HiveComb

There is so much power in showing up for something, than just being capable. Trust me, there are some doors that can be opened and opportunities that can be unlocked by availability, even more than what your talent can give you. Being capable of something and not showing up is like having a lamp without light. It does not stop at capability, but your availability matters so much more. Success is not necessarily a function of talent or skill or capability, but what matters most is showing up, that is availability. Being available, present, and consistent has the power that is even more than perfection. You do not have to have the entirety of everything figured out before you start, you simply have to be available when it matters the most.

I once belonged to a particular choral group sometimes in the past. There was this guy who knows how to play the drums so well that by simply playing it, your mind would be captivated. In fact, he was the person who taught many of us how to play drum. However, when he got admitted into the university, he became less available for functions. Sometimes he would not show up for practice or for event for weeks. What the choir leader normally did was to take from the drummers available instead of continuing to wait for him, or trying to beckon on him to come. When the choir leader started using most of the upcoming drummers, they were not really that good, but still, availability was favoured over capability. They continued that way. Adorably, some of the amateur drummers are now doing well.

In life, perfection is not what guarantees success. What is the need of being capable and not being available? A lot of people sit and wait for so long for perfection - perfect time, perfect opportunity, perfect support, or when they are more skilled before they take a step. What they fail to understand is that perfection is constantly moving, which no one may arrive at. If you think of attaining perfection in a field, you will be opened to see what you have never even known. This is why you do not have to wait for perfection to start. Every success you see today, the greatness or breakthrough achievements you see today, began with a very simple decision; showing up and being available even when you do not feel like it.

It is worthy to note that availability is like the fertile soil upon which capability grows. That is, it is by being available, keep showing up, and doing what you have to do, that you will become capable in what you do. You do not become skilled by wishing for it, you do not gain experience by sitting and waiting, rather you grow by engaging, and by being available to try. In the process of trying, you may even fail at some points, but it is also part of learning. All these are part of what draws you towards greatness. Progress is about consistency and availability, not about perfection. The person who shows up daily will outperform the person who only shows up when the condition is perfect.

Each time you show up, you are not only sending a powerful message to people, but you are also sending it to yourself. You are indirectly telling yourself that even though you are not perfect, you are committed. This is the kind of mindset that is needed to attract opportunities. Even in your place of work for example, you will agree with me that the employer will value more the person who shows up, gets committed, and willing, than someone who only talks about capability and waiting for the perfect opportunity. I have come to notice that the people who are available tend to find themselves in the right place when they are needed.

Being available does not mean that you have attained perfection, rather it means that you are willing and ready to take steps. You have to understand that the small continuous steps you take will pull more power cumulatively than waiting for the giant leap. The small continuous steps will build strength over time, will build confidence for a bigger stride, and will also enhance skills. So stop waiting for the perfect time and the perfect start, so that you will not wait in futility. Take the step with what you have, from where you are, and do what you can.

Thanks for reading