WHAT IS YOUR NAME WORTH?

Every man they say has his price. Every man I say has his value. What’s yours? Before you attempt to answer the question or allow yourself to get bemused by the question, let me share this story with you. Many years ago, the music genius Mozart was accosted by a man on the streets of Vienna who solicited financial assistance from him. Now, Mozart was not so well off in monetary terms, at least not at that moment. He insisted that the man accompany him to a coffee house and in a few minutes, he composed a minuet and with an accompanying letter, he sent the man to his publisher who gave the man a sum of money. That composition by Mozart was a bill payable at sight. Imagine that! All he had to do was do what he good at and someone was ready to exchange it for cash.

So the question arises again, what is your value? As one of the greatest composers who ever lived, Mozart was filled in great quantum with the spirit of excellence. He had a gift like not just most people but everyone. That’s correct, everyone! It’s just there whether you discover it nor not, whether you ignore it or exploit it, whether you fulfill it or underutilize it. When however, that gift is discovered, developed and utilized, the spirit of excellence ensures that a value is placed on your work. In contemporary times, it may not amount to instant cash but then, when your name is mentioned, the favours which people are ready to do will certainly exceed any amount of money. The spirit of excellence places a priceless value on your name. It can place your name alongside those of geniuses like Mozart. Believe it, you can do it.

NO HALF MEASURES

No monumental achievement or idea was ever brought to fruition without two outstanding qualities in its originators; implicit belief in himself even in the face of general unbelief or even condemnation as well as a never-say-die attitude. History indeed, has no place for those who cannot persevere in order to achieve. People of that ilk belong to the trashcan of history. History on the other hand, is replete with instances of people who stood their ground and fought for the right to be counted long after their departure from this world and one such instance was the conceptualization, criticisms and construction of the landmark Brooklyn Bridge in New York.

Inspired by John Roebling in 1863, the idea was criticized by many ‘experts’ but he was convinced and infused his son, Washington with the idea. However, fate prevented him from seeing the bridge through as an accident claimed his life and yet another ailment rendered his son incapable of carrying on……..almost. In spite of his inability to use some of his vital physical abilities, he transmitted his messages to the on-site assistants through his wife by means of a communication code they developed. Thirteen years later, the bridge was completed and amazingly, it still stands today, even after many others collapsed with rehabilitation work slated for 2009.

Its strength and stand is a towering monument to the innate innovative spirit of man and what can be achieved when the spirit of excellence dominates your endeavours. One filled with this spirit does nothing in half measures but takes every action to preserve even the smallest monuments which will stand and propel his generations and those unborn. The spirit of excellence never delivers in half measures.