By Segun Aremu
Among the kids in the neighbourhood, Gbenga was the only one who seemed unable to jump beyond 2ft when the local game of high jump called kenke in Yoruba language is being enjoyed at playtime. He was always the first to lose out in the game.
On this certain day, everybody’s perception about his jumping ability was highly distorted and everyone’s cynicism changed. Here is what happened:
One hot afternoon, as the sun was drying up the water the rain had poured two nights before, the kids in the neighbourhood went to pluck some ripe mangoes as this was their custom. This was not a small feat as they had to climb over a 5ft wall. Even Gbenga who could not jump was not exempted from the adventure.
The young energetic young chaps had made the owner of the compound irritated because they left virtually no mangoes or few for him to eat. So he decided to place 2 big dogs in the compound and hid them secretly somewhere far behind the house.
On this fateful day, the boys got into the compound, again, oblivious of the danger that awaited them. Immediately the last person entered and the plucking was just about to begin the loud threatening bark of those ferocious dogs were heard. And then the kids saw the dogs running vehemently towards them. Before you could say, Wigglesworth, Gbenga ran towards the fence and flew over it, much to everyone’s shock!
Interestingly, some of the boys who were known to be good jumpers had to struggle to get over….everyone was indeed startled and surprised, of all people Gbenga even Gbenga himself couldn’t believe it …Gbenga never knew he had a great jumping ability in his inside. He always thought he could never jump beyond 2ft but from then on, Gbenga suddenly became the best high jumper in the compound and even went for a competition in several schools on behalf of his school and won several medals. Gbenga’s reputation changed for the best!
The truth is that God has put so many great talents and strengths in you, don’t die with them. Don’t go the grave with those dreams unrealized, don’t let your thought reduce your ability to perform, because you weren’t the best yesterday doesn’t mean you don’t have what it takes to be the best today. Don’t let the pressure come from your competitors get you into making decisions beyond your capacity and competence could handle… let the pressure come from you.
You can do much more than you are doing now, don’t let the thoughts of mediocrity make a victim of God’s greatness inside of you…. Don’t make a victim of your ability with your mentality. So, the biggest limitation of your ability is your mentality. The Better the minds of the people the better the Organisation. Only Big Minds create Big Organisations.
