Some years back when i was at the heights of revamping my career, I invited her for dinner and my intention was to make her aware & consult from her about my decision. Basically, i had made up an immutable choice of going into purposeful entrepreneurship, performance training, authorship  and consultancy. I knew i was headed for hard times, so talking to her would mean i had a cheer voice behind, i thought, but i was wrong.

I am talking of my girlfriend then. We had a dinner talk. Half way into my ambitious explanations, she looked at me  with seemingly twisted lips and a tired-like look from the other side of the table and Said:  “Honey , pass me the soup bowl, permit and favor me to enjoy my dinner please”.  Precisely, she thought i was out of my mind , she had always encouraged me to get a day job  as i keep my petty trade businesses as side hustles. To her i was daring the impossible.

I thought she would believe in my dream but she didn’t,  and a month later she called it quits as i couldn’t afford her wedding before my dream took off, she thought I was joining a dark side of life, and saw only a failed skeleton of me. She called me names. She was disappointed and advised me to do a mental therapy. To her i was headed for a cardinal mess. I loved her, it hurt me, but i chose to hold on to the rope! She left in a very delicate time when i needed her!

Years later, what was seen as a mental problem is now a consulting and investment firm; NBK Premier Solutions Ltd, a training (education) company; Legacy Pearls Africa Ltd as well as a commercial cleaning company; NBK Cleaning Kings Int’l Ltd. Evidently the madness was worth the effort.  

Recently, when we had a blast year of seminars and events that people praised for their transformation, she called me to subscribe to one of my training programs; The DARE TO DREAM MASTER CLASS . She bought my books at double price and pre-paid for my upcoming books with passion.

  
With tears flowing like a hill river she said:

“Nicholas ,I was wrong, dreams are always valid so long as there is a will to make them come true, my husband and I have been visiting your timeline everyday before we sleep to look for encouragement from your online work , we have been through tough times and your blog and Facebook articles have been a great resource for our standing strong, I am glad you didn’t listen to my discouragement . Your resilience taught me what you won’t believe, please teach me how to defy odds and be resilient through it all”

Bottom line:

See, at times in life you are the only person left to believe in yourself , it’s OK, you are a shining star , believe in yourself and move on, others will be be attracted by your brilliance later.   In my quest for building my empire i have had to encounter such situations, they are the fuel.

Dare to dream, stand strong. Your dreams are valid.