INSPIRED TO EXCEL!:Learn to utilize resources

One of the stories I enjoyed as a child was about a man who went with his son to the market to buy a donkey, but on their way back, the two wondered who was to ride it. First, the man decided to sit on it but as soon as people saw him they lamented: “Look at a shameless man; he is sitting on the donkey and the young boy is miserably walking!” At this comment, the man decided to walk and have his son enjoy the ride.Down the road, another group of people exclaimed: “Alas! This boy has no respect; he is seated on the donkey while the old man is walking!” Now the man decided to join his son and the donkey carried both of them. However, the next group of people they met screamed: “These people have no compassion. Look, the two of them are sitting on one donkey; its back is about to get broken!” At this, both got off and walked. Imagine people walking all the distance alongside the donkey they had bought to carry them! It’s sad to have resources around us and not utilize them. I remember how one time, as a child, I received a gift of a suit from my parents. It was so beautiful that I decided I would only wear it on Christmas and other special occasions. I put it on once and on trying it the next Christmas I had outgrown it. It was now useless to me. The best I could do was to give it away. Painfully.God has placed resources in our hands to prosper us, but we must first identify and utilize them maximally. For a soldier it’s a gun; for a writer it’s a pen; for a preacher it is the Bible; for a singer it’s a good voice; for a painter it is a brush. Which one is yours? One of the most vital yet hidden resources is talent. I have read about some of the most talented basketball players who grew up hating their height until they realized their height gives them an advantage when it comes to the game. Some people started disliking their talents, such as in singing, after being punished by their parents or teachers for making noise. Well, talents are part of the resources that God has given you to shine. Begin to discover, love and utilize them for your personal success. Another important resource we have around is technology, but many people don’t utilize it. For instance there are not many people reading this column who have no mobile phones and some of the phones have free internet. How are you taking advantage of that telephone or internet to produce better results? Some people are on social networking sites only for gossip, while others are there for marketing. About half of my clients get to know what I do through Facebook. The last resource that I wish to remind you of, that we often take for granted, is the people around us. No matter how good your goals are, it’s unlikely that you can achieve them without support from other people. We will need mentors, colleagues, business partners, staff, customers and so on.Robert Bake Tumuhaise is the MD, World of Inspiration, and founder of the Authors’ Forum in Kampala, Uganda.