I bring greetings to all my steemian friends from my motherland, #Nigeria. I pretty sure you guys are doing well. By the grace of God I'm also doing great.
This article is a piece of advice for everyone. "Do not run down or write off your friend, classmate, colleague, relative or anybody who is not doing too well financially, academically or otherwise, you could both meet again at the top!"
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QUESTION
I have suffered a lot of abuse from my classmates because I'm not as intelligent as they are. Even my parents are disappointed in me for never meeting their standard of top (first) position. I feel so depressed and I've already lost interest in my education. Please Sir, what do I do?
FROM MENTOR'S CORNER
My dear depressed student, may you please allow me to tell you the story of a popular Nigerian bandit who terrorised Benin City in 1980s. Late Lawrence Nomonyagbon Anini popularly known as Anini became prominent in Nigeria as a notorious and vicious killer and hardened armed robber, whose difficulty can be traced to his childhood.
His teacher routinely called on him to stand and read a passage in front of the class. Unfortunately, Anini was a very poor reader, self-conscious, shy, and inhibited; and the harder he tried, more he failed.
On one occasion, he was having a particularly difficult time and open laughter erupted in the classroom. Even his sister buried her head in laughter and embarrassment. The teacher too was working at hiding her laughter when he turned to her for support.
At this point, young Anini exploded in anger and threw a book against the wall, screening as he left, "One day you will fear me. You will hate me, but this will be the last time you will laugh at me." The rest, as they say, is history. Anini turned out to be vicious and deadly.
Anini's story is similar with that of Star Daily, another notorious and vicious killer in England. When I first read about Star Daily's story in Zig Ziglar's book, "See you at the top", it reminded me of a friend I had back then in Secondary School.
He was not one of the bright students in class and he belonged to the most notorious gang in the school. Everyone in the school believed it was only a matter of time before the police would arrest him. I would never forget the day he was being led out of school in handcuffs.
I met him few years ago in one of the business conference I attended in Uyo. To my utmost surprise, he was now a senior advocate lawyer at a very prestigious law firm in Uyo. He could have turned out like Anini or Star Daily.
The difference between Anini and my friend is that while Anini allowed his fear of being different, inferior, and unintelligent, turn him into a criminal, my friend used them as his motivation for success.
THE BIG QUESTION
Ask yourself this question, how do you wish to respond to your critics?