Can you see your back?

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I am pretty good at drawing with a pencil. At some point in my drawing, I stand back and take a view. Looking from afar off is a bit different to being close to it. After dressing to go for a meeting, I usually look in the mirror because my eyes cannot see my face by itself. When I want to see my back during my hair cuts I use a mirror; I have so many blindsides! 

Consulting anything that makes me see my blind side is seeking second opinion, and that’s an idea most people would not like to entertain at all. But I can say some of my best works have come from peoples’ opinion though I have mine.  Using someone’s opinion is indispensable if you are to be successful at what you to do. Second opinion benefits yourself and the people who are to receive your services. 

I have young friends with much potential and I see them struggle. Their struggle is because of one or two things they’ve jumbled together in their life. If they allow me point it to them they’d do so well. People forget that resources alone are not enough, you need mentorship; somebody who has gone ahead of you or has been there before or at least can give an honest view about what you are doing. You need to have somebody who’d prune your ideas for you, and this is something you can’t do for yourself. There will always be part of your body that you’d need a mirror to see, your back and face. 

The concept of research falls into the idea of second opinion. We do research because we have blindsides. For instance, the service you offer and the service you wish you’d offered plus what the people think you offer are different things all together. Try asking people their opinion about you and you’d be surprised at what you hear.

Let somebody watch your back.

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Every venture has a back that you the owner of that back cannot see. You may see it in the cheapest way, that’s after you’ve had an experience. The sad thing is that because you didn’t see it previously, what you showed to the world wasn’t what you really wanted to exhibit. Now when you’ve already showed them to your audience, you don’t have to correct the mistake anymore because the harm has already been done. 

What you are going through now somebody has been there before, it doesn’t matter that you are older than him or her. If that person were to be in your position, he or she would score success and not struggle like you. Your lack of knowledge, your area of ignorance is on your blindside. It’d be in your own interest to go easy on yourself, make some consultations and have easy success.

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How I watch my back

People

They are in the form of mentors, friends, family members and so on. If they share with you their honest opinion, it’d greatly help you.

Books

Books, articles like the one you are reading now, communities that share knowledge are mirrors you can look through to look your best.

Partnerships

Most people like ‘me’ so much that they shun the idea of partnership. I say that African business are small because we shun partnership.

I have seen two musicians split and either only one survive or all of them go down. One person complements the order.

Research

Research in anyway also helps a lot. It could be a simple observation or inquiries; you’d be saved wasted years.  

Holidays

Taking a leave, holidays, quiet time and decisively taking stock of your life can also be a source of mirror.

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To conclude, strategies employed to make us see our back give us knowledge and this knowledge is like water which we use to clean any dirt that shows up in what we do.

You’d be blessed if you have good and expert people who offer their honest opinion to you and make expert recommendations. Behind every successful man is a woman – and great coworkers, families and friends.