I had the opportunity to attend the year-long British Council’s InterAction Africa Leadership programme in 2007. The highlight of the programme was the “contact seminar” held in Senegal with participants from over ten countries across Africa and the UK.
Each participant came with pictures from their country. The pictures were posted on wall and it was an amazing sight to behold. The massive wall displayed things that made the participants proud of Africa. It was so different from the poor, war dominated, and AIDS stricken Africa that is usually portrayed by the media.
As I stood there and watched that “Wall of Greatness”, I felt proud to be an African in a manner I had never felt before. I saw Africa in a different light. I saw a beautiful Africa, one full of hundreds of things to be proud of. As the tears rolled down my cheeks I felt the power in the “Wall of Greatness”.
Returning home, I began my own wall of greatness. I went back in time and wrote up some of the significant things that had happened in my life and I was proud of; great ones like when I gained a government scholarship for being one of the best students in my school, and seemingly smaller and trivial ones, such as the day I was finally able to wear a coloured pair of socks that matched my trousers instead of my regular and beloved white ones. These were achievements that required me to go beyond myself, to achieve something I never felt I could.
I encourage you to create your own “Wall of Greatness” and use it to make your past inspire you in the present so that you can, with confidence, achieve what you wish for in the future. Every time you face a new challenge in life or fear of failure, turn to your personal “Wall of Greatness” and take in the feeling of pride you felt at those moments. The resulting surge of pride will elevate your self-esteem and confidence to go on and face your latest challenge. It will have you believe in yourself; that you are the master of your own destiny, stronger beyond your measure.
Download the full book (52 Lessons of Life) for FREE
Share your view on this lesson using the comment section below
5 Responses
Lovely thank you. Yeah leme ask for your help again, we were given a case study as PIMI training right and then we were told in writing a Case Study you don’t give solutions,you just give the reader something concrete to think about. They change the whole question they gave us before and the given question goes like You’re an HR Manager and you notice your sales is taking a nose dive because of Customer Service. Recommend a training. Don’t remember the whole question but it’s something like that but what is confusing me is the ‘Recommend a training’. We put up some few slides on Customer Service concerning the What, Why and how to improve customer service and some facts too and that’s what we are going to present on Saturday. I just wanted to know if you think it’s enough and we’re on the right path.
Dear David
I just saw your comment, have you already had your demonstration?
Where, does greatness begin? Surely , i know it does not begin by holding a post or working in an industrious firm ,but by doing very small things at a time, whether you are noticed or not, and that is just what am doing, What do you think?
I totally agree with you