One of my friends made a very powerful and witty statement over the course of our discourse, he said "always dream outside your zip code." This means that your location is not really your limitation, and your starting point is not a determinant to your finishing line. I have heard people make mention of their starting point as their disadvantage - like their background, their status, the lack of opportunities they had, and they think these things would define their destiny. But the truth they fail to understand is that the beginning neither determines nor influences the end except you accept it.
There are lots of world-changers and champions who did not have any privileged beginning. Some of them started with practically nothing, but ended up being champions in their respective fields. What made the difference between them and the rest of the world is not actually their starting point, but their determination, their mindset, and the decision to keep moving even when the odds may be against them. Take the legend; Ben Carson for example. A lot of people know him as the Paediatric Neurosurgeon who separated a set of conjoined twins joined in a very delicate side of their head. Not just that, he did a lot of other mind-blowing surgical interventions.
He rouse to become one of the foremost neurosurgeons the world has ever known, but a lot of people do not know his background. He was raised by a single mother in an inner city, who could barely read and write. Because of this, it affected him academically at the early stage of his life. In school, his peers mocked him because of his performance. His mother, even though was not literate, encouraged and motivated him to read at least 2 books per week in the library. This helped him to pick up academically. This marked a turning point in his education, and it helped position him on the path of excellence. His background did not stop him from achieving his goal.
Another very worthy example is the case of Christiano Ronaldo. He was born into a very poor family in Portugal, which made him to have a rough start in life. While growing up, he shared room with his other siblings and was faced with a lot of struggles. However, in all these, he had an unwavering dedication and commitment to football. He believed in himself, disciplined himself to pursue football relentlessly and to give it his all. He committed to his goal and he rose to become a very celebrated footballer with multiple Ballon D'or and other individual awards for his excellence. His starting point is definitely not his finishing line, because he has rewritten the course of his history.
To bring it back to this part of the world - the story of Innoson motors; the first indigenous large-scale car manufacturing company comes to mind. The founder; Innocent Chukwuma, started in a family of traders in Anambra State. Instead of sticking to the family trade and maybe living an average life, he went into the sales of motor spare parts. With the money and contacts he got from the business, he ventured into his car manufacturing company. This was how he rose from a local trader to becoming a continental figure, who now holds multiple national honours including CON (Commander of the Order of the Niger). This goes to show that, even though you may not have determined your starting point, you have the power to determine your finishing line.
The journey to success is not all about where you started, but your persistence, determination, decisions, and choices you have made - because these will determine your finishing line. No matter what your background is, do not stop dreaming, and do not stop putting in efforts in the pursuit of your dreams. Your background cannot limit you if you refuse to be limited by it. You are the one to determine what your finishing line will be, not your background. If a lot of others who came from a seemingly disadvantaged backgrounds to make it to the forefront, why not you? Always have in mind that you have a fair chance of succeeding as long as your determination is alive.
Thanks for reading
