Gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor And the whole students in the class echoed: €George the machine gun." I stopped talking, raised my head and looked at my class mates; almost everyone was laughing while others were mimicking me. Even our class teacher was intelligently mocking me, because he covered his face with his lesson note book, I was sure he was laughing behind it. In shame, I lowered my head, closed my eyes and cried like a baby.
What was my crime? I was only trying to answer a question thrown to the class. I had vowed never to answer or ask any question in class, but I was tempted to answer this question because our Government teacher promised to give a bonus continuous assessment score to any student who answers the question rightly. The question was: define democracy.
After a thorough fight with my thoughts, one said; €do not answer, you will be insulted€ and another whispered €George you know the answer, speak." I decided to answer the question. I rigorously rehearsed what to say silently; €government of the people, by the people and for the people€ and finally raised my hands. Mr. Phil pointed at me and said; €George let's hear from you." As soon as I tried to speak, I felt the normal trip over my tongue and what I could only utter was; Gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor!, until the mockery and laughter of the class halted me.
I have been a stutterer since I was born. My condition was so severe that I was compared with the dumb. I wouldn't speak until I stamp my feet on the ground, slap my laps with my hands or hit the person I was speaking to. My parents did all they could to help me. They sought diverse professional advice which they apply on me; all were ineffective. I became partially dumb because I wouldn't speak anywhere except in the mist of my close family members. My classmates nicknamed me €machine gun," because of the sound I made when I stumble. I would never ask my teachers any question, even when I needed clarifications.
However, I grew up to become a good writer. What I couldn't do with my mouth, I did with my hands. My writing was so outstanding that my teachers had to invite me to defend what I wrote because I hardly speak in the classroom. Before graduating from higher institution, I started writing and circulating motivational articles. My readers were so impressed that they invited me to speak on my writings. I wanted to attend but was afraid because I might be embarrassed. Another challenge was that most of our final year tests and examination would be oral and not written. When I discovered that I could no longer hide from the public, I decided to step out boldly.
My decision was to keep speaking anywhere regardless of the repetition, the sound or who is mocking. I started asking and answering questions in the class. Majority of my teachers became aware of my challenge, and they gave me enough time to ask and answer questions. My classmates laughed and laughed until they got tired of mocking. Most of them started listening patiently to me because I was always making sense. In no time, the class became used to me. I also discovered that my confidence level improved, and the rate of my repetition kept reducing as I kept speaking. If boldness and confidence are the cure for my disabilities, then I need to take the full dose of them, I thought. Immediately, I organized a programme for myself.
I decided that every morning, before lectures begin, I would go into any available class and speak to the students on academic success. It was a fearful decision, nevertheless; I started. The more class I spoke to, the higher my boldness and confidence and the lesser I stammered. Students began to love my speech, and soon I became well known. My final year project-defense presentation was the best, and I earned an €A."
After graduation, I packaged the academic success articles into a book. The book was successful, and I kept receiving countless invitation to speak in schools, churches and other public places. Currently, I have spoken to more than 30,000 students, and I am still speaking. Today I however stammer slightly, but I'm the best speaker anytime, anywhere and majority of my income comes from speaking.
lesson
Sometimes the best in a man is born in his effort to tackle his disabilities. Most times our uncommon qualities are hidden in our challenges. Some people esteem the magnitude of their challenges than the size of their opportunities. They allow their challenges to becloud the tangible opportunities packaged in their disabilities. Your ability to see the riches and fame wrapped in your challenges is what generates the stamina to overcome them. If you must get the honey, you must face the bees. If you say you are incapacitated, you are correct, if you say you are not, you are also right.
The truth is that; nobody is a disable. A part of your body might be disabled but you are not. The only completely disable person I know is a dead man. A disabled person is unproductive because he cannot do anything. You are only physically challenged because a part of your body is malfunctioning. A man's ability is not measured by the completeness of the parts of his body, but by the soundness of his mind. There are physical complete men who are disabled, because their minds are unproductive. A man is not incapacitated when he loses an arm, but he becomes that when he loses his mind or life. The real measure of a man's capacity is in intellectual scaling which connotes mind usage.
Those who have physical conditions that affect their ability were once referred as crippled, disabled, handicapped and crippled, all words focusing on what they could not do rather than what they can do. With practice, determination and hard work, anyone can be successful. Only the producer knows everything about his product. Anyone can say anything about the product but only the producer knows the capacity and worth of his invention. The product cannot know its capacity until it faces challenges. Without life's difficulties, you might underestimate your worth when People can call you anything they think or feel, but they cannot change your worth. Only you and your Creator know your worth.
Therefore, if you decide to believe that you are a disable that's your business. It is better to face the difficulties of your condition, than to succumb to the threats and discrimination of bullies and the unlearned. If you refuse to face that challenge, it will remain forever. The challenge might look very mighty, but it is empty inside. All you need to do is to break in and walkover.
What was my crime? I was only trying to answer a question thrown to the class. I had vowed never to answer or ask any question in class, but I was tempted to answer this question because our Government teacher promised to give a bonus continuous assessment score to any student who answers the question rightly. The question was: define democracy.
After a thorough fight with my thoughts, one said; €do not answer, you will be insulted€ and another whispered €George you know the answer, speak." I decided to answer the question. I rigorously rehearsed what to say silently; €government of the people, by the people and for the people€ and finally raised my hands. Mr. Phil pointed at me and said; €George let's hear from you." As soon as I tried to speak, I felt the normal trip over my tongue and what I could only utter was; Gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor! gor!, until the mockery and laughter of the class halted me.
I have been a stutterer since I was born. My condition was so severe that I was compared with the dumb. I wouldn't speak until I stamp my feet on the ground, slap my laps with my hands or hit the person I was speaking to. My parents did all they could to help me. They sought diverse professional advice which they apply on me; all were ineffective. I became partially dumb because I wouldn't speak anywhere except in the mist of my close family members. My classmates nicknamed me €machine gun," because of the sound I made when I stumble. I would never ask my teachers any question, even when I needed clarifications.
However, I grew up to become a good writer. What I couldn't do with my mouth, I did with my hands. My writing was so outstanding that my teachers had to invite me to defend what I wrote because I hardly speak in the classroom. Before graduating from higher institution, I started writing and circulating motivational articles. My readers were so impressed that they invited me to speak on my writings. I wanted to attend but was afraid because I might be embarrassed. Another challenge was that most of our final year tests and examination would be oral and not written. When I discovered that I could no longer hide from the public, I decided to step out boldly.
My decision was to keep speaking anywhere regardless of the repetition, the sound or who is mocking. I started asking and answering questions in the class. Majority of my teachers became aware of my challenge, and they gave me enough time to ask and answer questions. My classmates laughed and laughed until they got tired of mocking. Most of them started listening patiently to me because I was always making sense. In no time, the class became used to me. I also discovered that my confidence level improved, and the rate of my repetition kept reducing as I kept speaking. If boldness and confidence are the cure for my disabilities, then I need to take the full dose of them, I thought. Immediately, I organized a programme for myself.
I decided that every morning, before lectures begin, I would go into any available class and speak to the students on academic success. It was a fearful decision, nevertheless; I started. The more class I spoke to, the higher my boldness and confidence and the lesser I stammered. Students began to love my speech, and soon I became well known. My final year project-defense presentation was the best, and I earned an €A."
After graduation, I packaged the academic success articles into a book. The book was successful, and I kept receiving countless invitation to speak in schools, churches and other public places. Currently, I have spoken to more than 30,000 students, and I am still speaking. Today I however stammer slightly, but I'm the best speaker anytime, anywhere and majority of my income comes from speaking.
lesson
Sometimes the best in a man is born in his effort to tackle his disabilities. Most times our uncommon qualities are hidden in our challenges. Some people esteem the magnitude of their challenges than the size of their opportunities. They allow their challenges to becloud the tangible opportunities packaged in their disabilities. Your ability to see the riches and fame wrapped in your challenges is what generates the stamina to overcome them. If you must get the honey, you must face the bees. If you say you are incapacitated, you are correct, if you say you are not, you are also right.
The truth is that; nobody is a disable. A part of your body might be disabled but you are not. The only completely disable person I know is a dead man. A disabled person is unproductive because he cannot do anything. You are only physically challenged because a part of your body is malfunctioning. A man's ability is not measured by the completeness of the parts of his body, but by the soundness of his mind. There are physical complete men who are disabled, because their minds are unproductive. A man is not incapacitated when he loses an arm, but he becomes that when he loses his mind or life. The real measure of a man's capacity is in intellectual scaling which connotes mind usage.
Those who have physical conditions that affect their ability were once referred as crippled, disabled, handicapped and crippled, all words focusing on what they could not do rather than what they can do. With practice, determination and hard work, anyone can be successful. Only the producer knows everything about his product. Anyone can say anything about the product but only the producer knows the capacity and worth of his invention. The product cannot know its capacity until it faces challenges. Without life's difficulties, you might underestimate your worth when People can call you anything they think or feel, but they cannot change your worth. Only you and your Creator know your worth.
Therefore, if you decide to believe that you are a disable that's your business. It is better to face the difficulties of your condition, than to succumb to the threats and discrimination of bullies and the unlearned. If you refuse to face that challenge, it will remain forever. The challenge might look very mighty, but it is empty inside. All you need to do is to break in and walkover.