When I was very young, living in Africa, we moved from one end of the city I lived in, to the other. I did not know anyone there. However, one day I plucked up my courage and went to play soccer (English football) where few kids my age were playing. I got ridiculed and was asked to sit out because I did not know how to kick a football. I went home and cried that evening. For the next few days, I was feeling very low. My uncle saw me and asked me what was the matter. I explained, and he responded, “so are you going to cry all your life? What can you do about this incident?”
I got the message. The next day I bought a soccer ball and started waking up an hour early every day to learn the game. In a few years I was the captain of the team. Since then, I’ve played at different levels – league, school, different countries, scored goals, defended goals, played midfield and created goals, and won countless trophies. I love watching professional football. Most importantly, my son and I have become best friends because we share the love of the game. An incident that could have destroyed me ended up being a great source of joy!
These type of transformations from my life have convinced me of the following:
1. The past does not equal the future.
2. You can learn from the past and create the future.
3. We all have enormous potential that we can tap into.
4. Obstacles and hurdles make us tap into our genius.