The Foundation: Beginning of the Race to Greatness

T

he product of one’s ending is a function of one’s beginning. In life, nothing ever happens without a beginning; neither will you see anything coming into existence by chance. The finishing line will always be determined by the starting point. However, everything that ever existed on the surface of this earth has its roots. It is these roots that I am referring to in this book as the “foundation.”

It is therefore important for us to know that foundations are necessary if an impactful or a fulfilled life is the aim. They are what fix the strength, height, weight, and durability of any structure. All these great edifices we see today are products of their foundations, which must be deeply rooted and solid in their nature if they are to function properly. The first signpost to a glorious destiny is a quality foundation.

If every great edifice is determined by its foundation, then greatness and excellent results are traceable to their very beginnings. Likewise, great men and women emerge out of the foundations they have laid out from the onset. It is not a responsibility you entrust to anyone, not even your parents. There are countless individuals who, by dint of hard work, excelled to the top of “destiny’s success ladder” by taking personal responsibilities. Some examples are Thomas Edison, Barack Obama, Dr. David Oyedepo, Benjamin Franklin, and many others.

These people’s achievements originated from the very time they personally took charge of their own destiny by consciously supervising their foundation. The end product, whether great or not, is determined solely by the settings and structure of its beginning. This book is consequently fashioned to unfold to us the secrets of laying a foundation that sustains great achievements, and also admonishes us to carefully pattern our earliest goal setting. This work will be revealed later in our productivity.

It is interesting to discover that, in the school of successful accomplishment, knowledge is a fundamental tool for every great result. It gives anyone a fifty/fifty chance for the good performance that will prevent discredit in the future. Application of acquired knowledge is ultimately what guarantees complete total delivery from poor outcome and establishes excellent results. It is therefore the application that guarantees the distinction of 100 percent of the outcome. 

I would like you also to understand that wisdom is the first important factor to establish on the road to great achievements. It first starts with acquisition of facts, runs through digestion of what is acquired, and becomes full wisdom as it is applied. Wisdom is defined to be application of knowledge. When you apply what you know to better your chances of excelling in your race, you are demonstrating wisdom. 

In your action lies the invisible wisdom that becomes visible in your result. So, wisdom is not meant for elderly people or the genius alone, but it is the birthright of every single person who chooses to be counted among the wise. For wisdom to shine forth there must be acquisition of knowledge. It is for this reason we need to understand what foundation stands for, and its place in our personal accomplishments.

What is Foundation?

What, then, is foundation you may ask? How does it relate to my life? How significant is foundation in achieving my pursuits? Well, based on the definitions derived from dictionaries, foundation is defined as:

·         The basis or groundwork of anything

·         The natural or prepared ground or base on which some structure rests

·         The act of finding, setting up, establishing

·         A cosmetic, as a cream or liquid used as a base for facial makeup

·         The lowest division of a building, wall or the like, usually of masonry

Friend, before reading further, may you pause for a while and take a second look at these definitions. I would like you to critically examine each word and visualize yourself as the structure described in the second line.

According to the aforementioned definitions, foundation refers to founding, fixing, establishing, or beginning to erect. It simply means to give form. Therefore, at foundation you give form to your anticipated greatness. You therein find the direction you want to go in life, the kind of “edifice of destiny” you want to erect, or the legacy you want to leave behind. It is a well-known fact that the foundation stage is not the most exciting phase, because it does not always look promising, but it can’t be skipped.

Whatever structure you want to erect—whatever pursuit you are destined to engage in—it is at this stage that you gather all the vital information and materials necessary to get you to your “actuality point.” There must be an architectural design and plan before the building can even begin to take form. Your actions determine the shape and form of the building. Foundation is the period of preparation for the actual erection of any structure.

Foundation: The Race Starting Line

Have you ever considered why, at childbirth, babies come out head first? The reason may be very simple. The human head is considered the “supreme” part of the body, as it serves as the foundation, which can be compared to the foundations that sustain all buildings. All the functionalities that keep humans alive are coded in the brain, which is situated in the head. Chemical messages are passed to the brain for interpretation. After the brain interprets these messages, it sends new messages back, and these messages trigger various reactions. 

Without the head, it becomes impossible for other parts of the body to function effectively. If the brain interprets the information incorrectly, the results may be dangerous, even disastrous. The incorrectly interpreted signals, for instance, that might be sent out to the body’s reflexes from the brain could actually endanger life. The same also goes for any foundation of any pursuit you might embark upon. In the same vein, without foundation, life is just like a mirage in the desert, and successes will perpetually remain in the dark. Foundation is what gives life and hope to every structure—and every endeavor. 

Since the head is the “control room” for each human’s existence, at birth, it must come out first to give signals and life to the other parts of the body. I realized personally that heads come first to prepare the way for the entire body. The head also comes first to supervise the new environment and convey the information to other parts before their arrival. Anything less than the head coming first will jeopardize the life of the child and will be regarded as a malfunction. More so, it will be viewed as an alteration to the nature and principle of child delivery.

A life without a foundation is not only seen as threat to our successes, but also will be referred as deviant. Such a life will possibly not function well, or even may not function at all. Show me any superstructure anywhere, and I will show you a corresponding strong and sound foundation. They didn’t appear by magic; neither do they exist by guesswork. Each such structure is a function of preparation that started in the foundational phase.

Looking at the lives of most of the influential people, you will discover that foundation stage is not always palatable or visible. In fact, it might even look awkward, dirty, and undesirable. But the inevitable fact is that it can’t be left out. Usually, when laying a foundation for any structure, builders cover the work from the public eyes. Similarly, in the design stages of your future, you may look out of fashion, foolish, and displaced. People may not like to associate with you because there is no visible proof of attraction. But when towers are finished, their beauty and glamour attracts the public eye. In almost every case, they become centers of attraction. Tourists travel from far and near to admire their incredible existence. 

The same is applicable when a bride is being made beautiful for her wedding. The earliest application of creams may not be charming, but at the final stage, when she is dressed and her makeup and hair are perfect, the elegance and aura she displays make her a beauty to behold. Our lives are likened to these two kinds of scenarios as we complete the stages on our way to success, greatness, fame, and admirable accomplishment by laying a solid foundation at the outset of our work.

Construction engineers see foundation as the base of a building that supports the weight of the structure and connects it to the ground. In law, the foundation is the preliminary evidence that establishes president for the admitting of further evidence. What does that imply? It clearly shows that the base, or the beginning, is what gives birth to the ending. How you begin the pursuit of your destiny determines the level of reward you will receive