You can’t succeed alone . . .
I previously said in a broadcast that one of the ways to overcome the fear of failure is by having the right people with you.
One of the things that has helped me is that I had great people around me that did some things in my life.
One of the first things to pray for is to have good parents. Ironically, your parents were determined before you were born; you had no power in affecting that choice. Therefore, you must try to become good parents—parents that can potentiate your children in such a way that you provide a future for them. If you don’t have parents that can provide the picture of a good future for you, pray that you come across people who can present the picture of the future for you.
When I saw Archbishop Benson Idahosa preach at Aba, I asked myself, “Why can’t I preach like this man?” He reads the same Bible, and he’s from the same part of the country with me. I was acting as an usher during one of his programs, and someone asked, “Is Archbishop Benson around?’. I replied that he was gone, and the young man hissed and walked away. And I asked myself, “If Archbishop Benson Idahosa is not around, can’t we have people who will preach like him?”
I am not ArchBishop Idahosa, but thank God I am myself. That’s because I saw a man (in Archbishop Idahosa who painted a picture of what is possible with me).
When I went to Canaan Land with a South African lady who came to visit, I saw the place, and I lifted up my hands to want to worship God. But I heard vividly in my spirit, “Put down your hands; go back home, and replicate what you have seen.” I might not be a great follower of Bishop David Oyedepo, but the picture of what he was able to achieve acted as a model and stimulus for me, when I had nothing.
I came back home, and because of that picture, I believed it was possible. Today, we are replicating some of the things we saw there.
That’s why Elijah told Elisha, “If you can see me being taken up . . .”
Most people who associate with great successes, do not associate with them to learn or be inspired. They associate mostly to admire. It is not enough to admire, it is better to be inspired. When you are inspired by an individual, a person, or what he/she has achieved, it makes you perspire, when you know what he/she has done, and how that success was achieved.
You also need people who are mentors to you.
I’ve had great people contribute to my life.
One of them is Chuma Okoroafor; he provided a stimulus/platform for my talent and messages. When he asked me when I was going to ministry, “Dr. Apoki, how would you survive financially?” I told him that my mouth would feed me, that I had enough messages in me for my generation to bless me. Then he sent a cassette duplicator that I used to record my messages. Someone gave me a double-deck recorder that I could use to record my messages in my house, and I used the cassette duplicator to reproduce the messages. One day, I recorded for about 90 minutes, with so much energy, but my son, Ufuoma forgot to press the record button. I had to start all over.
Chuma Okoroafor later brought a CD duplicator, and that helped me a great deal to record and duplicate my messages. Gordon Banks Studios, in Aba, provided a medium for me to record. There were also churches I preached in that provided platforms for me—CPM Ojike Lane, CPM FURO, Rev. John Eze and his wife, and the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International (through Elder Eke Onuma).
You need people who can provide a push for you, positive pressure on you, resources, and a platform.
Some of the things you see us do like running the school and preaching to many groups in many churches and organisations, was a result of the platforms provided by Bishop B. C. Edohasim to demonstrate our gifts and talents, and to correct us when we go wrong. I was made the Men’s Fellowship Leader in the Church of God’s Mission, 39 Umuola Road, Aba, and subsequently for the Imo/Abia region. He also gave me the platform to run the Church school, and I learnt a lot.
Learning by being a Sunday school teacher, a Men’s Fellowship leader, running the Word of Faith Schools, provided platforms for me to actualize what I am doing now.
When you are given platforms to do small things and you do them with great minds, when great responsibilities come, you are not afraid of failing.
These things and the kind of people I’ve mentioned help you activate yourself and remove the paralytic fear that hinders you, and gives you the activating fear to not want to fail. They give you a platform that is not stressful, and when you succeed in that, it builds confidence.
When you have mentors, you get methods; you learn from them; they show you how to do what you have to do. Mentors give you momentum and moments. Mentors give you opportunities and they propel you, expose you, and they will make you go forward at a rate faster than what you have supposed to have been.
A child carried on the shoulder sees a masquerade more than an adult standing on the ground.
Mentors provide a shoulder for you to stand on. Mentors give you men you can interact with, men who are at a pedestal, higher than those you know on your own. By associating with these men at a higher pedestal, that you have been introduced to, it enables you to succeed. Also, because you were introduced by your mentor, there is more confidence and less fear of failure in you.
When Bishop B. C. Edohasim was on exchange of churches and was posted to Abuja, he called me to speak in the headquarters of Church of God Mission. He introduced me, “This is my son. He is a lion. If I release him here, this place will shake.” When your Bishop introduces you like a lion, don’t behave like a goat. That introduction propelled me to preach like never before.
You need people to praise you to give you momentum.
Mentors will also give you money. I’ve had men and women who contributed to where I am now.
They will also mention you in places. Like I also mentioned about Chuma Okoroafor, they will give you materials.
You will also be in their memory. You must have somebody who will call you to inform you that they are praying for you, or excited about what you are doing.
When you have men (and women) behind you, one way or the other, you are bound to succeed, you are bound to excel.
You must have character. Character will interact with mentors and people. If you have bad character, the men, momentum, materials, or platforms will most likely not prevent you from failing woefully.
Aptitude contributes only 25% of your success, but attitude provides about 75%. Attitude is nearly everything.
God bless you.
