PARALYSED BY SUCCESS

According to Longman English Dictionary,  success is a word used in describing that 

moment when you achieve what you want or intend to achieve while paralysis, in the context which it was used in this write-up means a state of being unable to take actions, make decisions or operate normally.

Looking at these 2 words above, it is obvious that the former tends towards the positive while the latter towards the negative. The question that then comes to mind is this, ‘can one truly be paralysed by achieving what you want or intend to achieve?’ “Can one truly be paralysed by success?”

Juxtaposing the 2 definitions above, one can infer that being paralysed by success is a phase whereby the success that is attained when you supposedly achieve what you set out to achieve isn’t enough to enable you function or operate normally even in the face of this success. This situation can be caused by emotional issues, religious beliefs, family issues and awhole lot of other factors. For the purpose of this write-up, we shall analyse how best to avoid this oxymoron by viewing from the secular angle and from the religious angle.

Secular Angle

In our pursuit of success, there is a need to critically analyse the path followed, the path presently following and the path to be followed. Such analysis makes it a lot easier.

1. Analysing the path followed- Process of critically analyzing past actions taken in order for success to be achieved that day. At the end of your day, you sit back and analyse how your day was. The things you said or did in your pursuit of success that day; that man you spoke to harshly, that money you may have stolen, that boy you helped, that lady you kissed. You do this in order to know if your goal for that day was, ‘success at all cost without minding who got hurt in the process as long as success was achieved’. This is the selfish kind of success. With your conscience as judge, you separate the good acts from the bad acts. While commending yourself for the good acts done, you chastise yourself for the bad acts done, making sure to make amends where possible the next day. Truth is that if you don’t do this and you end-up accumulating all the daily ‘selfish successes’, you maybe said to be successful by all but your conscience would tell you differently. You would become paralysed by success.

2. Analysing the path presently following- As we all know, an unexamined life is not worth living. There is a need to scrutinize your actions and the path you are presently taking in the pursuit of success before/even while following the path. People who say ‘experience is the best teacher’ often forget that it is better to be safe than sorry. You evaluate the path being towed and if it is that which betrays your personal values and the well-imbibed morals your parents gave you while growing up, its best to withdraw from that path while you still can because any success achieved through this path is one to paralyse you at the end.

3. Analysing the path to be followed- This is a virgin path. The only thing known about this path is the success you want to achieve which is your end goal. This success may be staring you in the face  but that still isn’t enough to afix all your mind on success while not minding if the path you are about towing is good or bad. You analyse well before your first step. Make your research. There may not be a shortcut to success but there are people who may have taken the path you are about to take. In order to be aware of the hurdles along the way, you ask questions. You do not take every answer or advise hook, line and sinker but you put these answers to critical reasoning. The golden rule is this, ‘do not engage in acts that will betray your inner peace’.

It is also worthy of note to state that a successful man who doesn’t share his success is a man paralysed by success. There are people who feel more comfortable sharing success and helping non-family members. In as much as this puts you in the good books of strangers, there is also the need to not be in the bad books of family members as charity begins at home. Please I am not saying you should be a santa clause to everybody in your nuclear and extended family but I am saying whatever traits you saw in all the strangers you helped, a few family members may have that also. You help the few you can and put your mind at rest. Please disabuse your mind from only financial gains because not all family members ask for financial favour.

Spiritual Angle

This cuts across both Christianity, Islam and by extension all other religions. All religions recognize the existence of a spiritual being. A being we are all to do right by. 

In our pursuit of success and inner peace, being in consonant with the norm and values of our religious beliefs go a long way to joyfully attaining these 2 goals. Please do permit me to speak from the Christian point of view because that is what I practice. Our Lord Jesus Christ began His ministry with these words, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord’.(Luke 4:18-19 NKJV). A man paralysed by success is a broken man but from the above, you see Our Lord can heal you in every sense of the word. Life may not always have been good to you but God’s grace and smile can change all of that- starting from the minute you decide to invite Him in.

Take that leap of faith today and you shall not regret it. Thank you and God bless.

Cheers to the weekend.

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