If you're a practicing Christian, not just in the word, you indubitably have been a listener to a sermon concerning ‘what you have in your hands?' This is a conversation that usually centres on a conversation God had with Moses on the mountain Sinai.
Moses, like most of us, was hesitant in committing to a task he felt was more than he could handle. I cannot speak to his state of mind when God asked him to return back to Egypt to free his people but what I do know is if God had come to me with such a task, I'd focus on all the things that could go wrong rather than what could go right.
Now as the author of the book of Exodus puts it, after God allowed Moses to rant about his incapability to complete the task, God asked him a simple question – what do you have in your hand? It was a rod. Something common and mostly insignificant was what God focused on to make this doubting Thomas a believer in himself. With this rod Moses will bring water from rocks, transform into a snake and part an entire sea. It's amazing that Hollywood with all the fantasy movies being churned out yearly, nothing has been written focusing entirely on this rod.
In thinking about this I remember an interview I had with rapper and lyrical genius Pure Akan a few months back. Many of his fans believe he is underrated especially since his rap lyrics has sometimes being compared to a Kendrick Lamar rapping about the needs of his people.
Pure Akan is a one man army: a writer, a producer, a director; an entire record label when it comes to his art. A daunting task which he admitted has sometimes left him penniless. The one part of our conversation that has stayed with me after all these months was when I asked him-why hasn't he given up after all these years? Why after so many challenges which has broken so many talented musicians- why was he still pursuing this dream? Pure Akan paused before smiling and saying: as long as I can write, I don't have to quit. To him that was one thing that was not dependent on outside circumstances – his ability to look at a situation and write about it in a flow that could resonate with people.
That craft was his anchor to keep going. Even when his music didn't get the recognition he thought it deserved, his art reminded him that there was something unique about him, something the world needed. Pure Akan is certain he would choose this same path repeatedly; investing in his craft no matter the failures that come.
Whether you are working for yourself or one of the many employees in an organization, everyone brings something unique to the table. It hurts when we are overlooked, it is a struggle, and one many give up on when it comes to pulling down the veil of appeasement to show one's excellence.
What is important is not what the world thinks of you. You do not have to look a certain way or be in a certain category to be celebrated, what you have, your gift, your uniqueness is meant to be shared in a way that is authentically you!
We can so easily be overwhelmed when we decide to step out and bet on ourselves. Betting on yourself is the greatest investment you can make into your own future. What your life will look like a decade from now is dependent on what you do now.
Are you scared of taking that giant step? Well like Moses on the mountain, you cannot let external circumstances and your own insecurity stop you from your goals.
By Yeayi Kobina
The writer has played multiple roles in broadcast journalism, news anchoring, branding and programming communications, scriptwriting, and content producing. He has worked as the lead producer of TV3's flagship morning show, Newday.