The Sunday Mail
Milton Kamwendo
Hunt for Greatness
I love using Apple products and wonder what would have happened had this company, this dream, been written off. Steve Job and his friend incorporated Apple Computer in 1976 with a big dream to make a dent in the universe and revolutionise personal computing.
In the next few years they worked hard, and their dream took shape. Good work always gets rewarded and names get made through consistent action. Jobs could easily have retired to a life of endless golf and worry-less living.
His dream was bigger than lazy retirement and small dreams. He animated teams, mobilised action and his work became well known around the world. Every story has its chapters, paragraphs and punctuation marks. So it was with him. A chapter soon closed; not the whole story.
After trying to reorganise the business to be better managed, in 1985 he was dismissed from Apple, the company he started. He walked away in deep pain. A dream seemed lost and his soul was gutted. Do not waste your deep emotions.
Pain is too precious an asset to squander feeling pity for yourself. Steve Jobs did not spend a long a time remorse and bitterness. He kept the dream, maintained his focus and just literally pressed: “Next” and launched a company with that name. Do not waste time in fruitless bitter battles for crumbs. Keep your vision and keep running with life. There is a “next” opportunity waiting for you. Do not despair and do not give up or give in.
Steve Jobs put his passion is launching a new computer that would be more robust than Apple. He also made a debut into movies investing in making some thrilling animation films that revived Disney. His new computer did not shake the market, but it shook and moulded him.
His robust new operating system was strong, powerful but did not move the world, it just moved his soul and deepened his soul. That was not the whole story. Do not spend your wilderness moments in “park or sleep mode”. Even if what you are doing does not look like or feel like the ultimate keep moving and learning. Keep sharpening your edge and working your dream from wherever you find yourself.
Steve Jobs was out of Apple for a decade (1986-1996), and in that time proved that the wilderness is not a barren place but an opportunity for growth. In 1997 was recalled back to his first love, Apple. He brought back a new operating system, a brilliant and clear vision, new passion and a matured but ferocious focus.
His second coming is synonymous with Apple getting a second wind and moving from running to flying as a leading company in the world.
Use your towel to wipe off the sweat but do not throw in that towel in surrender. You may experience setbacks, but do not give up or despair. Do not give up and never harbour bitterness. Stage your comeback with vision and focus.
Your determination and resolve to win are stronger than any obstacle that dares stand in your way. Step over your obstacles as stepping stones to greatness.
Be Fearless! Never let past failure stop you and make you fearful. Once you become fearless life become limitless for you. Your challenges are not unique and you are not the only one who faces them. Do not amplify the size of your problems and the magnitude of your context.
Stop spreading fear and panic. If you go around curating problems, you may find that yours is so small that it is not worth all the pouting and mourning.
Your story is not finished yet. You have a story to write, and it is not a tragedy. You are the protagonist in your life’s story. Do not let your story be dry, uninteresting and one that end abruptly without some inspired and passionate action. Make yours an action-packed movie worth translating into a film or best-selling book. Get off the shelf and do some worthy work. Get out of your shell, stick your neck out and make some progress.
Forgive the past and do not spend you whole life looking backwards. Learn all you can from the past but lean forward and move ahead. Do not let the pain of the past occupy all of your present and maim your future.
Squeeze all the learnings from your past but do not dare play victim games. Instead of replaying the past, and getting bitter and sad, preplay the future and add colour and video to your goals. Vision is more powerful than history. You can create whatever you dare to create and do whatever you dare to do. Take giant leaps forward.
Your story is not ended yet, open new chapters and verses. Make new discoveries and move forward. Do not die until you are really dead. Open new scenes in the movie of your life. No adversity is strong enough to stop you. No personal tragedy is big enough to write you off. Do not take yourself off the shelf before your sell-by date. Life is too big to be wasted in empty living and discourses of dismay and disaffections. Disheartening jeremiads are not an investment business case or an inspiring ted-talk!
Greatness is a land of second chances and everyday is an opportunity to begin again more intelligently. Every failure that you face is a set up for your come-back. Do not despair or give up too soon. Failure is not fatal so long as you are willing to learn from it.
Dust off the ego-bruises, take a bold stand, you do not have to explain much. Stand up and face the music and dance with life. When you fall on the dance floor, that does not mean that the party is over. Stand up and dance with life. It is too early to go home.
Make failure a stepping stone to something bigger, better and more thrilling. Make failure a mere access point to victories that could not have been experienced without a momentary failure and set back. Flip the script, change the channel and make new bold moves.
Anyone who has never risked failure never achieved anything worthwhile. Dream big, live humbly, knowing that to fail is not to forfeit your dream.
Do whatever it takes to make the final part of your life story movie the most interesting one. Life is too big to be lived in an uninteresting and unchallenging manner. You are destined for greatness. This is your birthright. There is no shame in trying, trying and trying again.
Join the right choir and sing the right song. May I invite you to join Harry Dixon Loes who wrote the special and immortal song: “This Little Light of Mine”. Keep shining your little light. Let it burn brightly in the midst of all the storms. Sing out loud and live out loud the lyrics of this precious song:
This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.
Let it shine! Let it shine! Let it shine! Ev’ry where
I go, I’m going to let it shine! Oh, ev’ry where I
go, I’m going to let it shine!
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. His website is: www.miltonkamwendo.com.
