Dear Destiny Friends,

“Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

If you will agree with me, the beginning of any task is usually the hardest step, but if you can take the bull by the horn and begin, you will be happy you took the decision to start.

There’s a popular Chinese proverb that says: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” Basically, this means that if you want success and growth in the future, the best time to act is now.

Every day we look for opportunities, but we fail to see the opportunities around us. If we can look inward, we will see that we are the opportunities we are looking for. This is because we can create opportunities for others. It is instructive to note that any opportunity we have today was created by somebody. Facebook was created by Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft was created by Bill Gates, iPhone was created by the late Steve Jobs. The question you should be asking yourself is, what opportunity are you creating for the next generation?

It is interesting to note that Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos all dreamt of whatever they have today; they didn’t just dream, they took bold steps to actualize their vision. You are not different. Your academic background, environment, or finance is not an issue when you have an idea. Just begin, the universe has a way of meeting you halfway, provided you are solving a problem.

It should be noted that each of these individuals are not different from you. They have the same capabilities as you, with slight modification which is the enabling environment, but the difference is that they acted.  Do you know that you are carrying a billion formula? You have a million-dollar idea waiting to be tapped.

You have a voice; you have a message the world needs to hear. You are sent for a reason. You are resourced for a purpose. You are a problem solver. You have a purpose and an assignment to fulfill. Don’t allow your vision and dream to go with you to the graveyard. No wonder they say that the graveyard is the richest place on planet earth.

For you to create an opportunity you must  Dare to succeed, and you cannot dare to succeed without taking a bold step. Taking a bold step involves risk. This is because it can go either way. When you succeed it becomes an opportunity and success story, but when you fail, it becomes an experience from which you will have to learn from. However, for you to take a risk, you need to study the risk involved, and ask yourself hard questions like, what will I gain if I pull it through? What will I lose? Calculate the risk by looking at the indices namely the advantages and disadvantages, and which one has a heavier weight.

As human beings, we all have dreams and ambitions, but one of the greatest challenges facing us is execution. Nothing is easy to attain in life. If you don’t take the bold step, you will remain where you are. One of the greatest pains and regret we don’t want to have later in life is having a feeling of disappointment. so why not take that bold step.

In every sphere of life, you need to take the bold step. There’s an African proverb that says, “you can’t be at home to know the cost of a product”. This literally means that if you need something you must go to the market. It’s like a young man who sees a lady she likes, if you don’t take the bold step of asking her out, you’ll never know what’s in her mind.

I can vividly remember when I began writing my first book, I didn’t really know how to begin. Even when I began, I wasn’t sure of what I was writing, but guess what, I didn’t bother to know if I was making sense or not, I kept on putting my thoughts down as it flows. At the end of the day, I had friends, mentors, and angels who came in handy to provide materials, proofread, and edit the contents.

I also remember when I began my company, Gloemi. I didn’t have all the right structures in place, but as I look back after a year on the global recognition, opportunities, and partnership I have gained over time, I do know that if I have not taken the bold step, my business wouldn’t have been where it is today. Of particular interest to mention here was the interview I had with New12 and New York Times because of my book and business. Now imagine if I had not taken the bold step to begin, would I have such global opportunities? Your guess is as good as mine.

Trust me, taking the bold step is not easy, it comes with its own challenges which is not limited to the fear of the unknown, failures, and negative vibes from friends, family, or strangers. This is because nobody might believe in your vision or understand what you are going through. But then, you don’t really have to care about what others are saying if you have a strong feeling about the journey you are about to embark upon. You may consider their thoughts, but the ultimate decision is yours to take.

You may be wondering how to take the bold step? The first step entails having self-confidence. Self-confidence is different from arrogance and pride. When you know yourself and your capability, you wouldn’t make noise about it. Isn’t it true that an empty vessel makes the loudest voice?

Furthermore, wealthy people make noise about their money neither do they seek validation, but average and poor people are mostly seen flaunting their wealth.  According to a philosopher, “Wealth is quiet, rich is loud, poor is flashy”.

Most times we allow criticism and what people will say to hold us back. It is instructive to note that, the only way to avoid criticism is to say nothing, do nothing and be nothing. As human beings, it’s hard to avoid criticism. People will definitely say something about you whether you like it not.

Criticism comes in many ways and sometimes is disguised as good advice.  For example, if you want to buy a house, start a new business or even marry, you will get a thousand and one advice and warnings. This suggestion(s) may be good, but what’s the relative value you will gain if you decide to listen to them?

Now, tell me; what’s preventing you from taking that bold step?

Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He’s a Human Capacity & mindset coach. He’s also a  public speaker. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the author of the acclaimed book Design Your Destiny – Actualizing Your Birthright To Success and President of gloemi.com. He can be reached via info@gloemi.com