In my opinion, no individual is born as an island unto himself or herself. People are born unto an environment where they grow up from childhood to adulthood and old age until death. That environment could be a family, the entire community, a tribe, ethnic group, a school or a workplace.
How Can an Individual Attain Success in Life
In this world we have choices as far as success in life is concerned. What is important is for the individual to make the right choice or choices that will lead the person to the attainment of success; be it riches, fame or leadership among others.
How Can One Make the Right Choice (s)
In my view, a person can make the right choice or choices by following these action points:
- Follow the path of what God teaches us, be you a Muslim or Christian. That is, believe in the existence of God, his creation, the word of God and put one’s trust in him.
- Consider his or her upbringing in the home and society and understand the values, norms and the do’s and don’ts in the society in which we live.
- It is essential for the individual to have respect for the elderly in the family, community, society and people in authority at the workplace in a normal setting. Where the community is deviant the person is not obliged to do this.
- The individual must also have the ability to learn and acquire knowledge and skills that will lead him or her to be able to plan his or her future. This means that there is a need to acquire a trade, profession or livelihood.
- The person must be effective and efficient and put much efforts’ in whatever he or she intends to do in life. People who succeed tend to apply self-control, self-discipline alongside creative experimentation or pursuit of a focus goal in life.
What Constitute Success
Success may mean different things to different people in life. For example, success may be riches to some people. For others success is about quality leadership, intelligence, fame and self-esteem. Generally, success in my opinion is about self-fulfilling life where the individual has to distinguish himself or herself in a given environment.
Let me cite one Dr. Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs at this point. Dr. Maslow was a psychologist who discovered five basic levels of human needs which are; through the most basic biological needs, people progress to higher level psychological needs. In this context, Dr. Maslow explains that humans begin with physiological needs first, move on to safety and security needs. The next level is the desire for social needs calling for affection, friendship and belonging.
After this, the person will have ego needs which represent a higher order namely; prestige, success and self-respect. A person according to this model is at the peak of the triangle with self-actualization or self-fulfillment. Through changing circumstances one could move along this scale up and down as circumstances or fate may dictate.
To a very great extent, normal human beings can aspire and attain the very highest which depends on the person’s self-control, hard work, prayers and constructive focus and feedback.
Mentorship
Mentorship is important because the individual will require knowledge and skills to be able succeed in life. This means the individual must learn both formal and informal education. This however, cannot be achieved without academic education at all levels.
One would also have to learn under other people like a teacher, doctor, community leader or a businessman. These individuals will advise and mentor the person on what he or she has been experiencing in life. Being successful does not mean one will not encounter challenges or difficulties in life. Success is not smooth but success comes to those who put in adequate efforts in whatever they intend to do, persevere and persist in life; for Isaac Newton said “if I can see far, it means’ I have stood on the solders of giants”.
Conclusion
Achieving success in life requires a lot of sacrifices. For one to be successful in life he or she must reflect on the environment in which he or she has been brought up, adequate knowledge academically at all levels and make the right choice or choices with assistance from experts and mentor(s).
The individual should know that you cannot do it all in life without the help of God. As a result, be you Muslim or Christian you must follow the path of what God teaches us, believe in his existence, creation and put one’s trust in him.
It is essential to be an upright person, obedient, truthful, disciplined and show respect to all manner of persons in the family, community, society in which he or she lives.
The individual should remember that success is not smooth and that success comes to those who pray to God, work hard, persevere and make efforts in whatever they intend to do in life.
In conclusion, it is my hope that the readers of this article will derive some inspirations from the script to aid them to success in life in future.
By Abu Kuntulo
About the author
Currently, Abu D. Kuntulo is self-employed. He is the proprietor and Director of Kuntulo’s Ambulance Services. He is an Industrial Relations Practitioner, Labour Expert and Labour Consultant. He has been with the Health Services Workers’ Union of the Trades Union Congress, Ghana for the past twenty-four (24) years and retired on 30th June, 2016.
His professional qualifications include a Diploma in Planning, Management and Curriculum Development, Diploma in Political Economy, Diploma in Workers Education in Industrial Relations, Certificate in National and International Labour Standards and Certificate in Strategic Management.
He is an expert in workers education and capacity building and has expertise in planning, management and curriculum development. He is a veteran of the TUC, Ghana and a Council of Elder of the Health Services Workers’ Union of the TUC, Ghana.