THERE ARE NO MISTAKES.

Mistakes come in various shades and colours.

A ruined relationship.

Wrong choices in the past.

A failed exam.

But believe me,there are no mistakes:only opportunities.

You see,life is not one straight,smooth ride.

A ride that smooth is seen only in our dreams and fantasy.

Definitely,not in reality.

Funny to think that even the smooth roads in developed countries have road signs that tell you to slow down.

And traffic lights that order you to stop.

Life is indeed a journey through a rugged terrain.

Through hills and valleys.

Every up as important as every down.

All working towards one goal:to make you a better person.

An experienced fellow in the school of life.

So what we do call mistakes are in fact essential ingredients of life.

Golden opportunities for our growth.

Our expansion.

Our evolution into better beings.

Growth is naturally painful.

And stretches you beyond your limits.

Only to set new limits.

New frontiers.

Remember the hustles of examinations?

They were necessary for you to move to the next class.

Remember the pains of exercise and keeping fit?

They were necessary for you to have that trim,healthy body.

Remember the stress of that degree exam, those unending days of project work and project supervison?

They were necessary for you to become a graduate.

In a movie I watched some time ago,the gym has a sign that said "What does not kill you,makes you stronger." 

So excellently put.

Our so-called mistakes are there to empower and embolden us.

They are opporunities for learning.

Learn from them and move on.

Life is too short to be spent in one class.

The past is there only for one purpose:to instruct us.

Not for us to dwell in it.
So when next you feel you have made a mistake,don't cry unceasingly.

Yes,be sorry for it temporarily.

But then,wipe your tears.

Force a smile.

And say out loud:

"There are no mistakes...only opportunities. Opportunities for growth."

And move on.

DON'T COMPETE...CREATE.

This week the whole world mourns the passing of one man, who meant many things to many people. Clad in his characteristic black shirt and jeans, Steve Jobs exemplified one profound truth: 

Don't compete...Create.

In the highly competitive tech industry, Steve Jobs' wizardry lies in his ability to create products whose trademark beauty and utility made Apple one of the most successful tech companies ever. 

He thought differently.

And we all had no option but to follow suit.

Most times in our lives, we find ourselves sucked into the whirlpool of cut-throat competition, and intense scrambling to the top.
Hmmm...This may be necessary for you to get by in the short term, but in the long term what brings true success and value is what you created, what you left behind and how your life has made our collective lives better.

Following your true bent, pursuing creativity comes with a certain risk though. 

You risk being misunderstood and labelled a big fool: Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg were surely misunderstood when they dropped out from school. 

You run the risk of being broke: nobody is willing to invest in that imaginary,uncertain dream of yours. You run the risk of giving up: if your convictions are not strong enough. 

But despite all these detours, following your dreams and employing creativity has its own reward: 

You will be remembered for something and you will be incredibly satisfied.

Creativity requires four ingredients: Vision, Courage, Effort and Patience. 

Vision enables you to see the invisible and help provide means to make it possible.
Courage enables you to begin, to overcome obstacles and do what hitherto was impossible. 

Effort is the fuel that drives the creative process. Effort should be relentless...unceasing until the dream becomes a reality. 

Patience is needed for your efforts to bear fruits.

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

Life can either be seen as a warfront or as a field of play. 

For me, life represents the latter: a glorious field of play where we contribite our own quota to the game, laugh loud, have fun and share love and joy to all and sundry. 

If you think life is cut-throat competition, blood and mangled limbs, think again. 

Life should be more interesting than that. 

Steve Jobs totally committed himself to his passion and left a tech revolution as a legacy. 

He wasn't competing to get to the top. His innovative mind transformed him into a genius, acclaimed CEO and made Apple a goldmine.
Our lives will be more fruitful if we adhere to this simple dictum:

Don't compete. Create.