The Mirror and Mirage of Life 3

We hope you enjoyed The mirror and mirage of life 1 and The mirror and mirage of life 2. 

Criticisms

‘To the man who is not criticized, he is either doing something wrong or doing nothing at all’. Also according to John Dryden, ‘If by the people you understand the multitude, the hoi polloi, 'tis no matter what they think; they are sometimes in the right, sometimes in the wrong; their judgement is a mere lottery’. It’s only a dead person that would not be criticized, or probably person that is doing nothing. The mirror of life wouldn’t show how much denigration, insults, victimization, molestation, disbelief you got in order to reach that peak, however, the joy is that you are there. 

See this: Why I cannot die trying

Only the weak would get negatively criticized and start feeling bad or stop following his dreams. Most of the criticisms are rather destructive than constructive, those that said you can’t even jog a ball to see you become a professional footballer, just like how Michael Jordan was rejected at the school’s football team but still one of the best basketball players ever graced the game. Things like that happen but you have to grow a thick skin. Peruse the constructive criticisms and act on them, get the suggestions that would work for you, know why people criticize you. 

But the negative or destructive criticism, delete them from your heart and memory, make sure your result proves them wrong and shut them for life. They called Les Brown ‘educably mentally retarded’ but that didn’t define his life. It shouldn’t also define yours. ‘If you keep your feathers well-oiled, the water of criticism will run off as from a duck's back’ – Ellen Swallow Richards

 Check this: How to buy time

Disappointments

The British airline entrepreneur, Freddie Laker, said after the collapse of the Laker Airways Skytrain, ‘Every businessman should have one day in his life to see what it’s like coming down’. Of course disappointments come every day, most especially from people you least expected. The mirror of life never showed us the part where Les Brown applied for a deejay job but because the manager didn’t believe in him, he rather gave him a cleaning job which he did happily. 

Bill Gates also mentioned about his difficulties in getting his company running. It is not all what you apply for or try to get that you have. So, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Always know all your business empire could crash one day, the stock market might not do well like before, your forecast might not be what it should be but that is not enough to stop your dreams. The mirror of those in stardom does not reflect their disappointment, but we know they are doing fine. Similarly, you will also be fine soon.’ Your life has been a disappointment, as mine has been too. But we haven't gone through this sweat for nothing’ – Scott Fitzgerald.

Check this: Why you have never failed

Adversity

You may write me down in history 

With your bitter, twisted lies, 

You may trod me in the very dirt 

But still, like dust, I'll rise – Maya Angelou

Adversities are days, times, seasons, periods that didn’t go down in your favour. Every successful person has such period, when things just didn’t work out as planned. Like Maya, you just have to find a way to rise out of it like dust. Always remember according to a Japanese proverb, ‘Adversity is the foundation of virtue’. It is just there for a period to test your resilience, fighting spirit, and prepare you for the greatness to come. Though it may not be revealed to so many how much you suffered, but always know the trophy belongs to you if you conquered. Your endurance matters at this point just like the Moroccan proverb, ‘Endurance pierces marble’.

According to Booker Washington, ‘I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life but by the obstacles which he has had to overcome while trying to succeed’.

Read this: 10 things you need to take your stand

Rejections

According to Simon Gray, he says, ‘The worst thing you can do to an important problem is to discuss it’. This implies that there are just those that wish you bad, you telling them a part of yourself makes it worse. These people are detractors that monitor success; they are always there to laugh whenever one falls, however, they are also very important in life journey. Yes, they are very important because they are the ones that keep you on your feet. 

Rejections come in life in many forms but life has to continue, you have to keep moving. A bicycle is only on its feet and standing properly when it is moving. Your mirror would not reflect it when you are successful, but you were better than who you used to be. Those that rejected you would still wish to work with you, only if you continue d without giving up on yourself.

See also: 7 things that stop you from achieving

Sacrifices

‘However much you and all of us may desire it, there is not much hope of redemption without the shedding of blood. If you must bleed, let it all come at once—rather die freemen, than live to be slaves’ – Henry Highland Garnet. This topic was well covered in Sacrifice: What we must lose to win. What we lose or sacrifice on the journey of making it or going out of our bondage is quite different. It varies from sleep, to money, pleasure to part of our body or even the ultimate sacrifice, life. 

But one thing that should be at the back of your mind is that you can’t be great without giving something to failure. Most things we lose during our struggle is pleasure; we couldn’t use the money we have to get the best things we could imagine, or get the luxurious life we ever wished, just because we want to use such money to build a life. Your mirror would not show your struggle or your pains or sacrifices, but it would show your success. Sacrifice what you can to have your names written in bold.

 Read this: One other reason not to fail

How I wish people see my tears;

How I wish men feel my pains;

What if they saw me stepping on thorns?

I mean they saw me walking through the streets bare-footed;

This mirror is unfaithful; it falsifies images and shouldn’t be believed,

What people see is my Success and not my Failures and Struggles – Able Lincoln

'Never envy anyone's success because you never knew what they passed through to get there'

I have never Failed

We hope you were blessed from the article. This article is incomplete without you sharing it. let others also benefit like you did. You can leave a comment for somebody else to benefit and you can as well be a Motivator by registering with your email for motivational updates.