CHAPTER SIX
ENQUIRE FROM THOSE WHO KNOW
Ask questions. Any question? A teacher often asks for questions from his students to ascertain that knowledge has been transferred. As we grow older, teachers do not have to ask questions anymore. They won’t care. It actually dawns on us that if we don’t ask questions, no new knowledge will arrive.
The man who wants people to marvel at him must have a strong quest for knowledge. This knowledge may be dependent on the area of marvelous pursuit. It is certain that the path we try to take in climbing to the point where we are proclaimed marvels have being taken by some other person the knowledge is never hidden. It is within the privy of those people who could take the place as teachers in our lives.
It’s amusing that those who are said to be desirous of the upward path don’t know the path that leads up. Most are often lost at the junctions of life and they never break through from that junction to find the route to the destination they want to be. When you find yourself lost at the junction of life, it’s great that you look out for people who are returning through that route. You may ask how you can know such persons. Well, those persons look like the future you that you have in mind.
The reason many persons fail to get to the destination they desire to be is because they either do not find the people they can trust or they are afraid to ask. Here are some of the reasons people don’t ask questions.
The feeling of being inferior. In this case, we feel that those who have gotten to where we want to be are too high up there for us to reach. We feel that we don’t dress or speak like they do so we have to wait till we are polished enough. That time actually takes so long. You have to understand that that high and mighty had at one time had characteristics that you now have.
The inability to organize the right words. Sometimes there is the fear of not being able to organize our words, to express ourselves in such a way that will be understood by the man who we should enquire from. This makes us quiver and we choose not to ask at all.
The feeling of knowing much more than those we intend to ask. There are many persons who should have achieved great things but they don’t because they rate themselves higher than the persons they should ask from. The sad truth is that most persons who act this way often do not know and they never try to know.
The feeling of being a burden. Sometimes we may feel that we are being burdensome to those we want to ask especially if they are up there. That tendency always arrives especially when we feel we can go ahead with the possibilities that we expect to reach but aren’t because of some limitations.
The fear of not knowing who to ask. Sometimes we don’t know who to ask. There are too many doubts we have about the qualifications of those we think we should ask so we choose not to ask
There may be more reasons why people don’t ask questions but the major reasons have being mentioned above. The reasons to make inquiries before jumping to the route are enormous. They far outdo the fears that accompany the decision.
What are the benefits of enquiring from those who have gone through this path?
The benefits of enquiring from those who have gone far ahead are enormous and beneficial. There is a huge difference between those who get firsthand information and those who have to create their own path by themselves. The difference is the ease. The former gets to the top faster while the latter takes a longer time to get there.
I remember an experience a young friend of mine shared with me. He loved the marvelous gifts that characterized a senior acquaintance and he wanted it. He walked up to this acquaintance and asked him how he got the gift. The response he got startle him. The acquaintance said he would have to sacrifice. My friend offered to follow this acquaintance to see what life of sacrifice he lived. It was only a matter of time before he began to exhibit the same marvelous gift.
When we find those who are on the path towards what we want, it will be beneficial that we ask and give ourselves to the knowledge that will come through them. This may require sacrifice. You will have to give up personal interest and desires in pursuit of the kind of life we want
You know that the life of a marvel is challenging. It will take you some little sacrifice to break away from a life of mediocrity that you are used to, to a marvelous championship life.
This kind of sacrifice often involves giving yourself and quest to follow the advice or attract the attention of your guardian or mentor.
You may be thinking, I don’t know how to come in contact with these people who can guide me. You could come in contact with them through the following means
Direct contact: sometimes we may be privileged to have direct physical contact with these persons. It is great you seize on the smallest moments or opportunity. I remember one minister who said that whenever he is opportune to meet senior ministers, he is always prepared with questions because he may never have a second chance.
Contact by proxy: we could contact these persons by phone email or through correspondence. Especially for the very busy leaders and mentors, connecting with them through phone calls and emails could be very useful
Books: there are varieties of books by experienced authors who have gone through a lot and have seen quite a lot in the path you intend to take. It is great that you find those resources in books and ingest the thoughts written in them
The internet: the internet is reticent with enormous resources. Almost every marvel has a place on the internet and every kind of knowledge has found its way there. While so many people uses the internet to do wrong things, you can find all the information you need about becoming a marvel and those who are actually marvels.
Audios and videos: you will always find very good videos and audios of very serious purpose driven marvels whose words will come handy to spur you up towards your pursuit. These tools come in the form of CDs and DVDs or even downloadable formats over the internet.
There are those who know what you want to know. Sometimes, they could be around or far away. A cautious effort to find them will reveal them but this will depend on how serious you are about them. You should always be prepared having the mindset that any time could be that time.