"I don’t feel fulfilled. I have a feeling of disorientation and not knowing my place in life." These

were the words I told a lecturer of mine in school. He didn’t know what to tell me, so he just said

I should take a sheet of paper and write down all the things I’m good at doing and then submit to

him.

That wise lecturer of mine rightly diagnosed my problem. You see Friend, we tend to focus on

"I wish I could sing like that."

"Look how he does that so effortlessly."

"One day, just one day, I’m going to talk like her."

I used to talk to myself like that. Sometimes I’d say, "Wow! Look Venus Williams, she’s your

age yet her gardener is probably richer than you. The UK is trying to incorporate her into the

ancient town. She even speaks Chinese; can you speak Chinese, Greg?" There was hardly

anything I did that satisfied me. No matter how good I worked I always came short under my

eyes. Until that lecturer gave me that assignment.

Prior to that day I never saw myself as gifted. Maybe it was because I didn’t play the piano at age

6; or didn’t hold all 5 Grand Slam titles at 21; and so on. But yet I was gifted – everyone by

design is gifted. There are things you do differently, or do exceptionally well. Psalm 74:5 talks of

There’s a large unavoidable signboard close to where I used to stay in Abeokuta that reads:

Does that message speak to you?

I am more of a ‘mental’ (as opposed to a ‘physical’) kind of person; that doesn’t mean that I’m

crazy; it only means (speaking technically) that I use the left side of my brain more than I do my

right. I noticed that all the things that give me an edge require little or no expense of physical

power. Now don’t you think it’s interesting that of all the people on earth that I should be envying

I chose Venus Williams – a woman who excels in a physical activity as strenuous as tennis?

I still respect miss Williams but I’ve learnt that if there’s anyway I’m going to get near being

respected myself I must FOCUS on what I’m blessed to do. That way,

- I’d get more things done.

- I’d do those things excellently.

- I’d be fulfilled in doing them.

- And thus glorify my maker.

I still have that assignment (because the lecturer never collected it). I think it’s time you wrote

yours. Get a sheet of paper and write everything you know that you do well (even if it includes the

fact that you easily make people laugh). Then you can be sure that you are well on your way to

becoming a Venus Williams, or a Bill Gates, or a … (sorry, I forgot how to spell your name).

God Bless You.