Secrets to Overcoming the Odds

Many times persons do not become empowered because they see obstacles as an instruction to give up. Yet for other people, obstacles are an invitation to advance and to find ways of overcoming the odds.

Mervin Thompson is one such person. There is a link to a newspaper article below with regards to how he overcame. Let us look at some secrets to overcoming the odds that we can learn from his experience.

1. Have a vision and never let it go. Mervin had a vision about his working life from age 11. His mother had other dreams for him but he did not let this stop him.

2. Mervin started with whatever small opportunities he could find. He did not look down on doing menial jobs on the way to fulfilling his dreams. He did not let financial deprivation and childhood disadvantages hold him back.

3. Mervin did whatever honest work came to hand until he landed his opportunity. He was willing to sleep in the market and push handcarts on his way to empowerment.

4. Others taking advantages of him such as robbery did not prevent Mervin from getting back on the street.

5. He became very innovative in creating opportunities in providing services to people however small.

6. He was willing to save despite small earnings. This is a critical financial path to successful business.

7. He marketed his services. He took opportunities to learn his craft to become certified.

8. Mervin found innovative methods to acquire equipment and to get others on board to help him establish his business.

9. He took advantage of every opportunity. Always being prepared for these to come.

10. He became a mentor to youth who started where he did to prevent them from using their obstacles as reasons to quit.

11. He says “Hope is there as long as you are alive and have ambition. Hope come with ambition, It nuh come with education; it nuh come with money; It nuh come with degree; it nuh come with a diploma, it nuh come with nothing. Mi can show man who can’t spell his name and him a make money, “

Empowering Abused Women

Sisters Uplifted through Prayer, Healing, Empowerment and Restoration (SUPHER) is a support group aimed at helping several women both in and out of the Church find footing despite their past and present life challenges and storms.

Here are some lessons learnt from the religious group SUPHER:

1. Women who have been there know best

2. Be as self-funding as possible

3. Form a support group

4. Share your story

5. Assign mentors to help one another through

6. Have safe houses globally. Don’t assume that an abused woman who has left home is easily safe.

7. Provide empowerment sessions to help persons identify their worth, strengths, gift and purpose.

Read more about SUPHER.

From Adversity to Achievement

Despite being in an environment of chaos and constant adversities, one can eventually rise above his or her challenges and achieve success. Here are some valuable lessons learnt from the story of Ronaldo McDonald:

1. Develop remarkable skills and talent which can give a sense of purpose in your life despite adversities.

2. Find strength and maintain faith in God or a higher being.

3. Acknowledge the role of distant family, foster parents and the church community who may have come to your aid in the absence of having a supportive conventional family.

4. Seek to be ambitious- have specific goals in mind for your life.

5. Use your success story to make yourself a role model for others going through their adversities.

6. Never give up – work diligently towards goals you have set.

7. Maintain a positive attitude in all you do.

8. Any help that you or anyone else can give to marginalized persons will produce results far beyond what we can imagine.