Lessons From A Blacksmith

Are you about to quit?

Yes? No? Keep reading!

Lets start with a rhetorical question.

Do you know how to forge metallic objects?

I bet you have little idea ??

According to Collins A blacksmith is a person whose job is making things by hand out of metal that has been heated to a high temperature.

The thing about it is, you strike and strike, and strike and strike, to get rid of impurities and anything you don't need, and to increase the purity of the object, so a durable one can be forged.

It is BOLDLY stated on the Blacksmith Code that the blacksmith occupational hazard or blacksmith health risk can be categorized into; physical, chemical and ergonomic hazards. The chemical hazards involve the release of harmful chemicals from blacksmithing processes. The harmful chemicals also include toxic gases.

Overall, the sign to identify the hazards in blacksmithing is scars and burns. The unluckier ones have difficulty hearing in one ear or both, and one eye may even be severely damaged.

However, these same blacksmiths have not given up on their trade but are constantly finding ways to better their works while ensuring safety measures are put in place. For a job as tough as blacksmithing, that is one hell of a resolve.

In your life's journey of being or seeking to be a professional as an Educator, a Data Scientist or a Geospatial analyst like myself, you will come across hazards. They might not come in forms of physical scaring like that of a blacksmith - but maybe an emotional or bureaucratic one. They come in several ways, shapes and forms.

It is imperative that we be on the lookout for prospective hazards and address them before you have to encounter them or use a fire brigade approach when its last minute. It is part of your job as a professional. However, if you encounter them, it does not mean it is time to give up. Maybe that's why you have to keep going, moving through and over obstacles to achieve your goals.

Neither are you a blacksmith nor are you made of steel - Yes, you're living flesh.

Still, that one goal, that one mission, that one skill, aim to perfect it. Just don't ever give up. Keep on keeping on!

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” Thomas Edison

Speaking of keeping on, read my Story of Focus on Medium