It pays to Fight on Doggedly!

Prior to the US presidential election recently concluded, everything looked as if the battle has been fought and won. It was as though Donald Trump will lose; it was as though Hilary Clinton would win. As they move from one part of the US to another campaigning and soliciting the votes of the electorates, people’s response pointed to Hillary Clinton as the 1^st female and 45^th US president. Clinton was even leading until the final day of the election.

You may not be wrong if you thought that Trump would lose. By his orientation and from his utterances, his hatred for the Blacks, Latin Americans, Arabs, etc is obvious. His utterances depits him as a racist. And racism is what Americans seem to condemn. At a point, some of his own party members who did not share his view distanced themselves from him.

To many Americans, Trump’s defeat was inevitable and Clinton’s victory is certain. Even Clinton’s supporters who gathered together to celebrate her victory were sure she would win the election. It was only at the dying moment when they realized that Trump would triumph that they “evaporated.”

Some of Clinton’s supporters wept bitterly when it was announced that Trump had won. This goes to show the credibility of Clinton’s candidacy, the people’s loyalty and wish. But alas! Their wish was not to be.

Trump on the other hand was not so sure he would win the election, but he was determined to fight on doggedly. From Trump’s utterances, you would think getting to the White House was a mirage for him. Trump has always been like that. He is not a pretender. He always expresses himself they way he feels without caring whose ox is gored.

To all intents and purposes, Trump’s speech was enough to deny him access to the White House, yet he got there!

There are some lessons to learn from Trump’s victory. Let’s discuss them briefly:

1.   If God Ordains that You Will Get to a Position, Nothing Will Change it

This point summarises the victory of Trump in the recently concluded US presidential election. You may call it “destiny,” “fate” or “predestination.” They are happening all around us, but it’s just that we are not adverting our mind to the happenings. Obama’s first and second victory present vivid illustration of the fact that if God wills that you should get to a position, nothing can hold you back. Years ago, in Rivers State of Nigeria, a man did not contest election yet he became Governor of Rivers State! If you knew how desperate aspirants were, if you realise the struggles, the sacrifices and the efforts aspirants made trying to become governor of their state, you will realise that becoming a governor without contesting in an election is a miracle!

The lesson is clear: IF GOD ORDAINS THAT YOU WILL GET TO A POSITION, NOTHING CAN CHANGE IT.

      

2.   Your Past Doesn’t Matter

The second lesson here is that as far as your future or destiny is concerned, your past doesn’t matter. Both Trump and Clinton had their weaknesses. There were allegations of Clinton’s dishonesty traced to her emails (though not proved). Trump on the other hand was prosecuted under the Federal Law of America for his act of discriminating against nonwhites in refusing to let his properties to them.

Despite their weak points, they won their party’s primaries and became candidates for the US election. Talk about the past, every person has a dirty past. But our past does not determine our future. I think one reason our past doesn’t matter is that nobody is perfect. We all have our weak points. If God were to consider our past and use it as a criteria, nobody would merit any good thing in life.

The lesson here is: DO NOT LET YOUR PAST DETERMINE YOUR FUTURE. LEARN TO FORGIVE AND FORGET. GOD IS NOT CONSIDERING YOUR PAST. IF HE WERE, YOU WON’T BE WHERE YOU ARE TODAY     

3.   Take the Risk

Someone once said: “THE GREATEST RISK IS NOT TAKING A RISK.” Imagine what would happen if Trump had quit during the early stage of the election when it appeared the odds were against him, when Clinton was leading. Of course, he wouldn’t have become the 45^th president of the US. For Trump who is more of a business man than a politician, contesting the presidential election is a risky one – he may not win. Yet, he took the risk.

Clinton, a senator and politician to the core, also had her own risk to take. If she won the election, she would become the 1^st female American president. If she doesn’t, her party, The Democrat, would relinquish power to Turmp’s Republican.

Losing is not the greatest risk. Unfortunately, this is what we are always afraid of. We are always thinking: “What if I lose?” “What if I don’t win?” The fear of failure is what is holding us down in defeat. NOT TAKING A RISK IS THE GREATEST RISK. Our thinking should be: “What if I win?” “What if I succeed?” You have little or nothing to lose if you fail, but you have everything to gain if you win. This is the thought pattern of supersuccessful people: they don’t think about failure; they think about success.

The lesson here is: DON’T LET FEAR OF FAILURE HOLD YOU BACK FROM TRYING. YOU MAY FAIL, BUT THERE IS NO HARM IN TRIAL. IT IS FAILURE TO MAKE AN ATTEMPT AT SUCCESS THAT IS THE GREATEST RISK    

   

4.   It Pays to Fight on

You don’t win, if you quit. But you have every chance of winning if you keep doing the best you can. Both Trump and Clinton were dogged fighters. They had equal chances of winning.  They fought gallantly. That is the spirit! Trump particularly fought on doggedly even when it appeared he was going to lose to Clinton. Clinton also kept herself on track in her attempt to become the 1^st female American president.

What is it you are aspiring to be or achieve? Are you willing to put in the best you can? Or will you give up when it appears you are going to lose? Sticking to the fight when the fight gets toughest is what will earn you the victory you desire.

Get up and keep fighting now. And like Trump, as you fight on doggedly, you will eventually realise that it pays to fight on and never to give up!

Until I come your way soon, go and live victoriously!