Surmounting Odds

We all face obstacles along our path. Wherever it is we are headed to, one thing is sure-Nothing good has ever come easy. If at all you are headed towards something worthwhile, there is one thing you should anticipate. There will be a host of hindrances standing in your way. There are people and circumstances positioned to bring you to a halt. Your focus must constantly be on the prize.

The world has its fair share of negative people. As currently predisposed, the world makes it difficult for those who want to achieve truly great things. Since the fall of man and the entry of sin into the equation, the world has been fashioned to easily accept the negative, the wrong, the mediocre and all that. This leaves us struggling to get anything worthwhile done. What can someone do to rise above all these odds and go on to accomplish what they set out to do?

Eye on the Prize.

Your focus must be on what you set out to do. This means you need a clear vision and goal that you are going towards. Thinking constantly about why you started in the first place gives you the motivation to go on when things get thick because they sure will get thick one time or another. What are you chasing? What do you want to see at the end of the day? What reward will you get when you have done all that needs to be done? What do you stand to lose if you quit now? All these are different ways of keeping your eye on the prize. Understanding with clarity what you are going for will enable you to surmount whatever stands in your way and go on to accomplish great things.

Anticipate Odds/Opposition

Those who are able to cope well with odds anticipate them in advance. When you are planning your attack strategy for whatever it is you are set to pursue, you need to factor in all possible odds. Smart people know that there will be unexpected happenings as they pursue their goal and they therefore plan for them in advance. Do not allow yourself to be surprised by things which you would have pre-planned for with a little due diligence. It might seem pessimistic to start talking about all the things that could go wrong but it truly helps you to have contingent plans for when they arise.  If by any chance they do not show up well and good but you should never allow anything to creep up on you that you would have foretold if only you were honest with yourself. Having said that, there are those things that will truly come as a surprise to you and before you find a way around them they are settled and ready to hinder you. What do you do in such a scenario?

Think on your feet

For obstacles that come out of nowhere, you must be able to think as you move. You must develop the ability to come up with solutions even as you make progress on whatever it is you are chasing. Prior knowledge gathered in times of ease comes in handy at this point. Whatever knowledge and insights you can acquire as you go along you had better put it in your quiver. You never know when you are going to need it. It is better to acquire knowledge and to keep it for a rainy day than to assume you may never need it. Knowledge never hurt anyone, if anything it equips you to make wise moves. Sometimes you are already in the midst of chasing things and the best you can do for yourself is to have a well full of knowledge you can draw from so as to keep chasing as you surmount odds.

Ask for Help.

Irrespective of how good you are, you do not know or have everything. This is why it is important to ask for help from others. There are people better placed at handling certain challenges than you are. Such people should be embraced and given the opportunity to be of help. It is pointless to struggle around something when there are people well able to help you. You must also never forget that beyond human help, there is divine help. One thing about divine help is that it is unlimited in its power. There is nothing beyond the ability of God. All you need to do is take it to him in prayer. He is more than ready to help you conquer and overcome.

These are just but a few of the ways and means of conquering and surmounting odds. What other ways can you think of? Feel free to share them with us that we may all learn and grow.

To a better life for all of us,

Sam.