prepare for it. You will need to know and understand what makes a marriage work and do it.
Some years ago, I wrote and published a best-selling book—which took me many years to prepare. I needed to stay awake when others were sleeping. And I needed to study hard for it, while looking at meals sometimes without touching them. What’s more? I needed to set aside money for it, because I wanted it to have a global appeal. Also, I needed to look for a good editor and publishers to edit its manuscript and add flesh to my tall dream. Buddy, I did not just wake up one day, wanting to write a best-selling book. It does not work that way. It did cost me about nine years to get the job done!
You cannot do overnight what will add a titanic value to humanity. It will take a long time of preparation. Even when it comes to God, every sudden act of God is always preceded by a long time of preparation. And I am yet to see anyone who became great and significant in the hand of God—who did not adequately prepare for it. When it comes to God, preparation is everything! The question today is: how prepared are you for some rare opportunities that await you in the days to come?
As I begin to coast home today. Over the years, I have seen many people who wasted rare opportunities just because they were not adequately prepared for them. And I have seen folks—who maximized a few opportunities that came their way, as an effect of them being well prepared for those opportunities.
For the umpteenth time, how prepared are you for some opportunities that will knock at your door in the days to come? It is certain that some life-changing opportunities are going to come your way in the days to come, but what is not certain is if you will be meticulously prepared for them. Life-changing opportunities are coming. Get ready!
When “Nehemiah” got to “Jerusalem” on a re-building assignment, for three days and three nights, he walked through the length and breadth of his place of assignment, preparing for what he wanted to get done. It was in the process of preparation that he was able to think through the entire project and he ultimately came up with Work Breakdown Structures (WBS). Also, it was while he was preparing for the project that he was able to count the cost. Many people start projects today without finishing them, because they do fail to spend quality time preparing for them. Remember, “Before you set out, do prepare for it.”
Lastly, please understand that you may need to prepare for ten years for a five minute of presentation that will cause you to go down in history as outstanding.
See you where great people are found!