Conquer the other you.

 

 

I

 was talking to myself the other day. No, I am not going out of my mind; it is the other me who, in my estimation, has lost his marbles. The other day I was having this silent conversation with him when he suddenly screamed, impossible!!!

I had toyed with the idea of beating Usain Bolt at his own game. The other me was furious. He frantically danced like a potato leaf in the wind; his face was a picture of pain. Thank God he is an African, other wise, I would have seen the pink version of me.

 When he had calmed down, he fronted a couple of reasons why, in his view, I cannot run the 100 meter dash in less than 9 seconds; I am not a Jamaican; my body has, over the years, accumulated layers that are more of a liability than an asset; I do not have the access to the training facilities to make me the fastest man on earth; I am a Ugandan, whatever that meant.

True, I told him, I am not a Jamaican. I am a human being and surely I can train myself to be as good if not better than the man they call the lightening bolt. The other me sneered and said that I should stop day-dreaming. I have known you all your life; you do not have the dedication and the relentless obsession of a Jamaican sprinter. O.K., I responded, rather meekly. You do have a point.

Sounding triumphant, he went on to argue; you do not have access to a nutritionist, a physiotherapist, a physiologist, and all those 'ists' that are needed to turn your body into an efficient running machine. Wow, I had no idea that all that was necessary. The other me chuckled and laughed derisively at my ignorance. My confidence was crumbling by the second.

Your body,… he paused for effect, your body is no where near what is required to get onto that starting line up, let alone beat the fastest man this world will know in a long time. In fact you need a couple of life times to get in shape; unfortunately you have only one lifetime. I needed to put up a resistance.

I will work hard. I will give it all I have got. All you have got? The other me interrupted, you have nothing and nothing does come from nothing. You do not know me, I persisted. I know you, he said. You are no different from those Africans whose hopes light up in the dark of night only to be dashed when the light of reality knocks at their doors. Now my confidence was utterly destroyed.

You do not have the facilities, the structure, the financing to mould you into a world class-beating athlete. On top of that you are a Ugandan. What do you mean by that, I asked?

As a Ugandan, you are incapable of the rigorous and never ending discipline that comes with world-class behaviour. Go into any village in your country and you will find your peers looking to the stars for help and sustenance. Show me any Ugandan with internal drive and I will show you a Kenyan. Now that got me intrigued.

Why do you claim to know me so well, I retorted, my confidence kicking into shape. I am in your head, he said. You mean you are a part of me? Yes, I am. Well, I do not see why I should keep harbouring you with all your negativity. You sap all my energy and I cannot function well with you negating my every thought. I am going to fire you from my head. You cannot do that. I realised the fear in his voice. I went for the jugular.

I will do more than that I am going to ignore your every word; your every thought. I will deny you your lifeblood and you will die. Your negativity will suffocate you; you will cease to be; I will bury you in the dung heap!!!! There was no response. The other me was as silent as dead sheep.

Often times, we are our worst enemy. The other you will always build a water -tight case against you every wish. Woe betide you if you succumb. Human strength comes from overcoming the objections that exist in the mind. Feel the fear and do it any way.

May these words from Les Brown move you, as they continually move me, beyond that mountain of fear that the other you has erected:

If you want a thing bad enough to go out and fight for it, to work day and night for it, to give up your time, your peace and your sleep for it…

If all that you dream and scheme is about it, and life seems useless and worthless without it…

If you gladly sweat for it and fret for it and plan for it and lose all your terror of the opposition for it…

If you simply go after that thing you want with all of your capacity, strength and sagacity, faith, hope and confidence and stern pertinacity…

If neither cold, poverty, famine, nor gout, sickness nor pain, of body and brain, can keep you away from the thing that you want…

If dogged and grim you beseech and beset it, with the help of God, you will get it