Prisoner of Hope
If there is one mantra for success it is "never give up hope". Our world is full of people who have dreams of making it big in their lives but have never ventured to do so. Holding them back is their fear of not crossing the finishing line.
Noted journalist and television host, David Frost once interviewed Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He was pillar of the South African apartheid movement. It was during this interview that Archbishop Tutu made the now famous statement. “I have never been an optimist, I have been a prisoner of hope!”.
This statement may sound a little strange because we are normally wired to link the word “prisoner” with captivity, not freedom. But captive in this sense means dominance, having a commanding influence or exercising control over. Therefore, being a prisoner of hope means being dominated in thought by hope, victory and a belief that the best is yet to come. Whatever be the extenuating circumstances one may be going through.
It today’s economic situation, it is easy for small and medium business persons to question their ability to survive. Let alone grow and prosper. The media has been plastered with too many stories about the Davids being wiped out by the Goliaths in the past few years. Yet, standing tall amongst those ruins are those who weathered the storm, astonished the naysayers and actually grew. Steadfast hope along with a determined action plan is what keeps small businesses moving forward. In fact, steadfast hope and relentless determination drives the world.
In the small town of Elmira, Ontario, is a boutique “fb and me”. In March 2009, when her business was launched, the economy was tanking. But as Tami Runstedler, the owner, stated in an interview to a local publication “thinking positively was the only defense” she had.
Her advice to small business owners, “think positive all the time, provide great customer service, have a business plan but don’t be afraid to deviate from it and listen to advice. Most important of all – never lose hope, never give up”.
And there are plenty of examples around us that keep reminding us of the same.
I recently came across the phenomenal story of Jacob Barnett, then a 15 year-old prodigy who was diagnosed with severe autism when he was 2 years old. At this age, he completely stopped talking for a year and half. Efforts by special school instructors and doctors to bring some semblance of order in his life did not achieve any results.
His mother, Kristine Barnett, was told to expect the worst and that he may never develop into a normal person.
Yet she never gave up hope. She allowed him to explore the world in his own way and do the things he loved. As a result, Jacob shocked the world at age 4. On a trip to look at Mars through a telescope at the Butler University in Indiana, he shocked the professors by answering a science question that no one else could. By age 8, he was auditing courses at the Indiana University and had joined there full time by age 11. At age 15, he was one of the hand-picked students at the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics at Waterloo, Ontario.
As miraculous as this sounds, this is a story of hope, determination of one woman. A woman who rebelled against what the world told her about her son. Her story is captured in an inspiring book. Titled “The Spark, a mother’s story of nurturing genius” .
As Napoleon Hill wrote in his classic book, “Think and Grow Rich", riches and success begins with a state of mind and with a definiteness of purpose. Mankind’s familiarity with the word “impossible” has chained them down to achieving mediocrity. Hill talks about the power of auto-suggestion and vision combined with a strong desire and drive to achieve success.
(c) Stuart Miles
So, all you small and medium business owners, don’t hold yourself back.
Go become prisoners. Of hope, determination, desire, action, resilience and a never-give-up attitude. You have nothing to lose except your success.
