Chapter one

My early school years were not palatable ab initio. I can clearly reminisce those years of repeated terminal failures in school. Where in a class of about fifty (50) students, I would be obtaining the 40th position at the end of the academic year. At that point it was particularly like every other student was performing better than me. My friends deserted me which obviously was the needful decision they took as no one would want to associate with one whom at his possible best isn’t doing well academically. Amidst my repeated failure, I never gave up on myself. I was keen to studying and improving my academic performance at any cost.


My academic struggle seemed to have gotten to its very climax on that fateful morning which was a Sunday morning. I was woke by the voice of my father who was already sited at the parlor waiting for my arrival. With the look on his face, one could possibly tell the necessity of his intent discussion. At that point I needed no one to tell me to sit. Having cleared his throat, he started talking instinctively ‘I called you to discuss something very important. He paused for a while and continued; over the years I have been following your academic performance and I am not particularly elated over your performances so far. School is not meant for everyone and I think it will be better if you can drop out from school and decides on the particular trade you will fit in. He cleared his throat again rather sharply this time. And continued; I cannot continue lavishing my money on what is not yielding results’. At that point, I was already tensed, filled with shame and guilt which was accompanied by a tremendous acceleration of my heart beat. I felt unease because the decision of my father was contrary to mine.


I wanted to study, I wanted to go to higher institution and pursue my dream course. But that very day, it was like all hope has been dashed into the mid air, my legs couldn't carry me on the earth again. Little did I knew then that behind those words of my father was hidden intent to motivate me to rather take my studies seriously. While all these were happening, something significant took place in me. That was the way I see myself. I never wanted to give up. I upheld tenaciously my decision that come rain or high waters, I must go to higher institution. The decision of not giving up scaled me through and magically turns my academic performance around.


There is nothing you can’t be in life if you believe in yourself. The worst rejection a man can get is the rejection from him self, never say no to yourself. It is not chance that determine destiny but choice. You cannot succeed if a thousand believe in you when you don’t believe in yourself, but you will succeed when you believe in yourself even when a thousand don’t believe in you.


Edmund Hillary remarks “it is not the mountain that we conquer, but ourselves”


Most people today failed out of their own making. They failed because they couldn’t believe in themselves. They gave up on themselves which led to their failures. I don’t know of a secret to success but I know of a secret to failure which is giving up on yourself. I wouldn’t have been writing this today had it been I decided to quit. To excel academically, you have to realize that academic failures do not define your worth. Failure is a challenge to do the very thing of which you failed better. Failure creates room for change and improvement in performance, when you fail, don’t beat yourself over it. Success after all is a result of repeated failures. If you don’t fail, how will you learn?


REMEMBER “you can always succeed if you believe in yourself”. Believing is not enough; it must be backed by a corresponding action. Always believe that you can and watch how your life will magically turn around in a tremendous way.



http://www.jowan.online/2017/12/never-give-up-on-yourself-ikechi.html