The man who doubts himself is twice defeated in the race of life, as he has placed a barrier on the height he can attain in life. Doubt is the opposite of faith. It kills initiatives and prevents one from living out one’s dream. Self-defeat is indeed a sure path to a life of mediocrity.
Many a man has lost out in the race of life all because of doubt. They defeat themselves ever before they embark on a worthwhile endeavour. I have always believed that God created us for a just cause. There is a purpose for our existence on this planet. Besides, I also know that just as no man is superior to the other, no one is equally inferior to the other. In fact, all animals are equal. Forget George Orwell’s view in Animal Farm that “all animals are equal but some are more equal than the others”. I see that as a mere creation of man to give room for superiority of one person to the other. The truth of the matter is that no one is superior to the other!
But as much as I believe that we are all created equal – black or white, male or female, able or disable – many of us still face life with a self-defeatist approach. We give up easily on issues that could have turned our lives round. We allow doubt to tether us down to mediocrity level. Where we are supposed to soar like the eagle, we behave like chickens. Perhaps this story will make you understand what I am saying better.
I ran into a friend last week at the Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, who was recently recruited as an assistant lecturer. He took me through what happened at their interview. But what struck me most in his account was how another friend of ours who came for the same interview screamed when he sighted him. According to my lecturer friend, he gave up before the result came out. It was not a surprise when he rounded off his story that the guy was not given the appointment. The reason for his failure? Self-defeat!
This friend is not alone in this game of self-defeat. So many people have actually been victims of this. One thing I know is that life is a game. And like any other game, you win some and lose some. Even when you lose there are still lessons to learn. Why then do you have to defeat yourself before you begin at all? The more you defeat yourself before you begin, the more you will keep on living a mediocre life. So, to shore up your confidence, you must believe in yourself. There is no other person like you. There is actually something in you that the whole world is awaiting. Start that project today, tomorrow may be too late. Remember, when you defeat yourself before you start at all you may end up a mediocrity in life.
