Seize the night

Hunt for Greatness
Milton Kamwendo

There is so much noise all around. That noise does not need to be in your spirit or your head. Take time to be still and focus. Without focus you cannot do great things and you can never win games that matter. Listening to every voice will only make you feel tense, bitter, confused and overloaded. You cannot keep up with the noise, but you can keep in step with your strategy and align your daily actions to your game plan.

Take time to block out the noise and bustle, and just be still. For a moment at least switch off the constant buzz of social media, and the over-flowing doses of disasters from news businesses that are desperate to capture your eyeballs and ears. For a moment switch off your mobile phone. I guarantee you that you will not die. Switch off from the conversations that leave you confused, desperate and hopeless. You are not a dumping ground of other people’s negativity, pessimism, defeatism, gloominess, cynicism and criticism. Choose what you take in and what your mind dwells on. No one forces you to take in junk food, garbage words, or refuse attitudes.

For a moment take time to be still and know what is going on in you and through you. There is no need to fear being still for a moment because that is the source of power. Take a moment to pray, reflect and meditate. The still small voice within is always reassuring and there is something so strong in you.

Do not let the noise overwhelm the rock inside you. So long as your faith is anchored on the unchangeable you are in power. So long as your hope remains intact you can endure anything and everything. Whatever comes your way will not stand in your path forever. You are designed for greatness, engineered for success and endowed with seeds of spectacular achievement.

Study greatness

Latin is a rich language that with a number of words that are used in English and a number of other international languages. Latin is not dead, but it continues to be a source of wisdom, principle, wit and insight. In the past it was a requirement that you study Latin before you can study English or Law. Many people that attended Christian Mission schools in the 1950 – 1970s period studied Latin at school as a subject. It was believed that to understand English better you needed a good grasp of Latin.

In Latin there are a number of phrases and mottos that “jump out” and many that we now use without thinking. Latin continues to be used in badges, coats of arms and as mottos for schools, clubs, universities and other institutions. Here are a three Latin phrases to stir up your quest for greatness. I trust you can consider repeating them often and adapting them to be part of your language and routines.

Audere est Facere

“Audere est Facere” means: “To do is to dare”. This motto is famously used as the motto for the English Soccer Club, Tottenham Hotspur F.C. It is not enough to be stuck and stay in limbo, choosing to be pre-occupied with waiting and complaining. To do is to dare challenge this status quo. Wake up from the slumber and take massive action.

You cannot keep doing what you have always done and hope to get the results that you have always got. Yesterday’s successes will barely suffice today. If you are satisfied with yesterday, you would have set too low a bar for yourself. Dare to do, because that is to dare. Dare to take massive action. Your action reveals your faith, hope and confidence.

Strategy is nothing until you start taking action. Your game plan must translate into your playbook and revealed by the actions that you take. You do not have the luxury to be in park-mode unless you are in dead-mode. Challenge yourself to take massive and radical action.

Think creatively and critically; then act relentlessly. Create space in your day, week and month for thinking and then acting. As you think, translate the thoughts into action, knowing that “audere est facere” is your motto. You need a little boldness in order “to do”. Go beyond just compiling “to do” lists, and really do. Moving beyond planning into implementation takes courage and you can do it. Summon all the courage you need to do, because that is to dare.

Acta non Verba

“Acta non verba” means deeds and not words. Please do not just multiply words, multiply action. Any change requires “acta non verba”, more action than words. Any strategy you formulate requires “acta non verba”, taking action to make things happen. You will not move far talking only and doing nothing. Stop threatening to take action and start taking action. Stop making promises and take action. Stop pretending and start doing.

Change your life and mental orientation and choose to be a person who lives by the dictum: “acta non verba”, deeds not words. In the greatness arena it’s about actions and not intentions.

In the book, “The Greatest Salesman”, Og Mandino inspired, wrote the scroll on taking action. Perhaps he should have titled this scroll: “Acta non Verba”. Mr Mandino writes:

“I will act now. I will act now. I will act now.

Henceforth, I will repeat these words each hour, each day, everyday, until the words become as much a habit as my breathing, and the action which follows becomes as instinctive as the blinking of my eyelids.

With these words I can condition my mind to perform every action necessary for my success.

I will act now. I will repeat these words again and again and again.

I will walk where failures fear to walk.

I will work when failures seek rest. I will act now for now is all I have.

Tomorrow is the day reserved for the labour of the lazy. I am not lazy.

Tomorrow is the day when the failure will succeed. I am not a failure. I will act now.

Success will not wait. If I delay, success will become wed to another and lost to me forever.

This is the time. This is the place. I am the person.”

Carpe Noctem

You may have come across the similar Latin phrase: “Carpe Diem” meaning “Seize the day”. Carpe Noctem is its faithful companion and means: “Seize the night”.

In the journey to greatness excuses are never enough and do not feature in the greatness equation. Do not complain that you are going through a night season, just seize the night.

Use whatever you are going through as a resource. Optimise your crucible moments. Challenge yourself to do what you have never done, go where you have never been and become what you never were. Different seasons require different mindsets. Do not die in the dark night season before seeing the dawn.

No crisis should ever be wasted. With the motto “Carpe Noctem” set your mind to innovate by seizing the night. You have to think differently in order to do differently. What you are complaining about is another’s season of extreme opportunity and abundant blessing. Night times are opportunity seasons. Do not let the season pass, while you wait for a different season.

Problems are an evidence of opportunity waiting to be seized. The night is always a promise of the day. It is when it is darkest that your mind must be clearest and vision must shine brightest.

If you do not have sufficient time during the day, do whatever you need to do in order to deliver, by adopting the motto: “Carpe Noctem”. You cannot be great and hope to work only in the 8.00am – 5.00pm, Weekends off, own-bed daily season. What is important is to do the work and not when or where you do the work. You cannot play on the world stage and comfortably parade excuses instead of delivering. Everything that matters happens when you choose “Carpe Noctem”. Go ahead and seize the night.

Need I say more; with the power cuts you need to take “Carpe Noctem” as your motto. Seize the night!

Committed to your greatness.

Milton Kamwendo is a leading international transformational and motivational speaker, author, and growth mentor. He is a cutting-edge strategy, team-building and organisation development facilitator and consultant. His life purpose is to inspire and promote greatness. He can be reached at: [email protected] and Twitter: @MiltonKamwendo or WhatsApp at: 0772422634. His website is: www.miltonkamwendo.com