I happened to be driving along one the busy roads in Kigali the other day. There were policemen and soldiers all along the road and I wondered what was happening. All of a sudden a presidential escort motorcade came along followed by more security cars and, in between them, a beautiful presidential Jeep passed. All other cars were made to pull off the road as the most powerful man in Rwanda passed by. As I sat in the car by the roadside, for five minutes I wished I would get a chance to shake the President’s hand and tell him, “Hi Mr President. It is so nice to see you! Have a blessed day.” This was just a wish. In reality, there is no way it was going to happen. I could have chosen to just sit there by the roadside and keep hoping and wishing but I decided to continue my journey. Think about the many times you just sit and wish for something to happen. You keep hoping for a better day. You keep hoping and wishing for something and the more you wish the less progress you make. You pitifully keep saying, “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” The reality is wishes will never become horses. Forget about getting a ride. And ‘Beggar’, this self-imposed title is not the best. Actually it is not even appealing. The beggar or poverty mentality will wreck your self-esteem so badly you will not have the energy or will power to move on. Avoid shortcuts: A shortcut is not always short. Some people try and fulfil their wish by looking for any possible short cut. This happens a lot when you don’t have the initiative to do what you need to do to fulfil your wish. It can also happen if you are just lazy or if you are a co-dependent, depending on other people to do for you what you need to do. We are living in a very competitive world and it is survival of the fittest. You have to strive to survive. Avoid shortcuts like stealing, manipulation, co-dependency or involving yourself in some crazy lifestyle. This will get you in trouble and wreck your reputation. You have to get real. You can’t just sit and keep hoping that you will wake up rich, successful or famous. Do some planning. Write down your wish on a piece of paper, internalise it and own it. Then start brainstorming about the possible plans that will help you realise your wish. As you brainstorm, think about what you need to stop doing. Think about what you are not doing that you need to start doing. This means something has to change. To make any progress, you must be willing to take the initiative to make things work. Winning mentality: You must have a winner mentality and get rid of self-doubt. You have the potential to get whatever it is you desire in life. Visualise yourself as having achieved what you wish for. This will help increase your faith and will power to keep moving. Stay focused on the plan you have laid down. Also keep evaluating your progress to see whether the plan is really working for you. If you are wishing and hoping to achieve more than one thing, prioritise your needs. Do first things first. Avoid biting more than you can chew because this can be overwhelming and stressful. Be patient with your progress. You might encounter some setbacks on the way. Do not magnify every hindrance as proof of failure. Encourage yourself. Initiative, discipline and determination will take you a long way. Better days are ahead. Stay strong! dedantos2002@yahoo.com
