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NB: This newsletter is published every Monday. Point your browser to www.tayosolagbade.com/sdnuggets to read at least ONE new post added to my SD Nuggets blog on a different category from Tuesday till Saturday (sometimes even Sundays) in line with this publishing schedule 
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IMPORTANT NOTE: Some links in this issue of the newsletter may not lead to the correct pages. That’s because www.tayosolagbade.com is still work-in-progress!
No. 142: Why Ordinary People Achieve Extraordinary Success
It is my experience based opinion that succeeding or failing is often 99% of the time a mental game. That’s why succeeding continually requires one to develop a firm control of one’s mind state under ANY conditions.
It’s why champions in sports and life often have coaches, mentors and psychologists.
Everyone experiences setbacks in life. Including successful people. But not all who fall ever recover, talks less of achieving greater success.
But some people do. And many times they are far from being specially gifted. Indeed, quite often they tend to be average people!
This article explains why…ending with my offer to teach you how to defy adversity to achieve extraordinary success, even if you’re just an ordinary guy…or gal :-))
Let’s Start With Tiger Woods…
He took a major fall from grace to grass. But he systematically worked on himself, to climb right back to the very top of world Golf rankings.
If anyone tells you Tiger Woods did not need to do a MAJOR “psyche” job on himself, to maintain the state of mind needed for him to return to winning ways (despite the mental anguish of the media hyped scandal from his marriage) that person would be the biggest joker on planet Earth!
So, I’m saying it’s what you think about yourself, and your set goal, that determines if you’ll make it or not.
For me, 99% of the time, that’s what happens.
Your talents, and knowledge etc only make up the remaining 1% of what determines your success or failure.
This is why otherwise ordinary people achieve extraordinary success, leaving more talented, skilled and knowledgeable others biting the dust behind them. We see it happen all the time.
When they see it happen, some people wonder: “How come this guy who has nothing can succeed, or recover from a setback, and I can’t?”.
The simple answer is what that “guy” had in his heads, when things got tough. How he was thinking about what he wanted to achieve all through!
My Story: Building a Superior Incarnation of the 9 Year Old Domain I Lost Last Week
It was like a dream. One minute the blog was there on my laptop screen, as I published Issue No. 141 of my speaking IDEAS newsletter. A few minutes later, while walking out of the Lagos cafe, I tried to view the blog on my Blackberry.
I got a “gateway error”. So I refreshed the browser. Same thing. Twice, then thrice. No change! Maybe my connectivity is acting up again, I thought. So I checked Google. That showed up. I also checked a client’s website – which also showed.
At that point I knew the problem was specific to my website.
So I typed the primary domain name again: www.spontaneousdevelopment.com: THE domain I’d used for over 9 years, to get so much search engine visibility, credibility and recognition, for my work, and myself, both on and off the web.
And all that, within and outside the African continent too.
This time, the Blackberry’s browser, took me to a different page…and a million crazy thoughts began running through my mind…!
Long story short, I found out my domain had been taken over by my former web hosts – Aplus.net.
When I contacted them they explained what had happened and asked me to pay some fee to get it back.
But I basically told them to keep the domain name, and instead chose to move my website to tayosolagbade.com, which I’d just renewed for a second year (read the full story here).
The Rest Is Now History, As They Say…
I’ve since put all the expertise I have served my many clients with, into bringing about a re-incarnation of my online presence as a much MORE powerful brand, than when it was on spontaneousdevelopment.com.
When I began work on this new website last week – at www.tayosolagbade.com – I was still with my family in Nigeria.
That was my 6th week with them, following my arrival to welcome our new baby boy, who is now named “Tayo Solagbade Junior” :-))
However, as the message below, which I sent to a facebook friend (who wrote asking work was going on the new site) shows, working from Nigeria remains most unprofitable for me.
Only the love I had for my family, had made me stay that long.
And it had meant my having to give up a huge amount of daly productivity in the process.
But after this domain palavar began, I realised I needed to make rapid progress. So I left Lagos and returned to Benin Republic. Within a few short days of working from here in Cotonou, I’ve made massive progress in building the new website and blog!
So, rather than hurt me, this development has been an outright blessing!
“The best way to truly worship the creator (so he can bless you even more), is by letting him manifest his greatness through you!” – Tayo K. Solagbade
You see, it’s the Creator at work AGAIN in helping me find my true path in life i.e. the direction I need to follow…which I’ve been so conflicted about for months now.
What I need to do is now crystal clear to me: Take a look at tayosolagbade.com‘s evolving shape and form – and see how adversity can bring out the best from anyone who chooses to use it for that purpose, with persistence, determination and ABSOLUTE FAITH in the Creator!
You Can Learn How to Defeat Adversity
Today, defying adversity comes more or less naturally to me.
But I did not start out that way.
For decades I’ve diligently applied myself to mastering adversity in any form it has presented itself. And that has made me emerge a real champion in every area of endeavour I have even ventured.
Those who have direct contact with me during such periods often get convinced that I “cannot fail”.
Many see me fall, again and again. But every time they think I won’t get back up, I not only do, BUT I also come back with a bigger bang, at a higher level, than before. After seeing me do it for a while, they naturally stop expecting anything less from me!
I would say – at the risk of sounding immodest – only those who really do not know me, will make the mistake of thinking I could ever give up!
Andy R. Jones was Brewery Operations Manager in Guinness Benin Brewery, located in Edo state, back in December 2001, when I resigned to start my own business.
During a speech he gave about me, he repeatedly told the audience at the send forth party organized for me that “Tayo simply refuses to fail!”
Yet this gentleman had had less than one year to see me in action as Training & Technical Development Manager, and later Acting Production Manager to draw that conclusion.
However, in that time, I’d delivered certain performances that exceeded not just his expectations, but those also, of my direct boss Nick Bathie.
This explains why he went further and wrote in two separate cards sent to me:
“Tayo, I honestly believe you are one of those who will succeed at anything he does. Your commitment and effort has been outstanding….Thanks for all your hard work since I’ve been here – you will be sorely missed. I don’t need to wish you good luck, you have the ability to make your own luck. – Andy”(R. Jones) – Operations Manager, Guinness Nigeria Plc Benin Brewery, December 2001 (Handwritten comments in farewell/xmas cards sent to me).
You see, I’m going that far back to bring up these comments, to show that success really does leave a trail. I did not become this way overnight.
I could go on. But my purpose is not to brag. Instead I only offer the above as proof that what I tell you is true.
That you can also defy adversity, indeed defy failure(!), repeatedly, to achieve ANY goals you set your mind on. Like I continue to do.
Final Words: I Realise We’re Not All Equally Self-Driven – Which Is Why I Offer to Help You….
I’m writing on this theme again, because I’ve come to realize it’s really the ROOT cause of most failure that’s happening in people’s lives. It really is.
The truth is we all have our God-given talents and abilities.
But we’re not all equally gifted.
Those who make it in life, therefore often have to get what they lack by learning from others.
And what I’ve found out is that we are all capable of learning effectively, when we are INTERESTED in something.
That’s why I’m actively offering my Mastering Adversity Talk &/or Coaching program to individuals/groups, who need help learning to ROUNDLY defeat adversity like I do.
Email me via tayo at tksola dot com or fill/submit this form if that interests you. Click here now and tell me what you need help with.
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Have a great week :-))
