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Hunt for Greatness
Milton Kamwendo
WE stood dazzled at Montagu Shopping Centre.
The shop we had painfully put together was in flames.
We had not anticipated it. Tongues of fire were lashing through the roof.
It looked like the end of a dream. It felt uncomfortably too real. We were dejected.
We asked ourselves: What is next?
In life, it is not what happens that matters, but what we then think and do next.
For us, the challenge was scaling up and doing something bigger than we had done before. Never let challenges shrink your dreaming power.
Stretch to your greatness.
Next failure
Failure is an event and never a person.
Never let failure stop you from making the next attempt.
Challenges are not unique. Do not glorify them. True greatness takes time, effort and sustained focus. Never elevate other people’s negativity to pandemic status.
Make failure the next stepping stone to something better. Make it an access point to a victory that could not have been experienced without a momentary setback.
Anyone who has never risked failure never achieved anything worthwhile.
Dream the next big thing. Simplify your life, make it easy for yourself to take the next try.
To fail once is not to forfeit your dream. To fail twice is not to have died. Do the next iteration until you are great.
Greatness is a land of next chances. Every failure that you face is a setup for your next feat. Do not despair or give up too soon. Failure is not fatal, so long as you are willing to learn from it and do the next thing. Dust off ego injuries, stand up and face the next dance floor.
When you fall on the dance floor, that does not mean the party is over.
Stand up and dance with life. Dance to the next tune. It is too early to go home.
Next story
A company that was founded in a garage was incorporated in 1976. The dream was to revolutionise personal computing. The founders worked hard, made good money and a fruitful name. Steve Jobs — the promoter — could have retired to a life of golf and holidays.
His dream was bigger than lazy retirement. He animated his teams and his work became well-known around the world.
He kept wondering what would come next.
In 1985, he was dismissed from the company he started at the instigation of the man he had hired. He was in deep pain. The dream seemed lost. Pain is too precious an asset to squander, feeling pity for yourself. He did not spend too long a time in bitter grief. He asked himself what was next.
Challenges must never blind you. Jobs embraced a new dream of computing and entertainment. He got involved in animated films and did some blockbusters while working with Disney. In computing, where his love was, he launched a new supercomputing company called NeXT. Its dream was next-generation supercomputing.
The next computers ran on a new operating system. Perhaps the computers were ahead of their time. His machines were super good, but they did not sell much. It all looked like a failed initiative. What if there was something next?
Jobs spent 10 years (1986-1996) in the corporate wilderness. That is a period when he grew, matured and clarified his vision.
Meanwhile, Apple, the company he co-founded, was floundering.
It still had a body but it had lost its soul. The firm needed new direction and an inspiring vision. The next thing for Apple was to call Jobs back.
In 1997, he came back to the company he started and loved. He brought back the operating system from NeXT, a clear vision of what Apple is, restored focus and it was time for the next lease of life for Apple.
Thus began the next story for Apple and its iconic designs, closed ecosystem and pleasurable products. It is now one of the most valuable companies.
Your life is an unfolding story. It is a special form of drama. You are the main actor in your story.
Do not let your story be dry. Set goals that make your next chapter interesting. Pursue goals that inject drama into your life. Make people beg for you to write or tell your story. Make it worth turning into a book or movie.
Get out of your shell. Live life fully. Do the next big thing. You are not practising to live. Today is the youngest that you will ever be.
Make the Latin proverb “Altius ibunt qui as summa nituntur” your mantra.
It means “They will rise highest who strive for the highest place”.
Those who maintain a “Next Station” mindset rise highest.
Keep striving for greatness and moving forward. You may be delayed, but think “Next!”
Next dream
You carry a special and significant dream.
Never for once say to yourself: “Who am I to dream this?”
It may have never been done. You may look too young, too old, too sickly or unqualified. Whatever! Just press “Next!”
Respect your dream, allow it to swallow you and become your magnificent obsession.
Do not stop now because you hit a pothole.
Timid dreams always lead to hesitant action.
Dream big and do the next thing — take action.
If you are going to have the next dream, make it big and bold.
If you are dreaming anyway, you may as well dream big and bold.
Sometimes we go through experiences that disappoint us.
We are tempted to give up. Please, do not! Get into your mind’s closet.
Take a few dreams you had a few years back. Dust them up and give them a new freshness. Declare next and start pursuing them until they are begging for mercy.
When you ignore the call to the next big dream, you rob humanity of your blessing.
Flushing away your dreams is selfishness. Rise up to the occasion. Press next.
Turn your dream machine on again; only this time dream bigger.
Strive for something higher and go for the next level of greatness.
Milton Kamwendo is a leading international transformational and motivational speaker, author and a virtual, hybrid and in-person workshop facilitator. 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]
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