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In the world of Ernie Tepotah, 2017 went according to plan. I witnessed major wins, plenty of losses, and several moments where the measuring sticks didn’t seem to move. Reminded that progress would be my priority, I didn’t waver any bit of the way. And coupled with a natural sense of patience to empower personal growth, letting life take its course became my mindset in the later stages of the year. This is why 2018 will surpass everything the previous years did not.
By habit, patience was never my greatest concern compared to targeting goals in the most meticulous ways. As great as it sounds, our days go by fast and can be met with unpredictability. It doesn’t make us bad people, just not psychics.
But along the way, there tends to be a stopping point where decisions need to be made in order to move forward. For me, this was disconnecting from social media, indefinitely. It wasn’t easy as nothing in life worthwhile is. In retrospect, this decision didn’t only prove beneficial; it lifted a weight from my shoulders that may have easily resulted in anxiety if not addressed earlier.
Patience comes in handy for all walks of life. The most brilliant person with a metabolism to die for could be missing out on improving their physical, mental, and emotional lifestyle if not careful. Everyone should continue to work, shape, and mold whatever it is they want while never taking for granted what’s before them.
I’m not special. Neither are the millionaires and billionaires you aspire to be. What makes people unique is their ability to withstand hard times in the face of adversity. More often than not, it’s the proverbial ‘waiting out the storm’, which separates them from those looking for a quick fix. If this weren’t true, people wouldn’t continuously fall short of their goals or give up after thing don’t go as planned.
Whatever you are working on will turn out as you wish. It could be the first time, maybe the second. But our mission is not to measure personal success by the number of attempts we take; our job is to see it through for as long as humanly possible.
2018 is looming over us as are another set of resolutions we’ll make our best attempt to reach and exceed in years to come. Most will fail because it’s not in them to finish what they started. Lots will start, stop, and begin again knowing success isn’t linear—this is whom you should model. Regardless of the path you choose or end result, patience will always be a defining component in the journey.
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