It has been proved that of all the human achievements, not up to ten per cent happens as a result of destiny.

The bulk of them comes as a result of hard work. This is because man is a creature of habit. Whatever we do over and over becomes who we are. Once you make hard work a culture or a habit, nothing in the world would stop you from becoming successful.

The other enabler for success in career is blood line, that is it runs in our family or in our neighbourhood and acculturation.

It is only a few people that would tell you that they were born to do this or that, which implies it is their destiny.

Even that somebody was born into a family of doctors does not in any way mean that the profession is also in his own blood or that being a medical doctor is his destiny. The only reason why he would end up as a medical doctor, which would make it seem as if it is running in his family, is early influence. The reason is because from cradle the picture of the profession would begin to fill his intellect as well as the unconscious part of his brain, which controls most of his behaviours even without his conscious mind knowing it and because there is already skill and techniques at his disposal, he would embrace the profession from childhood. And because he started early and going by the fact that practice makes perfect, he would excel in it. This is why Femi and Seun Kuti are musicians. It is not really that music is in them.

So, the main reason why most people are in one profession or another has a lot more to do with early influence and a lot less with destiny or talent.

All the stories of great men and women that I have read in my life are tales of hard work, focus, determination and sometimes, luck, that is the God element. Destiny or talent is most of the time a footnote, if ever mentioned.

So, if you have special gift or talent for something but fail to work hard to exploit it, others who have no gift in the area would with hard work and determination dominate and rule you in your own area of special gift.

It is like in the game of football. You feel because you are talented, you would not train. People who have no football talent would with hard work keep you permanently on the bench or in academics. You feel because you are naturally intelligent, you would not study. People who were not born bright but studying would displace you in the class.

So, what I am saying is that you can be whatever you want to be here on earth with hard work. Whatever, you set your mind on to achieve, don’t worry about whether it is your talent or not. Just go ahead and work hard. The only difference between you and your dream is hard work and not talent.

A lot of people confuse their fears or weaknesses with talent.

You hear stuffs like “I want to do this or that or I want to be this or that, but I don’t think I have the talent”.

My friend, what you lack is not talent but hard work and the will power to push your dream through.

ABOUT THE COLUMNIST

Peter Anosike is a well-known journalist and development economist.

His book, Dangote’s Ten Commandments on Money (Lessons on How to Make Money from One of the World’s Richest Men), was rated as one of the best development books in the world by Wall Street Journal and FORBES. The book has been adopted as a workbook for grooming entrepreneurs by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN). Anosike’s other of his books include, How To Be The Best You Can Be and Look Forward and Lean Less On Your Past – all trending in Smashwords along with Dangote’s Ten Commandment on Money and How To Be The Best You Can Be. You can follow him on Facebook and Linkedin.

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