Don't let anyone push you to give up on yourself – Peace Hyde

Hello and welcome to a Piece of Peace, your weekly dose of motivation and inspiration. This week I would like to share with you on the topic of “The unexpected success story”.

We all have that one friend that growing up, we all assumed was not going to make it. That one boy or girl who never took classes that seriously. Who was always in trouble with school authorities and then later on in life with the justice system.

That one person who we could bet our last Cedis on that he was probably going to end up as an alcoholic and bug you for money for the rest of your life if you do not cut him off. I know growing up I had a couple of friends that fit that description.

Two weeks ago I run into one of those friends. To my surprise he was not a drug addict or criminal. He started a tech start-up company a couple of years ago, which he sold to one of the leading online retailers in the UK for just over $10 million.

He no longer had the saggy pants or the haircut with 3 lines moving in unison on the side of his head. He was now polished. Speaking with a good vocabulary and dressed immaculately. It was the most amazing transformation I had ever seen. Almost everyone including myself had written him off especially when at college, he got into trouble for robbing a local supermarket at gunpoint.

These days he spends his time at his youth centre, encouraging wayward students to change their ways. It made me realise that sometimes we make conclusions on people and decide in advance what we think their journey is going to be like based on some of the actions they have taken in the past.

I learnt a very important lesson a long time ago and that was never judge a book by its cover. If you are reading this today, no matter what your personal circumstances, don't let ANYONE push you to the point of giving up on YOURSELF! Just because it is broken for NOW it does not mean it's OVER. Think about it, PUZZLES are broken into scattered pieces; it just TAKES TIME to put the BIGGEST and most BEAUTIFUL puzzle picture together. You are a working progress.

Where you are today is by no means a reflection of where you will end up tomorrow. Sometimes it can get extremely difficult to see past negativity. You may not see it today or tomorrow, but you will look back in a few years and be absolutely perplexed and awed by how EVERY LITTLE THING added up and brought you somewhere wonderful - or where you ALWAYS wanted to be. The unexpected success story could be you.

So many people may have written you off to the point where you have started to doubt your own abilities and accepted the fate that they have given you.

Just remember, nobody knows what your destiny will be except you. You are the only one who can decide to let what people say about you to be the truth or a lie. Decide what you want your story to be today and persistently work towards making that dream a reality. And no matter what, be yourself because everyone else is taken.

Much Love, Peace Hyde.