How to turn a disadvantage to an advantage

I remember reading through one of the books written by Dan Senor and Saul Singer and in it they said, “Agassi picked up where Peres had left off on another question: Why start with Israel, of all places? The first reason was size, he told Ghosn. Israel was the perfect “beta” country for electric cars. Not only was it small but due to the hostility of its neighbors, it was a sealed “transportation island.” Because Israelis could not drive beyond their national borders, their driving distances were always within one of the world’s smallest national spaces. This limited number of battery swap stations Better Place would have to build in the early stage. By isolating Israel, Agassi told us with an impish smile, Israel’s adversaries had actually created the perfect laboratory to test ideas.”

Everything other nations would call disadvantage and throw in the towel is what Israel has turned to their own advantage, becoming a major force of influence on earth. Israel is a small country, not a big country as Nigeria. As an effect of being small, in order to compete favorably on earth, they shifted their gear from quantity to quality.

Israel is not struggling to expand her boarders, but they are daily increasing their level of quality and excellence. They are sold-out to distinction in every fiber of their national life. They detest mediocrity as a people. I opine that our nation—Nigeria—needs to learn this from Israel. Size only is not what gives a nation an edge. If it were size alone, Nigeria would have become one of the most powerful countries on earth.

You are not doing well in your field of business, not because your company or business is small, but you are not doing well because you are not high-quality-driven. Being small becomes a disadvantage when you do not take advantage of it. Some years back, I started my business with just N3,000! It was a very small one, but I leveraged it—by being excellence-driven.

Israel as a nation is not a large market, but through quality, they call the shots of the global market! Their products are setting the pace across Planet Earth. However, Nigeria is a large market—within the context of population, but we are not calling the shots of the global market. Why? It is because we are not merit-driven as a nation and we are not birthing world-class products and services. To take over the world as a nation, we need to learn a lot from the nation of Israel.

You do not have a voice, not because what you are doing is small, but you do not have a voice because what is leaving your office is not world-class, it is not excellence-driven. When you concentrate on quality, you’d see that every disadvantage has an advantage. Check your life very well. Everything you can call a disadvantage in your life contains a seed of advantage. You can turn a disadvantage to an advantage! It is doable.

Also, the reason you are not doing well is not because you are from a small family. Many people have thrown in the towel—just because they were born into small families. The truth is; you can take advantage of your family as it is and make something big out of it. You can come out of a small family and shake the whole world—if you’d live out what I am sharing with you right now.

I heard the story of a man who became extremely successful, despite being born into a very poor family. As an effect of living on the inside of poverty and waking up in it, he made up his mind to become exceptionally good, so he could get scholarship. Anything below scholarship, he would not be able to go to school. The same poverty that made many folks give up ended up propelling him to become successful. Being born into poverty becomes an advantage when you are committed to a life of hard-work and excellence.

You are not successful, not because your parents are poor, but you are not successful because you are lazy and mediocre. Even if you were born in a “manger,” you can turn it into an advantage—shaking the whole world. It is not about the littleness of your place of birth, it is about the size of your commitment and level of excellence!

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Also, Israel’s adversaries became the perfect laboratory to test ideas. In other words, adversity does have an advantage. Whatever you are going through can become a laboratory to test earth-shaking ideas. Buddy, the reason you are not successful is not because of your adversaries, the reason you are not successful is because you have yet to sit—creating ways to turn your adversity to an advantage. Israel has been able to do it. I have done it. You too can do it!

Let your adversity push you to give birth to global transforming ideas. Many people have stopped running with their purpose, because some people did not like them and what they stood for. But the truth is; you can advance in life no matter what people think and say about you. Israel’s adversities have condemned the people to a life of creativity and hard-work. Let your own adversity also condemn you to a life of creativity and hard-work. This kind of mindset will change your life forever!

Israel is one of the smallest national spaces, but the truth is; Israel is one of the world powers. When it comes to the issue of security, they come atop. To survive amongst those who hate them, they know they must become the best in every sphere of life. To survive too in a nation as Nigeria, you too must become the best in your own sphere of purpose. When this happens, you’d become influential across the planet.

Do not let your enemies push you to commit suicide. Let them propel you to make it in life. Sit and come up with creative ideas on how you are going to become very powerful and influential in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. For the umpteenth time, every disadvantage contains a seed of advantage. You can actually touch the ends of the earth through your small business, if you are going to commit yourself to a life of hard-work and excellence. It is a new day for the African man.

See you where successful leaders are found.