Lessons From Benson

Dear lovely people,

For sure you have been told in many different ways that in order to succeed, you have to develop a very high affinity for opportunities because as Thomas Edison says “Opportunities are missed by most people because they are often dressed in overalls and look like work.”

Benson believed so much in making use of opportunities that he will not allow any opportunity pass by him. He was hard working and had developed skills that enabled him connect at all levels to be in the know of happenings and how to make the most of them. This had gotten so deep into him to the extent he will not notice the game plan that Johnson, his longtime rival and arch enemy had laid out for him.

Johnson, a wealthy village mogul organized a cliff-climbing contest in his community with a mouthwatering cash prize attached to it. Benson told himself it was time to earn that mega sum and to prove to his community once again that he was and still remained the best. For this, Benson resolved to keep aside the rancor between Johnson and himself and enrolled in the contest.

Unknown to Benson that was actually what Johnson was counting on to take his revenge. The awfully precipitous cliff had hidden cave openings wherein Johnson’s hired assassins where hiding with firm orders to push Benson off the cliff. As fate will have it, on the day of the competition, Benson was leading the climb when suddenly the applauding crowd came to a standstill as they watched with shock as Benson suddenly fell off the cliff towards his probable death. God so willing, Benson was alive when he was rushed to hospital and three months later, he was discharged on a wheelchair in which he will remain for life as a physically challenged person.

Trust me, I like Benson’s self-drive and determination to succeed in life. I love the fact that he makes full use of opportunities within his environment but I have a critical problem with the fact that Samson:

• Did not clearly understand that not all opportunities are to be taken in life, some are actually traps set on your path to destroy all what you have worked for.

• Forgot completely that you fight best in your natural environment. Benson was at a disadvantage on the cliff and so could not respond adequately to surprises.

• Could not realize that a person can become so determined to prove others wrong or that they are the best to the extent that they become blind and end up destroying themselves.

• Would have learned the hard way that one should stick to what you do best and don’t chase what will kill you

• Failed completely to realize that sometimes, the best response to incitement especially from those we consider enemies is not to fight back.

• Forgot that sometimes to accomplish something you need team work, you will not always win alone.