Lanre Modu

We live in a world where things are largely judged by appearances. We appreciate a building because it is massive and beautiful.

We appreciate a car because it is luxurious and expensive. We appreciate a person because he is handsome or she is beautiful.

We appreciate a job because it pays well and has good benefits. And the list goes on and on. Actually, it would be inhuman not to appreciate all these things and more. But are these qualities enough?

How many massive buildings exist with critical structural challenges? How many luxurious vehicles have been recalled because of major technical errors, after they have claimed lives?

How many people have regretted the day they met the beautiful or handsome significant other in their lives? How many glamorous jobs have turned out to be traps or have gone bankrupt? How many times have the appearances we based our decisions on turned out to be false?

Appearance may sell a product but it would take more than that to sustain a business. Appearance may marry a wife or husband but living together is another ballgame.

We’ve got to pause long enough to avoid making critical life decisions based on little or no information. As an expert in public relations, it would amount to deliberate misinformation if I tell you that appearance is not important.

Read Also: That’s a Mistake! (3)

Appearance is like a magnet that attracts. There are several things or people we may never approach without an initial attraction.

However, attraction can wear out as quickly as it came if there is no substance. We can do a reality check with these questions:

• Am I properly informed? All the decisions we make in life revolve around information. While we make some decisions based on quality information, we make others based on little or no information, or even outright assumption.

  It is also possible that we sometimes make decisions based on deception. Due to inordinate desire to impress, several people create images they cannot live up to.

  Therefore, a major way to go beyond the surface is to ask critical questions. Some people enter business deals without exercising due diligence.

  Some accept proposals because they believe they are dealing with a “good” person. Hey, trust is essential in relationships, I know, but it must be earned and maintained.

• Am I authentic? It is easier to point out fake products and persons than for us to admit that we are too! Can people take us at our word? Are we as real in public as we are when we are alone? What can the people close to us say that would ruin our “well-manicured” public image? Can we deliver excellent results with little or no supervision? Can we be trusted to act in public interest or will self-interest mar our judgement? If we live an authentic life, we will not have to struggle to maintain several identities.
• Can I pay the price? Being original isn’t easy. It means choosing to be excellent in the midst of mediocrity. We are at a dangerous time in history when the society doesn’t even expect us to try so hard.

  People settle for the minimum standard and they consider one fussy when he or she insists on going the extra mile. Strange, isn’t it? What should have been the norm has suddenly become the exception.

  You begin to feel uncomfortable because your efforts to do the right thing stick out like a sore thumb. You do have a choice though- blend in or stick out.

  When you are excellent, people may complain about you but they are actually recommending you without knowing. Seekers of excellence will hear and come looking for you. I searched for the word “instant” on Google and returned 3,090,000,000 (Three billion and ninety million) entries.

  Development takes time. The process is what makes your success worth it. The lessons you learnt through the process is what makes your success a habit and not a coincidence.

Thanks for reading my article today. I would really love to hear from you. So, do share your views with me by sending SMS to 07034737394, visiting www.olanreamodu.com and following me on twitter @lanreamodu. Remember, if you can change your mind, you can change your life. Grow your mind and every other thing will catch up!