Against All Odds: The World Is Your Oyster
It is often assumed that in order to be successful or to make an impact in the lives of many you must be in a position where you have a backing of resources to propel you towards this journey. The error with such an assumption has placed many a people at a great disadvantage because people with a lesser privilege of access to resources think success / their dreams are out of reach because of their lack of resources to see their dreams come to fruition. What if we challenge this erroneous assumption by sharing real-life examples of people who have done it against all odds? Will it be more believable to you dear reader who wants to pursue your dreams but are discouraged by the seemingly great odds against you? Would walking a mile in the shoes of those who experienced numerous hardships before they got successful convince you to rethink your beliefs about obtaining the life you have always desired? Indeed would taking a look into the lives of those doing it for themselves and inspiring others through the impact they make in society challenge you to take a chance on yourself to be a better person with infinite possibilities? If you have answered yes to most of these questions, then you are ready to open your mind to a worldview of possibilities. Let us take a magnifying glass and look into the profile of one of the most phenomenal women alive.
The iconic Oprah Winfrey who is a phenomenal success today and has made an impact in the lives of millions of people worldwide did not have a hunky-dory past. In fact, her past was so painful that it would leave one in despair and feed into hopelessness and self-esteem issues. As a child she was constantly abused and molested by people she called family. They robbed her of her innocence, her child-like experiences of normal childhood growth stages. She acted out in acts of rebellion as a way to get attention. She was indeed quite the rebellious child and many would say that if her circumstances were anything to go by at the time, she would not have been expected to get out of the hardships of the life she was exposed to in her formative years of childhood.
It got to a point where she was sent to a juvenile detention home when she was 13, though she did not stay. What changed, you ask? You know she is successful today, but how was she able to deal with all the strife in her life and get to a place where she had a change of mind-set? In two words: her father. When she was sent to live with her father he took it upon himself to transform this rebellious young girl into someone who would be a force to be reckoned with in life. Her mind-set changed. She read more and was exposed to more. It is from this love of books and reading that her first stint in radio was launched. The rest, as they say, is history. Oprah continues to inspire many people.
Just to get a few of Oprah’s quotes for a dose of inspiration to change the way you are viewing your circumstances:
”Create the highest, grandest possible vision for your life, because you become what you believe”
”The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams”
”Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it”
” The struggle of my life created empathy – I could relate to pain, being abandoned, having people not love me”
These quotes inspire us to aspire for more and envision for more in our lives. They are testament to the fact that anyone has what it takes to succeed. Success does not only favour the privileged. Success is for those who confront their fears, for those who change their mind-sets to accommodate positive thoughts that will lead to the transformation of their lives through taking action towards achieving their dreams. We are all capable of success, of achieving beyond our wildest dreams, beyond beyond beyond anything you envision for your life.
Take a moment to use the ever so popular Google to read about the lives of those who have succeeded against all odds. Read their stories. You will be surprised at how much you probably would identify with some of them. Hopefully they will make you realise that YOU have what it takes to be the best possible version of yourself. As the saying goes, ”The world is your oyster.” It sure is! Take those opportunities in your life. Do not live to regret not ever having tried. Nothing beats going for that which makes your heart sing.
Nothing is as sweet as smiling from front to back because of the realisation that you are doing what you love. Be that person who has a desire to follow passion. Where there is passion there is life. Life is energy. After all, if you do not have energy to do the things you love to do, how do you expect to get energy to do the things you are not as enthusiastic about? Distribute your energy towards the things that make your heart sing, the things that make your feet tap to the tunes of melodic sounds. Be the one that says, ”Against all odds, I have made it.”
Sakhile Mogale