Invictus: Your Rediscovered Passion, Unleashed!

Dear colleagues, the corporate world and life, are fulfilling, but also can be tough, and full of ambition and competition. One day, unawares, you find yourself lost, un-anchored, with the shore far from perceptible distance, beaten down! Then, you begin to wonder: "what happened to my dreams, to my passion?" Suddenly, you now you realize that you've traded comfort and money, for passion and your destiny!

Friends, have you felt that the greatness you once believed you had is now a distant, foggy, memory? The meetings, memos, drama and politics, have now replaced the joy and passion you once had! So, through the world, the pressures, the statements of spiritually blind people, who are themselves beaten, you have come to believe that it is too late for you to reach for the heights and passion for excellence once again?

In reality, because of the cacophony of mediocrity and confusion, most people come to believe that there's no way back, that they have a permanent condition of the heart and mind! Depressing!!

To further compound the desperation, if we tune in to the wisdom of the ages, we come to realize that very little is under our control. Actually, the only things over which we have any control is our reactions, to the good, the bad and ugly! Is that bad news, though; no, not by far!!!

Invictus, by William Ernest Henley, was a poem-anthem of sorts for Nelson Mandela's life journey, and was featured in a film by Clint Eastwood, which carried the same name of the poem: Invictus (unbeaten or invincible).

At a very turbulent time in the history of the beautiful country of South Africa, and the ensuing tumult reaching fever-pitch with the release of Nelson Mandela from prison after 27 years, South Africa was at a cataclysmically explosive crossroads! After Mandela's election, an actual miracle seemed to be the only improbable cure to such turbulent and catastrophic times!

Prior to the 1995 World Cup, after being elected, President Mandela perceiving the state of the burning racial tensions, saw that the white majority and that their beloved Springbokks Rugby team was to be disbanded. Very astutely, and against the advise of his closest allies, newly-minted President Mandela bravely intervened, to keep the Springbokk from being defunct.

Mandela knew, that if the Springbokks were disbanded, the already frustrated, white majority would be further disenfranchised; the possible unity and healing would vanish. Realizing that the key to unity of the new country was through sports, more precisely by an impossible victory of the Springbokk National Rugby Team at the World Cup, the country's improbable unity would mirror that of the Springbokk's!

The only tiny problem that Mandela faced was that the Springbokk were perennial loosers, demoralized, and NOT the favorites to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup, but Mandela was determined, by love of his country, and the people in it!

Friends, can you relate to this? You hear of a promotion, or a new position, that years ago you would have done anything to get, but now not you, nor your family; the world seems to be against you! Yet, take heart, these are the necessary ingredients to stoke the embers of your heart into flames.

In the meantime, as a first step to avoid further morale deterioration in the country at-large, Mandela, very astutely, invited the Captain of the National Rugby Team, Francois Pienaar for tea, at the Presidential Palace, face-to-face, Mandela asked Pienaar: "how do we inspire ourselves to greatness, when nothing else will do?" Then Mandela added: "we need inspiration Francois, because in order to build our nation, we all need to exceed our own expectations!"

Am I missing something? Mandela expected these guys, these loosers, to win the World Cup? Yet, isn't that the way it is? There are times, when you least expected, you are tapped to do something outside of your comfort zone... and the embers get hot, or not.... Have you ever asked yourselves these questions?

The words in the poem "Invictus," along with Mandela's fighting spirit, and savvy political strategy, and love for people, and inspiring and infectious leadership, were the keys in lifting the underdog South African Rugby team, the Springbokks, to one of the most improbable and awe-inspiring victories, in recent sports history, at the 1995 Rugby World Cup!

Thus, through these events, and inspirational leadership, Mandela united a nation in desperate need of such an unconquerable soul!

I remember in my own life, that at one time I was called the Golden boy, picked to have the keys to the "kingdom," but instead fell flat, and crashed. This dog was kicked around so much, that I became disillusioned, depressed, and just fulfilled the prophesies of people that called me a "dummy, a moron, and retarded!" Yet, inside of me there was a tiny ember, just barely alive.

Loving math, and science I gave them a shot, and could not cut the mustard... my mathematical proofs were called a sham, and was accused of cheating because nobody ever got the answers that way! Honestly, the only thing this ex dancer could do was a Gen Chem and Gen Biology class and that's it! Depressing!!!

Then one day, I hear a gentleman by the name of John Eldredge, say something like: "the enemy of your soul will merciless attack your strengths from infancy, so that you do not fulfill your mission on earth!" Crazily enough that made sense, that though was embryonic, and it grew.... slowly, but marvelously.

Fast forward a few moons, and the semester from hell, in my "apparently" laughable pursuit of medical school was in fool swing... the course work was:

1) Biochemistry for Graduate ad Upper Classmen, prerequisites: Cell Bio (not taken), Functional use of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry (mine, not functional, at all)...

2) Microbiology

3) Genetics

4) Some science lab

5) Statistics

6) Upper-level, medical school required Literature class

My killer classes were Biochemistry and Statistics... Mind you, by this point I was used to making all A's... First BioChem exam 69%, second 78%.... first Stats exam 79%, second 79%... I could have dropped some classes, but something inside told me that if I did that, I would forever regret it... Fear, frustration, panic, feelings of quitting were all over me!!!

Yet, at this time I decided to stay in full time, and studied smarter... but, what actually got me through, friends, was pure determination, and anger of my past cowardice. There is something good in humans, that is hard to kill: determination! I studied, prayed, ran, cried, punched walls... but was not giving up!!!

The result was a 4.0!!! Some of my teachers were in disbelief, and asked me: "Will, how in God's green earth did you do this?" I answered, I got off my ship (comfort zone), marched, determined, and burned my ships! When we are determined to succeed, time, fears, temporary frustrations, crappy bosses, the economy... suddenly matter not!

Friends, I am here to persuade you to stop listening to those lies, that you can't! Recent new medical diagnostic technology, fMRI (functional MRI), has given us keen, unforeseen insights into the human brain. One of the discoveries is that our learning does not plateau at a certain age, as previously thought... and that how we talk to ourselves plays an enormous part in how we view ourselves.

It has been written that by the time we get off of our beds, we have uttered to ourselves at least 200 negative thoughts! Add to that the other people in your life, who have also had those 200 negative thoughts... the negative effect can be daunting!

Can you see how permeable our brains can be to believing lies about ourselves? Yet, just as powerfully, our brains, we, have the great ability to self-talk, to reprogram our brains, and our lives with real, positive affirmations that can change our destinies! These new findings, are no longer speculative, but scientific empirical data; truth!

Can you imagine how powerful, what an amazing impact would unleash saying 200 positive and realistic statements to yourself before your feet hit the floor, after waking up? Can you imagine where you will be, after a week, a month, a year?

Friends, I can tell you that it was not easy, but it was possible, I changed, through determination, prayer! After, slowly changing these self-defeating habits, you gain a sense of power, of hope, and a changed life. Colleagues, if you really knew me, you'd know that if I can do it, through all the hell I've had to overcome, you could also become: Invincible!

Expect more of yourself, some slowly, some at a quicker pace... Expect greatness, because nothing else will do! My friends, to build excellence in your lives, careers, companies, we must all exceed, even our own expectations!

Dream of excellence again, let the past teach you, not hold you back ever again... step-by-step... And, most of all, thank whatever gods (mine's Yeshua) may be, for your unconquerable soul! RISE UP!!

INVTICTUS (Invincible), by William Ernest Henley

"Out of the night which covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeoning of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul."