**BE A WINNER **!!

So last week I was at the biannual inter-house sports of my daughters and I found it quite interesting and exciting. I watched the kids express so much passion, commitment, determination and almost desperation to win the competition. Besides the students, the teachers and housemasters were equally passionate and fanatical about the athletes, the games and the houses they campaigned for. It was indeed a thrill.

As expected this took me down memory lane and I recalled my season back in the days when I was still in primary school and a particular inter-house sports experience I will never forget.

I was in the yellow house and for about four years our position at the inter-house sports had been the last or second to the last and we were tired of such results, we wanted to be first.

So this particular one was crucial for us, the house members and the officials equally. We practiced very hard and selected our best athletes for each sporting event.

Now, this story is about a boy, a classmate who stood out profoundly at this inter-house sports. Adamu wasn’t a bright student, in fact, he was very dull. Academically, he was nowhere, he had repeated a class to become my classmate. To look and interact with Adams as we popularly called him then, would be tantamount to being misled about his real academic prowess. He sounded very brilliant, intelligent and smart, but in reality, he was so bad academically.

Now that I’m older and a bit more knowledgeable, looking at it again, I think it wasn’t about being dull academically, I think he actually had a learning disability – a not so known psychological challenge in my days. I think he suffered from dyslexia.

When it came to academic work, Adams wasn’t popular, celebrated or reckoned with. Teachers ridiculed and embarrassed him, his classmates mocked him and nearly everyone taunted him regularly about his typical zero scores and last position in the class.

He wasn’t a very happy pupil I must confess, but he tried not to let the shaming bother him. He just had this self-confidence I couldn’t understand then, he was just a 12-year-old boy in primary six.

However, during the preparation and heats for this important inter-house sports competition, Adams, out-performed and outran everyone with significant records at almost all the events. He was the fastest runner, the highest jumper and the best in parade hence, was also the parade commander for yellow house.

So the D-day came and the first position was looking very difficult and daunting for yellow house, as red house was seriously threatening at the medals table. As much as yellow house tried, the athletes in Red house were also doing very well and with just the relay races left, it looked like red house would carry the day if yellow house didn’t up their game, hence would miss another chance of lifting the trophy again five years in a row.

Adams already won gold at the 100 meters and four hundred meters races. He also won gold at the high jump and long jump contest, he was already the star of the house and everyone was hailing him without reservation. It was now the time for the four by four relay race and this race would separate and make clear who the eventual champion would be.

At the last lap of the four by four hundred relay, red house was leading and yellow house was in fourth position. Adams took the anchor leg for yellow house and to everyone’s surprise and excitement and thrill, Adams from the fourth position, ran like mad past the third and second runner and with just about ten meters to the finish line he ran past the red house final lap runner and snatched the first position from him and yellow house won the gold for that race. Adams did it, Adams had put yellow house at the top of the table, yellow house after four years won the inter-house sports, Adams was the athlete of the year; it was his moment. The yellow house master practically carried Adams on his shoulder and began to run around the sporting arena, all the pupils in yellow house ran after the housemaster who carried Adams on his shoulder and everyone was shouting and hailing Adams, Adams, Adams, the band kept playing, excitement was in the air, the happiness and jubilation was electrifying; excitement everywhere, it was Adams, it was his moment, he had done the house proud, it was his moment of honor and glory. When eventually, the trophy was handed over, it was Adams who lifted the trophy for yellow house, the photographers were all over the place to take his picture, as the chairman of the occasion, the PTA chairman, the headmistress and other important dignitaries shook his hand and handed the trophy to him, it was his moment, he was the star, and to this day, his photograph lifting that trophy I believe is still in the outer office of the head teacher of the school after many decades.

Two terms later, we were leaving school, many pupils did well and some were exceptional at the common entrance and other exams – making the school very proud. Adams did not pass the exams, but the students who passed did not enjoy the same honor, glory, attention and celebration Adams enjoyed as the athlete that stood out during the inter-house sports.

As important as the common entrance was, no teacher carried any student on the shoulders, running around and hailing him or her for passing common entrance, the best they got was a clap of hands and handshake from some teachers.

Ladies and gentlemen, no one’s got it all. No one wins in every area and aspect of life. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, our advantages and disadvantages, our privileges and drawbacks, we all have the realities of both worlds in varying aspects of our lives.

Many of us today, have sadly rejected ourselves because of an area of our lives we consider very important and we’re struggling with, hence we have refused to give our best and triumph in other areas where we’ve got strength.

Of course, the academics was very important and served as the core of going to school, the fact that Adams struggled with it and was a candidate of mockery, jest and ridicule in academics didn’t let him draw back and disqualify himself when it came to sports, hence he enjoyed a glory those who did well in academics could not.

Yes, you may have failed and be failing in an aspect of your life, this does not mean you’re failing entirely in life. You may be struggling in an area of your life that you consider important, it does not mean you should deny yourself an opportunity to show what you’ve got in other areas of life where you’re strong. You may be struggling in marriage, please don’t let it stop you from being an excellent employee or business owner. You may have lost your job or crumbled in business, please don’t let it make you hold back from being that wonderful spouse and parent that you are. The fact you come from a broken home should not stop you from building a great family for yourself. You may not be sound academically please don’t allow that stop you from showing off the great talent and skills you’ve got. Don’t let anyone put you down and shame you because they are doing well in an area of life you are struggling with, there are so many areas you’re also doing well at and they’re struggling with.

Dear friend, don’t miss your moments of honor and glory in life based on a struggle in one area and the jesting and gossip and mockery of men. Don’t judge yourself, condemn yourself or write off your possibilities just because of one bad result. Think constructively, positive and progressively. While working on the weak part of your life, don’t let go your strong areas, celebrate yourself and what you’ve got, don’t let no one put you down or write you off. Be your own best and favorite cheerleader. You deserve to be loved and appreciated by you. Never deny yourself that. Come on show what you’ve got, grab your moment of honor and glory, you deserve it.