“If it were not for adversity (which has a habit of getting in our way via delays, disappointments, setbacks and failure), the business of achieving AUTHENTIC success, would progress much more quickly and easily for EVERYONE!” – Tayo K. Solagbade

FACT: If adversity stopped showing up, meaningful achievement would no longer exist…!

That’s the truth – and I’m paraphrasing Jim Rohn using the above phrase.

You see, if everything became so easy, the world would simply get over crowded with mediocre persons parading what would otherwise be questionable success trophies. Sooner than later, we would begin to pay the price.

That’s why I tell those who say “Failure is not my portion” or who get prayed for to NEVER fail again, that they might as well say goodbye to authentic success at the same time. Without failure you’re VERY unlikely to achieve it!

Imagine what it takes to qualify to drive a car on the roads….

In most societies, people have to undergo a series of tests – theoretical and practical – to qualify to hold a driver’s license. This process ensures that those who eventually get the go ahead to drive cars on the road will not constitute themselves into a danger to themselves or others.

I have met people who complained about the strict system run in places like the UK, for assessing competence of persons to hold a driver’s license.

Getting it requires meeting a challenging set of standards.

Now, even after you’ve gotten the licence, misbehaving behind the wheel, while driving, can cost you “points”. And if you make a habit of getting into too much trouble, and lose too many points, you could lose the license!

All of these keep holders of licenses on their toes. It also ensures that the roads remain generally free from chaos, and dangers are kept to a minimum.

Those who complain about the strict regulatory procedures put in place, can be said to see them as some form of “adversity”.

That is, some form of difficulty put in their way, as they try to achieve their aim of getting the license. Those procedures also “annoy” others who already hold licenses, but are not keen to observe the driving rules to the letter.

If such people had their way, a little bending of those rules for their benefit would not be a bad idea. If they found themselves in decision making positions, to effect such modifications to the rules, some of them would probably do so.

And subsequently, all sorts of wrong people would begin to get the go ahead to drive cars on the road. Suddenly, driving mishaps would begin to happen more often. And it would not longer be so safe to drive around or even walk the roads, compared to when things were done right.

Whenever I visit home, I look at driving as it is done on Lagos roads and I see this kind of “chaotic” driving situations playing out daily.

Here in Benin Republic, people drive cars alongside persons who ride motorbikes. Very rarely do you see them cross paths, talk less of hurling insults at one another for reckless driving. And seldom do accidents of any sort (bike or car related) happen.

It’s all about the culture.

The rules that guide qualifying to get a license out here are more diligently enforced than they are in Nigeria – Lagos especially.

They are not perfect here, but those in charge in Benin, endeavour to ensure considerable compliance on the part of those who apply for licences.

In Lagos, there is effort being made to do that, by the Road Safety Corps.

However pockets of unregulated activities still happen on a considerable scale, to enable some people get licenses without even doing any tests.

Since they did not have to undergo the “preparation” needed to ensure they attained driving competence, they naturally end up making all sorts of driving mistakes on the road.

I would add that a person who chooses to NOT take the test, could, for his/her own safety at least make out time to do some self-studying of driving rules, and also self-tutoring in his/her private time. This would enable him/her achieve some reasonable driving competence.

Sadly, too many people feel too much in a hurry to bother about putting in the needed work to acquire the competence required to succeed in a chosen endeavour.

That attitude drives them in every area of life. And it ends up pushing them to cut corners at every opportunity.

The truth remains that anyone who desires to be truly competent needs to embrace adversity or difficulty.

S/he will have to accept that competence is unlikely to “come” to him/her, quickly or easily. That is the requirement for developing the competence needed to succeed. You must have a willingness to invest time, and effort to overcome adversity that will inevitably confront you in one form or another.

Even during a private push up session, adversity shows up in form of the pain you feel in your arm muscles.

When pain comes, it’s a sign that you’re building new muscles. That’s why when you finish, you feel as if your arms/biceps are a bit “inflated”. If you stop before you feel any pain, you’ll notice you don’t feel like you’ve done anything.

That’s why the saying “No pain. No gain” is so apt in every area of life.

If you do not exert yourself, you simply cannot reasonably hope to improve yourself enough to succeed.

Final Words: Farm Business CEOs must also observe this rule!

I’ve written in past articles about how my interaction with many farm business owners has revealed that many lack basic know how about the enterprises they run.

So much so, that they make avoidable –  yet potentially costly – mistakes in a bid to improve farm performance.

This is why I’m now writing a “Quick Start Guide for Poultry Farm Business”

One version will cater to owners of Broiler Farms, and another to CEOs of Layer Farm operations.

If you’d like to be notified when it becomes available, click here to let me know.