People Will Mock Your First Steps…Keep Walking

By Ubong Essien, CSP (Mister Motivator)

Each time I look at life, the more I am convinced that there is practically just one key reason people fail to reach their goals – they never take the first steps. It is your first steps towards your goal that will collectively constitute the cornerstone of whatever success you want in life. Dream the finest dreams; plan the biggest plans but without the first steps of action towards them, you will forever remain a sitting duck in life.

People will make fun of your first steps, ignore them and just keep walking. The first steps are never perfect, they are usually preparatory. It is our first steps that actually make us poised to succeed; they position us for greatness. For a talented musician with no album of media exposure, your first steps could find you singing at small parties without instrumental support and this could be flat to people who could then make fun of your performance. If you face this challenge, be proud of your first steps and keep walking. For such is the walk that will eventually take you to the biggest stage to perform.

As a writer, your first steps could be a few lines for a little known publication or a self-published pamphlet. You will find people who will despise your effort as being too piecemeal. Ignore them. Take pride in those first steps and never look back, keep walking. For such is the walk to take you to the Nobel Hall of Fame. If you doubt me, ask Wole Soyinka.

Ali Baba, the great Nigerian comedian took his first steps almost two decades ago perhaps as an afterthought on Patrick Doyle’s TV programme where he made what was then considered a feeble attempt to get viewers to laugh. Only to have a viewer call in to the show asking Patrick Doyle to shut the lad up that his jokes were dry. Ali Baba ignored him and kept walking. Today, that viewer may not be able to afford a seat at one of Ali Baba’s shows. And because Ali Baba kept walking, not only did he arrive his destination as a comedy king, his walk helped pave the highway for the stand-up comedy profession today in Nigeria. His walk left an inspiring trail that hundreds now follow to find their destiny in the comedy business. Ali Baba ignored that naysayer and many more and kept walking.

Don’t let anyone stop you from taking those first steps for it is by virtue of those first steps that you can keep on walking. In taking your first steps, you will wobble and you may fumble, but keep on walking. Remember, it doesn’t matter how people make fun of your first steps, just keep walking.