Anyone who has been to Lusaka knows that we are a city of concrete walls and not picket fences. Some of the walls are painted in plain colors and some have the business name and a list of services offered. Some are a little different and have playful and child friendly paintings on them; I happened on the person responsible for painting Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Pooh bear and Tiger on a number of Lusaka’s perimeter walls.
He is young, maybe in his mid-twenties and a little shy but, I managed to get him to tell me a little about himself. The little was that he has always had the passion for painting and has been doing so since his junior years in secondary school. He is happiest when he is decorating outside walls, bedrooms and living rooms with his artworks. As a young person growing up he wanted to be a doctor but his father convinced him to make painting his business as he was a painter himself.
I left him to continue with his brush strokes carrying away with me the feeling that he seemed a satisfied and happy person. Also, I wondered if the man painting Minnie mouse would still have inside him the boy who wanted to be a doctor.
I hoped the boy was happy with the man painting as I think it is alright to know what you want to be, change your mind and go on to succeed in something else.
You seldom become who you wanted to be when you were very young but on your way to getting somewhere financially fulfilling and satisfying some things to remember are;
- Believe in yourself and do not be afraid to change direction, stop and start again or even fail. Be your own fan. Believe in your abilities and understand what you can truly achieve. After all, you already know who you are; what you love, what you are good at and what you can offer the world around you.
- Concentrate on honing your abilities, putting them to good use and linking them with the needs of your environment.
- Focus on the picture in front of you and do what is expected (or what the customer wants) and do not be occupied with showing how talented you are.
- Listen to others as some other person may tell you something you did not know, or they can help you to improve on what you already do know.
- Put in the time and the work even when you would rather be doing something else. You are the best example of, ‘the best man for the job’.
