It Is Not About Where You Start From

Written by Adebola Oni

I was listening to Sport Radio, Brila FM, this morning and the Big Larry himself was doing a feature on FC Barcelona’s coach, Josep “Pep” Guardiola.

One striking thing about his story is that Guardiola started at Barcelona as a ball boy before working his way up the ladder of the club. From the programme, I learnt that when he started as a ball boy, he had his sight on moving up the ranks and was willing to work hard in order to achieve his aim.

From being a ball boy, he went to the Barcelona academy where he graduated to the junior team. He later went on to captain Barca’s senior team and also play for the Spanish National team. As a young kid following European football back then, Guardiola used to be one of my favourite players because of his style of play and his manner off the field.

If this article has been about football, I would have gone ahead to describe the role he played in the success of Barcelona in the 90s as he led the team to so many successes alongside the likes of Romario, Stoichkov and the great Zubizarreta. I have come across a lot of people that desire to move up the ladder of life but are always using their positions in life as an excuse for not moving up.

My Pastor, Sam Adeyemi, wrote a book, Start With What You Have, that I read years ago. The book gave me the needed impetus to start from where I was and with what I had, which was next to nothing. I learnt that it is never really about where one starts from in life, it is basically about where one is going. When I read that book and so many other similar books, I decided to put the message to practice.

I started a web design business with about Five Thousand Naira, less than $50, with no computer, no office and no source of finance. That small beginning has led to so many great happenings. I learnt a lot of lessons while working on the vision that I am now sharing with the whole world and the business has grown in leaps and is stirring a major change in the lives of so many people.

Joel is one of my protégées and I am still planning to do a writing on him to fully capture how anybody can start from somewhere and get to the top of the ladder in any of his/her chosen endeavor. He is a ball juggler that started with nothing but a dream and the determination to succeed. I remember meeting him some years back and encouraged him to keep on.

When the UEFA Champions League trophy came to Nigeria so months back, he was one of those that participated; he has been performing at high profile events since then. The vision behind one’s action is the most important thing in life.

If you start on the lower rung of the ladder and you set your eyes on the top, there is no way you won’t get there, no matter how long it takes. There are stories upon stories of this basic truth all around us. I have heard and read stories of people start off in a company as errand boys and later get to become C.E.Os of the company.

These are not fables but realities happening around us. The truth of the matter is that we can start anywhere and even with nothing and can become successful with so much determination. Determination to succeed is as important as the vision itself. When you are determined, you will be able to work hard and give your all no matter what it takes.

This is the principle successful people follow and I believe anybody can do the same. This is not the time to complain about your background or where ever you are in life, it is high time you start working on your dreams. Don’t focus on what you don’t have, look at what you have and start using that thing as soon as possible. It will surprise you that what you have will eventually provide all you need sooner or later.

If your vision is to get to the top, don’t focus so much on where you are; start working on your vision today. Do all you have to do in order to get to where you are going. We all can achieve our heart desires no matter how high the odds against us are.

We all can succeed in our endeavours. GO FOR THAT DREAM TODAY!

Yours,

Adebola A. Oni