Wake up – it’s 4am!
When opportunity came a knocking early one morning in Australia,
Vusi Thembekwayo embraced it wearing his Dickies and his All Stars,
and learnt a couple of business lessons in the process
I
n my days as a budding I could feel the rich leather saddle
motivational speaker I had the between my thighs, the reins in my
opportunity to tour Australia hands and my feet in the stirrups.
giving talks in Rotary clubs across the Moments later, a sense of discomfort
continent. On one of the weeks I was struck me. It took me a few moments
in “Oz” – as we all called it – I stayed to identify where the pain was coming
with a family called the Ramsays. from… Um, Little Vusi and the twins! I
The Ramsays lived in a small town tried desperately to adjust my seating,
called Dorrigo that had a population of but to no avail. The more I moved, the
250 (pets included) at the time. The sharper the discomfort. Fiona’s father
Ramsays also had a beautiful daughter, tapped me on my back and said, “Right
t
i
o
n
Fiona. She had long red hair, striking mate, we should try for a half-a-day
green eyes and clear white teeth. You ride.” The pain had become so intense
could say I had a thing for her. that I barely heard him. With every
One Tuesday morning – at four to second the discomfort grew into pain
be exact – I was in bed sleeping when and the pain into agony. I remember
o
t
i
va
Fiona stormed into my room, abruptly thinking: “Hawu Vusi, you’ve done
woke me up and begged to me to go overloaded taxis back home. This
m
horse-riding with her. My voice still shrill should be easy for you”.
and raspy, I replied that I was not keen Our ride started slow at first but
|
on the idea, but Fiona was unrelenting. gradually became faster. Faster meant
So I woke up, put on my (township harder. Harder meant more pain. The
Fondly referred to as the rock star of
U
dress-code) Dickies pants and All more impressive the terrain grew, the
public speaking by former Australian
R
Star shoes, a T-shirt and my “spotty” more unpredictable and unforgiving it
Prime Minister John Howard,
U
hat, and I followed her outside. She became. Some 15 minutes into the ride,
VuSi ThembekWAyo is a top
internationally acclaimed motivational
G
opened the kitchen door, and there it I yanked the reins on the animal, and
stood – six foot four, long lean muscles the horse stopped. I jumped off and
speaker. Speaking to more than
and broad shoulders. Still half asleep, proceeded to lie flat on the floor. With
300 000 people a year, he has also
eager to please Fiona and ashamed each passing moment calm relief set
been described as the “world’s most
to disclose the fact that I have never in. Fiona, the girl I was so desperately
impressive public speaker”. See Vusi
been on a horse before, I toddled over trying to impress, turned back and
live on
www.vusi.co.za. To book him for
to the horse and studied it. Yoh! It came to check on me.
an event SMS “booking” to 31249.
was big. Finally, after a few minutes of “Are you alright?” she asked.
examining and admiring this animal, I I didn’t respond. I kept my eyes shut
the strangest and most inconvenient
had to do it. I had to climb on the back and thought, “Well, there goes your
of times. It knocks when you are
of this horse. chance with her.”
comfortably getting on with it, just as
I was. When opportunity knocks, it will
“Opportunity knocks
Lessons learnt
be 4am, so you won’t be expecting it.
What was the mistake I made that day?
You may think you’re not ready for the
at the strangest and most
Getting on the horse? Or getting off?
task or that you don’t have enough
inconvenient of times”
You may say getting on. You may say
skill at the core competencies required
it was for the wrong reasons. That I
to deliver on that task. Well, guess
should have asked for a crash course
what? That is exactly the opportunity
Fiona’s father clamped his hands on how to ride a horse. You may even
to take. It will allow you to grow and
together to help me get on the horse. say that my clothes did not suit the
develop so that you become a better
He must have seen through my tough activity, and you’re probably right.
professional and human being. To
façade. He kneeled on one knee and Personally, I think the mistake was
quote Donald Trump, “If success was
then supported me up. A few struggles getting off. To this day I still can’t ride
easy and comfortable, we would all be
later and victory, I was on the horse. horses. You see, opportunity knocks at
successful.” Stay on that horse.
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