By George O.Emetuche
Never consider the possibility of failure; as long as you persist, you will be successful.
– Brian Tracy.
I request you invest twelve minutes to read this piece. Share it with any young person or individual who desires transformation in his life. I believe it’s a good read that will add value.
I am writing this with every sense of commitment and quest to contribute towards societal development.
I was taught that writers help to mould the society. Doing my best towards a better society is my mission. I dream of a better society where merit defeats mediocrity; where productivity defeats unproductivity.
In my upcoming book, Starting and Growing a Successful Business, I posited that people take off in life from various stages. Some take off from *Stage Zero,* these are individuals who are not owing anyone. They started from fresh slates. Folks in this category will do well if they are focused.
The next stage is *Stage Minus One.* Folks here were owing before they started. They need to clear their debts first before starting the race properly! People who started here borrowed to go to school, or to start business; they did everything hard! Individuals in this category didn’t have required tools or support; they survived because they decided to fight on to change their narratives. A lot of us belong here. In fact, I am in this WhatsApp group!
The next stage is
*Stage Plus One,* Folks here have some kind of support. They have parents, relations, and help from somewhere. People in this class went to good schools, had support for their businesses, career, or vocation. They achieve their goals smoothly without much struggles.
*Stage Plus Five,* this is the highest level to take off from. At this stage, the table is set! This stage is a perfect description of the Scriptural verse in Psalm 23:5 – “He preparest a table before me…”
This stage is where we talk about folks born with Silver Spoon. I think Golden or Diamond Spoon is a better description. Individuals here went to Ivy League Schools and control big businesses and estates. They also have access to the topnotch networks. They are folks we describe as wealthy. You know there’s difference between being Rich and being Wealthy. This is a topic for another day. But even in this: stage plus five, people in this class still need to work hard to sustain or improve their family wealth. Nothing in life is automatic.
The story I am sharing here is a story every young person needs to hear before registering in the school of life. You know the school of life is a school you enroll in without graduating. You only have senior and experienced students, but no graduates!
I get a lot of inspiration from true stories, especially unique ones. Some stories should be told to motivate people, especially our Youths.
Yesterday, Poly Emenike, PhD, Industrialist, Philanthropist, and Chairman Neros Pharmaceuticals, sent me a whatsapp message about his appointment as a visiting Prof of Entrepreneurship at UNIZIK Business School. I congratulated him and we chatted about determination and sense of mission – because I know his story.
Let me tell you why I am using this story as my Daily Motivation topic.
I have read the story of Poly Emenike several times and I have it in my head. His story is the type I don’t need to consult his book to tell. I have crammed the story because of its uniqueness.
He finished Primary School in 1971 and couldn’t go to Secondary School until 1988. This means a gap of seventeen years! Of course, your guess is as good as mine; he hadn’t anyone to sponsor him to school. He wished he could go to his dream secondary school but things didn’t work out for him as planned. His Uncle who was a Lawyer at that time didn’t come to his aid in terms of sponsoring him to school; so he ended up serving his Uncle and hoping that one day, his dream of going to school would come to reality.
He slept at his Uncle’s Law Chamber and went to his daily activities from there.
To cut the long story short, the dream of going to secondary school didn’t happen through anyone!
Poly went into business and got his own share of struggling. You know how the business terrain is, especially when you have no help. He was a good product of Igbo apprenticeship system.
He moved from his Nanka town to Onitsha, to Benin, and back to Onitsha; trying to stabilize in his footwear business.
His moment of Eureka came when he woke up and decided to change his line of business to Pharmaceutical, because he felt he would do better in Pharmaceutical.
Let me not forget to tell you that the book Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, he read in 1978 and 1980 helped to shape his life. He once shared with me about how he was led one day to go get the book in a bookshop in Onitsha. He read the book in 1978 and repeated it in 1980 because he didn’t understand the book in the first reading. As he shared, that book was a turning point in his life.
He is a good follower of Napoleon Hill philosophy. No wonder the Napoleon Hill foundation gave him the right to publish Think and Grow Rich An African Perspective in 2014, and the book was launched in 2019. I was among the guests when the book was unveiled in Lagos. Erudite Prof, former Governor of Central Bank, and the Executive Governor of Anambra State, Charles Chukwuma Soludo, did a brilliant review of the book. That day was the first time I heard the term, Smart Hard Work, from Prof CC Soludo. Poly Emenike has written ten books, even when he runs a successful pharmaceutical company. Success is a deliberate design.
I created a deep quote in the first quarter of this year when I said: “Success is Deliberate. Failure is Deliberate. Choice is Free!”
Some readers may see the quote as controversial but I believe it will take a deep thinking to make a meaning out of it. The truth is that he who fails to plan and follow through, is already planning to fail. The choice is free for every individual to follow any path in life.
Let me come back to the secondary school story of the man who was determined to succeed through Determination, Deliberate Focus, Consistency, Smart Hard Work, and Sense of Mission.
Poly Emenike later settled in Lagos, doing his business and living with his family of three at that time; his Wife and two Children. This was in 1988. I remember how he shared with me his journey to the night secondary school at Surulere. He visited a friend and noticed that people were coming out from the school compound. When he inquired from his host, he was told that they were secondary school students, and immediately, he made up his mind to enroll in the night secondary school.
Note this: A man or woman who wants to succeed in life will go all the way to change his or her story, even when the environment is saying No. The one who wants to fail will give excuses even when everything is available.
I often say that life is neutral. Life is not partial. Life will give to you what you gave to it. Nothing more, nothing less.
Young men and women, please stop waiting for anyone and start taking action. Think, believe and act. Be around the right people. Learn the right things. Do the right things. Success in life follows principles and processes. If you follow the principles of success, you will succeed.
I wrote a complete Book on Success, “The 11 Irrefutable Principles of Success.” It is a great read on Success.
I know the path that leads to success, and the path that leads to failure. It is up to the individual on the journey to follow the path he or she chooses.
As a young person, take a decision today to succeed. Take a decision to work your way to the top.
If you want to discover Gold, start digging. Gold is hidden beneath the ground. Only folks who dig at the right place discover Gold.
I am passionate about Youths Empowerment.
Start doing something meaningful and pray for destiny helpers. God Who blesses, will bless you in the field, and not in your bed. Remember, I am a senior student of the school of life. I am telling you the truth.
Now, it was time for our friend to take action. Action begets results. Action is eloquence, so says William Shakespeare.
I wrote an article yesterday 15th August that went viral. It was titled: “You must take a Leap.” Yes, you must take a leap of faith. What you are waiting for is waiting for you on the other side.
Remember, our great friend Poly, finished Primary School in 1971. It takes high sense of mission to be discussing of enrolling in secondary school in 1988; seventeen years after. Note that he already had a business and a family.
Somebody may say, why worry; why bother with secondary education; after all, he has a good business and a beautiful family; the time for education was gone for good! Beautiful counsel, you would say.
…well, Champions think differently. They have one thing in common; they never give up on their goals. This is one of the attributes that is consistent with Successful people. I wrote about four of these attributes in my upcoming book.
So on the deal day, he went to the school and asked relevant questions, and enrolled as planned. The man with a family, business and almost forty years of age, enrolled to start Secondary School!
You see, if you are focused, determined, and passionate enough in life, you will succeed. If you say Yes to yourself, the forces of nature will gather to say Yes with You. If you doubt yourself, even the ant will develop the ability to stop you.
My dear Youth, I recommend that you don’t look at the time it would take you to do the right thing, that time would come and pass after all! It is always ideal to do the right thing now. Invest your time wisely. Stop waiting and start doing.
I have written a lot about time. Time is a serious minded element. It is selfish too. It moves without waiting for anyone. It can’t be recovered when it is lost. The best thing is to make time your friend and make good use of it. Don’t spend time, invest it!
The rest is story as they say. Poly finished the secondary school, went to Unilag for his First Degree and Masters, and later went to Lagos Business School, Harvard, and Intentional School of Management, ISM, France, where he obtained his PhD.
You see why I believe that determination is the collateral of someone coming from a disadvantaged environment. If you are Determined in the School of Life, you can get a loan from the Bank that operates in the School of Life. Only people who are hardworking, passionate, focused and determined discover this Bank. Yes, I know the street the Bank is located. It is on Work Avenue, near Serious Minded People Street, and adjacent Focused close. There, you will discover the Bank!
You see why I said his, is a unique story. It is one of its kind!
Poly Emenike is now Prof Poly Emenike! Yes, a visiting Prof of Entrepreneurship at UNIZIK Business School. I am happy about the news. I love good news, my ear expects good news all the time.
The man Prof Poly Emenike, is an uncommon personality. He is a good case of grass to grace.
I have written his story in my books. I have also used his story in our training events, especially in Youths Empowerment Programmes.
I recently shared his story at Imo Wealth Project powered by Leo Stan Ekeh Foundation, to motivate Youths … that they can change their narratives.
I remember going to Prof Emenike to seek counsel when I finished my Masters. I met him to get his opinion on how to combine my business and academics. The 24th law of my book, The 25 Unbreakable Laws of Sales, says: “If You Want To Succeed, Do What Successful People Do.”
I learn a lot from people who have been there before me. I follow people who know the way and show the way.
Like they say in local parlance: Follow Who No Road.
Determination is key to success.
I encourage you to share this story to add value, especially in our Youths.
Keep moving forward!
George O.Emetuche, is a training Consultant and the Convener of Nigeria Sales Conference.
