Are you a Gazelle or a Lion?

“Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle - when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.” African Proverb.

I find this proverb extremely thought-provoking. 2014 is gradually coming to an end…Many things have happened. We have for instance been able to have the 20th issues of The ServiceMag this year. I must admit here that it hasn’t been easy. Several times; we had wanted to stop at the lack of sponsoring. But somehow; we managed to walk through the year; probably by pushing things forward; by accepting simply not to fail.

Many live from one day to the next. Many people blame almost everything bad that happened to them on others or on circumstances. Many have excuses for everything. If their businesses collapse for instance, they will blame it on jealousy, hatred, the huge taxes, the challenging economic environment, the weather, even their spouses or parents

As we usher in the New Year, remember you hold your own destiny in your hands; your future depends on you. Do not just sit there and wait for miracles to happen. I strongly believe that good things happen to those who work for them. A Roman philosopher once said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”. So while we wait for greater opportunities or doors to open for our businesses, our nations, our personal lives in 2015, let’s be prepared. Let’s improve the way we do things. Let’s make ourselves ready because diligence is the mother of luck.

We must take responsibility of our lives and go for what we believe in. We must work hard towards a brighter future. Pride, laziness, not going the extra mile, not upgrading one’s knowledge and skills, being satisfied with the minimum, being irresponsible, etc., are some of the many reasons why many are not able to rise to great heights.

And like someone said; “Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice.” Let’s always remember that our destiny depends on what we actually do today. Our daily personal actions and attitude will determine our achievements as a nation. If you want to be a prosperous business person in 2015 and in the future, work towards it today; start your day either as a gazelle or a lion.

Adopt positive attitudes today. Do not accept mediocrity even if everyone else does. Regardless of our business or activity, we all have something to run for. Let’s not waste time. Time is precious and every hour that is wasted can never be regained. Let us wake up early, prepare, work hard, read, research, practice, improve and upgrade our skills and attitudes.

Wishing you a Prosperous 2015

(ps..This article was first published in 2010..; the year and the number of issues published by The ServiceMag have therefore been updated)

Images: Google