Push-Up

“Fight and push harder for what you believe in, you’d be surprised, you’re stronger than you think” Anonymous

I remember waking up that morning and going through my regular push-ups, sit-ups and stretches. When I finished and had rested, something just pushed me to challenge my friend, Seyi (who hitherto does not exercise) to do 30 proper push-ups with the promise of parting with #1,000 if he could.

Seyi simply burst out laughing at my proposal- not at how little the amount I was offering him was, nor how ridiculously easy the task was- he actually laughed at his perceived inadequacy at meeting the challenge, judging from the fact that he wasn’t a regular at exercises.

Well, he shoved the challenge aside. But I was not going to give up. I teamed up with another friend of ours, Ayo, to urge him to take up the challenge, though in a somewhat sarcastic manner. He finally capitulated.

He heaved a very high sigh of anxiety before going down on all four. Seyi was about to push himself up 30 times; a task he hadn’t done before. He was about to prove himself wrong, to prove me wrong and win the #1,000 prize, against expectations.

So the counting began, 1, 2, 3…7, 8, 9…13, 14…17, 18, 19, 20. At this point he was already showing signs of immense exhaustion; but he needed to finish, he had a point to prove, so he continued, pulling strength from anywhere he could. I saw the veins in his hands, chest, face and legs pop out like they were going to run way from this torture, yet he continued.

Against my expectation, I found myself counting up to 28, 29 and finally, 30. He did it! Yes, without cutting corners he got there. I gave him the #1,000 prize money and he simply collapsed on the spot where the unthinkable had just happened to regain lost strength.

What have you been told you can’t do? Where have you been told you can’t get to? Why have you resigned to defeat without even trying? Stretch yourself, push-up. “One of the greatest discoveries a person makes, one of their great surprises is to find they can do what they were afraid they couldn’t do”- Henry Ford.

Don’t underestimate your capacity to conquer; you only need to push yourself up. So my friend, “…without effort, you cannot be prosperous. Though the land be good, you cannot have an abundant crop without cultivation”. Plato

Be Inspired!

Remain Motivated!