By : ZINDOGA WILLIAM (Sir Wilz)
Life is comprised of two groups of people, nothing more nothing less, conformers and non-conformers. Conformers are those that live by the rules set by others, we can simply refer to them as followers. On the other hand, we have non-conformers, those that defy the odds, they break the rules and set new ones. They are often referred to as game-changers. It takes courage, audacity, brilliance and hard work to become a game-changer. Believe you me, it doesn’t come in a silver platter either does it come overnight. If you want to be a game-changer, in an area, you should be ready to embrace criticism.
Whenever one seems to be moving against the tide or going against the accepted norms of a society he or she has usually labeled a pervert. Many inventors who lived around the 14th century had their theories accepted long after they had died. Taking, for instance, Gregory Mendel, the father of genetics, had his theories accepted years after his death. The greatest tragedy of humanity is that it takes quite long before society catches up with knowledge.
Chief among other attributes of becoming a game-changer is the ability to persevere. They are those harsh moments that tend to shape our being. There’s an old saying in Texas: “It doesn’t matter how much milk you spill as long as you don’t lose your cow.” This means you have to worry and you don’t have to concentrate on spilled milk because as long as you have the cow there is always a possibility of having more milk.
Let me take you a little back, during the latter part of the 1840s, a great man was born in the form of Thomas Edison. At the age of twelve, he was pulled out of school because of his teacher’s request who deemed him “difficult.” Fast forward to 1879, Thomas invented the first commercially practical incandescent light. What I like most about this invention is not the invention itself but the tenacity involved. After trying the experiment, a hundred times without success, Edison finally becomes successful in the 101st experiments. What matters in life is not a temporary failure but how you react to it, what lessons you extract out of it. This is because somewhere along the journey to become a non-conformist, you will face failure head-on and your ability to pick up your broken pieces after hitting rock bottom is what determines how far you will go.
In conclusion, all I can say is that in order to become a non-conformist you must be willing to pay the price that goes with it. Do not be afraid to be criticized as it is an indicator that you are moving in the right direction. Last but not least, do not give up no matter what, Rome was not built in a day.
I rest my case.
ZINDOGA WILLIAM (Sir Wilz)
