"Small minds can’t comprehend big spirits. To be great, you have to
be willing to be mocked, hated, and misunderstood. "
When I speak to people about changing
the country for the better, I consistently run into the critics, pessimists and
'know better' crowd.
Luckily, I have pioneered big projects
before and know the initial uphill journey all to well.
You push that massive rock, sometimes
by yourself, up the hill towards the pinnacle where you will give it one last
shove and watch it gain momentum.
And there they are, to your left and
right, unwilling to help push but very willing to offer advice on the best way
to push or sometimes even attempting to discourage you from pushing.
How to deal with it?
Simple; STAY FOCUSED!
Keep your eye on the
objective, take the great advice, toss the bad advice, take the encouragement,
toss the discouragement.
You don't do something great without great opposition. Resistance is a
natural force to any kind of lift and once you get lift, you fly!
Without his
goliath, David would never had been King.
So you want to do something great?
Prepare yourself for criticism. Prepare
yourself for adversity. Stay focused and stick to your guns!
Most will just give up at the first sign of criticism, don't do that.
Criticism is just another opinion, someone else's thought on the matter.
Nothing more.
Why do I share this?
South Africa needs bold problem solvers who are willing to step outside
of their comfort zones and put their lives and names on the line to see
positive change.
To do this you will have to place yourself in the firing line.
Some (Black and White) cling to racism like it's a human right. Some honestly
believe that educating the masses is a dangerous thing for South Africa. Some
in power have no desire to see the emerging market flourish.
A big thing to take into acount is the massive cultural disparity in our
nation. Most South Africans have not been exposed to paradigms outside of their
second circle of influence (neigborhood) and simply do not understand that
there might be a better way to see the world.
Getting them to a place where they are confident and motivated to do something about their position takes a lot more than an inspiring speech. it takes patience and a lot of wisdom (available through trial and error).
This is where 'vasbyt' comes in.
Stand your ground, keep hammering away at ignorance and eat your Elephant
one bite at a time.
Nothing is built in a day. Nation building is a long game with a lot of
sacrifice.
The best way to change this nation is education, education and more
education.
Climb into that area, fight through the frustration and watch the magic
happen!
20 million under 18 in South Africa, only 14 million in school, 1 million dropouts per year.
6 million unemployable youths and counting.
Your nation needs you, your future needs you. If every South African does not take a serious look at our situation, it is game over.
For our children.
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