Rick Pitino, in his critically acclaimed book, Success is a Choice, summarises those who can be successful in life as those who possess PH.D. Now you wonder why he should make that kind of audacious statement. You ask yourself, will I never be successful? Must I be an academic or holder of a doctorate degree to succeed? What if I can’t fund myself through secondary school? What if I am too old to go to school and get a degree? Well, don’t bother too much. You might have got me all wrong. PH.D simply means:

Poor – in terms of knowledge; that is, you are constantly searching for knowledge, wanting to learn (more), you are curious about the why and how of things. You just want to grasp knowledge at all costs; you just want to squeeze every iota of it into your head!

Hungry – in terms of a strong desire to succeed, an unquenchable thirst for success; you just don’t want to remain at an ordinary, everyday level; you want to surpass your expectations and even those of others. You’d never be satisfied with a one-day accomplishment.

Driven – in terms of having enough energy, stamina to pursue your quest for knowledge and success; you set ambitious goals and then pursue them with real strength and resolution. You are driven fast and tireless until you realise your target.

Now you know what PH.D is all about. Forget the academic parlance. PH.D is simply a prerequisite for success, a denominator among all successful people. Whenever you admire and applaud every man or woman who has climbed the rungs of success and waves down at you from that brilliant height, remember to reflect on PH.D. I suppose you now understand why success, long-lasting success, demands knowledge, capability and perseverance. It is a sure hard work, though, but it is worth every drop of sweat. Some sleepless nights, too.

by Uche Peter Umez