So was the story told about a man called Christopher, he was born into a normal family and could not boast of the affluence of life.He sort out to reach his passion; to see a new world. Not the common vision men do have because the greatest of men are not the richest, but those who set out with a passion to do the impossible. He was convinced he could see a new world. He wanted to get a direct route to Asia from Europe.
He would be my hero in a lot of ways, he learnt from knowledge of centuries, from the intellects of the Greeks and Romans, from the Portuguese maps and findings on how to get to a new land. He saw this far important above money, above rewards. To him , it would be a story of prestige and honor of years to come. He worked and set his sails. To this, I will say “After learning, keep learning”
He went to meet the people he has lived with to sponsor his expenditure but was turned down for various reasons. He was disappointed but not retired. He set out to meet Spain and was sponsored to travel to discover his new world. ” No one can place you in a limited position other than yourself”
He set out to achieve his dreams, but on many occasion will face see turbulence and ocean tides; days he would tie himself to his ship with his crew so as not to be carried away by the ocean tides. He planned day and night and suffering with perseverance made him the master of his ship. He became an expert at correctly predicting hurricanes, reading natures and he could even predict by the pressure he felt at his joint!! I learnt from this, that “The greatest gift you can give yourself is discipline and perseverance”
He made two grave assumption from thinking the world was a small one, realize that it is big enough for you to even comprehend, the opportunities are boundless. He set out to discover Asia but ended up in America. He was so adamant to see this was not the place he set out to accomplish; he even made his crew to swear an oath that this was Asia (two continents away from where he set out from; Europe). I understood what Richard bach was talking about with this when he said
“Fight for your convictions”
So If you are in for only money…
Well, many people sought gold when they got to this land but this did not even satisfy him, he set out to discover more; he expanded his base; he also spread the Christian religion in all these places. He got money immensely from his travels and one of the greatest men that ever lived. He got more as he deserved I will say. Money will be the least of your problems when you apply the passion; the right attitude to work.
Dead Reckoning
This is a navigation method, to know the position of your ship by inducing from the direction, speed and time travelled from its previous position. This method does not require your accuracy but efficiency sir, it is what you know from your past experience and knowledge. You need knowledge to be efficient!!. You need to keep analyzing your endeavors with as you move along. Are you still at that same spot? Get Up!! He was not the most skilled man I know, he was not even the first to get to his new world but the first to make a lasting contact, he was not perfect in his ways of doing things but he did things that matters most to his heart, no matter how terrible the tides against him, he learnt to say
“Today we sailed on”
In conclusion…….
I have come to realize that our lifespan is not a limiting factor to our existence, our vision is. We all die at some certain point but it is important that we know the true legacy in our lives can be passed on when we have a vision that has benefitted a our world and made an everlasting story posterity will sit to talk about. If you are still in doubt, the man is Christopher Columbus.
I end with this quote I love so much from this respected legend;
“Following the light of the sun, we left the Old World.”