BY: SIMONE JENNIFER SMITH
We are mid-summer Toronto, how are you feeling?
Thank you again to all of my readers, the supporters, advertisers and advocates of the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper. We grow because of your support and feedback, and I personally appreciate how much you have supported us. This is why giving back to you all is important. I continue to learn and to grow, so that I am better able to answer your life provoking questions, and to provide alternative perspectives.
This week I have decided to continue with a review of “The Art of Winning,” by Matshona Dhliwayo. This book has had an impact on how I perceive life, and I thought it would be interesting to share it with you. Let’s pick up from last week’s section:
Rule 26
When your efforts are greeted with apathy, stay confident. When your efforts are greeted with criticism, stay positive. When your efforts are greeted with ridicule, stay optimistic. When your efforts are greeted with applause, stay humble. When your efforts are greeted with acclaim, stay determined.
It is very easy to just give up when you are not getting the results that you think you should be getting. This is a familiar feeling for me, and yes, at times I do get discouraged, and this can lead to self-blaming, clouded thinking, and anxiety. Stay creative. Step away from the task and return to it a day or so later. You will be surprised at what fresh eyes on any subject can do.
Rule 28
Thinkers educate the world. Dreamers inspire the world. Helpers improve the world. Doers change the world. Inspire men to think more, motivate them to love more, influence them to do more, and embolden them to become more.
Don’t you get it; it is not about you? I think only those who are truly aware of their ego can understand what I mean when I say, it is not about you. The gifts we have been given, the intelligence and knowledge we have collected, our ability to do is all for others. Selflessly living your life is a conscious type of living. You are not just helping for the accolades and awards that come with it; you are doing so because you realize you have been put here to serve a purpose. Your purpose is truly served when others are benefiting in a positive way.
Rule 38
Be smarter than others imagined. Be braver than others anticipated. Be stronger than others calculated. Be better than others envisioned. Create answers where there are questions. Create solutions where there are problems. Create advantages where there are obstacles. Create opportunities where there are roadblocks.
I remember that my dad used to say to me, “Simone, don’t depend on how you look, because there is always someone out there who looks better than you do.” This was a worthwhile lesson that I currently apply to every part of my life. I know that I am an intelligent woman; I have awards, certificates and diplomas to prove that. This means nothing, nothing at all if I just rely on my past achievements. You have to aim to want more for yourself; how else can you help others change if you stay the same.
Rule 39
Avoid scoffers. Ignore doubters. Reject mockers. Surprise detractors. If stars shine in the midst of darkness, flowers bloom in the midst of dirt, camels flourish in the midst of droughts, and diamonds form in the midst of pressure, a champion can rise in the midst of hardship.
I wanted to end with this one because regardless of your status in life, you will have to deal with scoffers, doubters, mockers and detractors. Through all of this, you must push. You must push not to prove it to anyone else, but to prove it to yourself. When you have accomplished something powerful, it cannot be taken away from you. Even if illegally copied, at the heart of it, it is still yours. Stay focused on your goals, continue to learn from your mistakes, and continue to manifest by learning each and every day.
Thank you for your time Toronto.
