๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐จ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ฆ | I never learned my math tables. Till today, if you ask me what 9x6 is, I don't know. I have to start from 9x5 which is the last thing I remember, then manually add another 9 in my head to arrive at 54. #Thread
I barely passed Math in secondary school. In fact, I failed it during my GCEs then aced it at WAEC. I did so because I have a unique gift of pattern recognition.
If I study the same thing over and over, I eventually see a recurring pattern and can reproduce it. It's like an advanced form of cramming. But scoring an A in math in WAEC, still didn't help me.
By the time I got to University, I was confronted with Further Math in MAT 101 class. I tried to read the recommended text book but nothing clicked. I was resigned to failure, until two things happened.
First, I stumbled on Engineering Mathematics by K.A Stroud. It was like someone finally shined a light. That textbook simplified Further Maths and I was able to understand about 30% of the required reading.
Second, in my despair, I decided to block out my impending failure by listening to music. I stumbled on a @RealFredHammond song that reminded me of a scripture I'd earlier learned about God's help and so, I had the courage to show up at the exam hall.
I passed Math by a whisker because the 30% I understood fortuitously made up about 50% of the questions.
Now, I'm in the financial space and bless God for my calculator & Excel Spreadsheet. Daily, I apply a principle expounded on by @DavidEpstein in his book, Range. While I still don't know my Times Tables, I outsource tactics to software, so I can focus on what I do best - strategy
Looking back now, here's what I learnt from my near failure in Math:
๐๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐: I wish someone had explained the reasoning behind Math when I was much younger, instead of asking me to cram numbers.
๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐: No matter how difficult a concept is, a good teacher will discover a way to explain it to you.
๐๐๐๐๐ผ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป: If you learn best by reading, look for written information first. If by video, opt for that format instead.
๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ต: If you believe you're going to fail, you probably will. Find that thing that inspires you and gives you courage. For me, it was music and the word of God.
๐๐'๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ผ ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น๐: I may have struggled with Math in my childhood, but every day, I confront it in the investment space. I've been compelled to try to understand it. To go back to the "why"; to allow it to tell me a story.
So yeah, while I should have probably learnt my Times Tables, I now have the fundamental mathematical skills that I need to succeed.
Many don't see what's behind the veil of grand ideas. They think of visionaries as sexy and charismatic but don't know they are very hardworking too. ๐งต
What people call success is a result of many concepts, meetings, documents, brainstorms, prototypes, strategies and so on. Some boring, repetitive and tiring. It's why some people who always look for activity, excitement and stimulation rarely follow through on anything great.
They scarcely deliver on lengthy projects unless sustained by brilliant administrative support. The behind-the-scenes process of achievement can be sheer tedium.
Yesterday I was thinking about why I look to Jesus for healing. I wondered why I didn't focus on health instead, which is preemptive and a sign of abundant life.
I began to look for scriptures on health and found a few that piqued my interest:
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 1:2 NKJV
A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones. Proverbs 17:22 NKJV
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. Proverbs 16:24 NKJV
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 NKJV
Yesterday, I contemplated life. I thought about how we make plans and wait for the stars to align before finally living. I thought about how we rarely enjoy the fruits of our labour because we learnt to manage while coming up. ๐งต
Moving from a scarcity to a prosperity mindset is difficult. It's why we keep reserving things for visitors and keep waiting for vacations before resting. It's why we accept less than ideal love and learn to compromise the sacred.
So, yesterday I decided to do something about the restlessness in my spirit. Something symbolic.
This is my pool. Someone had the "smart" idea to make the shallow end 5' 5". For comparison, I'm 5' 10". So, after two steps, my head goes under water. The pool is obviously not for children. ๐งต
The problem with the depth is that until recently, I was terrified of water. And with this pool, I can't get tired halfway and stand up. I must make it to either end or side to reach safety.
I learnt to swim to survive. I love traveling and for island destinations, I needed to know my way around water. I swam to enhance my travel experience and to not die on vacation. This year, I finally chose to face my trepidation around water.
Behaviours change and one habit replaces another. ๐งต
I never used to like hot food. Especially when hungry. It was scalding and required patience to wait for the food to cool down first before taking a bite. But that soon changed.
When I had a 9 to 5, I would take a packed lunch from home. The office staff would then microwave and plate it at lunchtime. They had a predilection for very hot food and so my meal would arrive with steam spewing from it. After a while, I stopped complaining and got used to it.