Internal Victories First

Plucking the feathers of a live fowl spoils the fowl
Retaining the feathers retains the fowl's majestic splendor
They were the ones who cast Ifa for unexpected internal disaster
Which is deadlier than warfare 
You are unwise
You are not knowledgeable
Don't you know
That the war was lost at home
Before reaching the battle field
- Holy Odu OgbeIwori

The Akan say that the demise of a nation begins in its homes. It reinforces what Ifa is teaching in the verse cited above; internal victories must precede external demonstrations of power and prestige. On a personal level, the same is also true. That is, your internal development comes before external trappings of success. 

Stated differently, if you cannot manage your feelings, your actions, your speech and your thoughts, you will not achieve sustained excellence. And while it is convenient to blame enemies, witchcraft or the system, the truth is usually much, much simpler. 

Let's take a brief look at some important ways that you can set yourself up for enduring success: 

1. Define your identity: This sounds so trivial, but when you really grasp the fact that identity is destiny, you gain deeper insights into what it means to know yourself very well. Beyond your profession, possessions and social position, who are you?
2. Articulate what you do: A lot of times, people dedicate themselves to a particular line of work - a job - but they never figure out what they are doing in the sense that they dont discover their natural gifts and talents and how those talents add up to a unique contribution to something bigger than themselves. Do you know what your contribution is? Do you know how you add value to the lives of the people who matter most?
3. Identify who you serve: Do you ever notice how some people love who you are and what you do and others want nothing to do with you? How so hou even know when someone loves your work? What do they say and do to let you know that they appreciate you? How do these people let you know that they appreciate you and your work?

All of these steps are necessary for internal development and self discovery. The insights and understanding that come from answering these questions are the foundation of your personal priesthood. Your ability to practice the principles and habits associated with these questions will define your internal victories of failures.