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Life Tips with Charles Mushinga
Everyone wants to be great at something.
We all grow up with dreams of being the world’s greatest musicians, actors, or sportspersons.
Some want to be breakthrough doctors, engineers, or simply the richest businesspeople in the world.
All these people exist and they will not live forever.
They will be replaced or surpassed by the next generation and the cycle will never stop.
We all want to be successful.
We all want to be superstars but most of us do very little to achieve our dreams.
That is the difference between the superstars and the rest.
Stars set goals, create a plan to achieve the goals, and focus on only those goals no matter what!
Yes sometimes one needs to be born with a natural ability to perform but most of the time effort and focus outsmart natural ability.
Ever since he was a little boy, all that Lionel Messi ever did was play football or kick a ball.
He did it every day, whenever he was free, whenever he could sneak out – he thought of nothing else besides football.
When he could not kick a ball, he would focus on how he would kick it as soon as the opportunity arose.
When he slept, he dreamt of football.
Nothing was more fun or more important to him than football.
Today, because of all the hours he dedicated to football every day of his life, Messi is the greatest football player of all time with eight Ballon d’Or awards.
No other football player in history has amassed more.
If you can love anything the way Messi loved football, and put in many hours to practice that profession from a young age, you are likely to be great at it.
However, greatness also has other attributes you will need to learn.
One of these is belief.
You must believe that you can be the best at something even if it is clear there are other people better than you.
Never be jealous of these people.
Rather admire them and learn their secrets to success.
Collect them and add them to your methods and you will know more than each of the people you learn from.
When they do better, know that it is their season and yours is coming.
Success comes after many struggles.
When Messi was nine years old, it became apparent that he was too small for his age.
The other boys his age were bigger and growing faster than him.
He was taken to doctors and they discovered he had a hormone deficiency which restricted his growth.
He needed supplements but his family could not afford them for long.
That could have been the end of his football career had he decided to quit because he is too small.
Did he quit?
No!
He continued to do his part – practice as hard and as often as he could – and he let God do the rest.
When he was 13, Barcelona Football Club offered to take over his medical expenses from his parents and they accepted the offer.
Messi moved to Spain where he became the greatest footballer ever.
Another hurdle Messi had to overcome was moving to a new country at the age of 13.
He would have to learn a new language, cope with new weather patterns, make new friends, go to a new school, and play football with new mates.
That could not have been easy at all and someone with a weaker mentality would have given up.
Many times thoughts of giving up come.
Many times stopping or quitting is the easier option.
It is only those with the mindset to never give up when these trials happen that make it to greatness.
Tough decisions have to be made along the way.
When kids his age were watching television programs, playing video games, partying, going to movies, and enjoying the variety of activities that made childhood fun in Argentina, Messi was playing football.
The thought of joining in the fun to be like other kids and to do what they do is a huge burden to bear but that is one of the pains of stardom.
It is a lonely journey to stardom.
Before the world applauds you will be alone practicing your craft or skill with little to no appreciation.
Only a few who believe in your greatness will cheer you on until the end – never forget them when you make it.
It does not matter what you want to be great at, with enough focus you will make it.
It is really important to decide what you want to be great at whilst you are still young.
At nine years old world famous musician Beyoncé had already formed the musical group that would later be known as Destiny’s Child with her friends.
It did not work out for her immediately. The group entered a music talent search competition but they lost.
Did they give up?
No.
They were signed to a record label but when Beyoncé was 12, their contract was terminated before they had recorded any album.
Did they give up?
No!
But certainly, some doubt must have crept into their minds about their singing abilities.
Did they quit?
No.
They wanted to be music stars no matter what!
And their persistence paid off.
Today Beyoncé has over 28 Grammy Awards and is one of the greatest female musicians alive.
Her story is similar to Messi’s and most superstars idolised by the world. And if you want similar success, employ the same passion, the same persistence, the same focus, and willpower to keep your mind on the prize.
That is the secret (actually it’s not a secret but a route) to success.
There is nothing new under the sun.
So look at the people you admire and learn of the methods that they employed to reach their goals.
Employ the same techniques and hard work; do not give up when setbacks happen and you will see that nothing is impossible. And remember, it’s the little things that count. –[email protected]
Online Reporter