Picking a Fight: Dare to Make a Difference

By Dario Chongolo

PICKING A FIGHT explores the concepts of meaning, significance, and purpose in life. It is, in simplest terms, a guide to finding out what really matters in life and how you can start living an exciting and much more fulfilling life.

It empowers you to:
determine the kind of life you really want to live
develop the courage to make a difference in society
discover the joys of pursuing your own dreams

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 16, 2012
• ISBN: 9781449780449

Dario Chongolo

Born and bred in Zambia, Dario Chongolo is an author, motivational/inspirational teacher, broadcaster and entrepreneur. >Dario’s published works include Sentenced to Succeed, Manifesting Your Destiny, Understanding the Feminine Soul, Understanding the Masculine Heart (co-authored with Davies Malembeka), and Picking a Fight—Dare to Make a Difference. He has also written articles for magazines such as Kairos and others. For more than a year, he presented a weekly motivational/inspirational radio show on UNZA radio called “Ulendo,” where he looked at various topics that border around personal development. Dario is an accountant by training and also holds diplomas in theology from Gospel Training Institute and RHEMA Bible Training Centre—Zambia. Dario has featured on several radio programs on stations including Q-FM, Flava FM, ZNBC Radio 2, and Radio Christian Voice. Some television shows he has featured on include Smooth Talk, Focus, Kwacha Good Morning Zambia, The Link, and Morning Live, which air on the Zambia National Broadcasting Network. Dario is passionate about helping others to discover, develop, and utilize their God-given potential to better not just their own lives but also of those in their sphere of influence. With leadership development being one of his passions, he has had the joy of training some leaders on the subject of leadership, both in and outside Zambia.

Book preview

Copyright © 2012 Dario Chongolo

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

1-[phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4497-6697-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-8044-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012918781

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/11/2012

CONTENTS

PREFACE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY

To the one who has the audacity to make a difference.

PREFACE

M eaning, purpose, significance: these are deep rooted desires in the human heart. Arguably, every sane individual wants their life to have meaning and purpose-they want to be significant in some way. As a matter of fact, the absence of meaning and purpose in an individual’s life creates a void that is often filled pursuing whatever that person thinks will bring fulfillment. The tragedy of this is that we end up chasing after things that do not really add to a meaningful life. Perhaps, one such elusive pursuit is the pursuit for success; often seen to be the accumulation of material things in abundance. Without taking anything away from this type of success, a truly successful life is one that positively impacts other people. In fact, I call this significance rather than success.

The principles that I share in this book are meant to challenge you to move from success to significance. They are very simple to understand yet demand courage to apply.

My personal experience over the years as a motivational/inspirational teacher has made me realize the importance of emphasizing significance-a message rarely propagated in our society today. Evidently, we hear more about success than we do about significance. We see it on the billboards that advertise well-clad men and women who have become a symbol of success.

When you look at the lives of individuals who lived what can be accurately defined as significant living, we see common traits in them, one of which is courage which I have already referred to. The other important trait is responsibility-the ability to respond correctly to a situation as I like to see it. You will see that taking responsibility is key to living a significant life.

Significance isn’t about what you can get out of life; it is about what you can give to it. It is about realizing that you have something to give and finding the courage to give it. It is about responding to things that break your heart and not merely blaming other people for the mess that was caused.

Having spoken to a number of people on the subject of picking a fight, I am certain that what you are about to have is an experience-not just the reading of another book.

CHAPTER ONE

Y ou look like a disaster Justin, I remarked as he sat across the table looking like he had just gone through a horrible break up. Is this about Nancy?

"No! no! no man it is much more than that, he responded wearing a frown on his forehead.

I chuckled at that statement as I thought to myself what could be more heart-breaking for you than some serious misunderstanding with that high class girlfriend of yours? I told you she would mess you up sooner or later and I am afraid it’s sooner. His facial expressions screamed at me telling me I got it wrong this time. He looked at me with teary eyes, his hands shaking uncontrollably and I realized that something was deeply wrong. Thoughts of what wrong he had done this time or who died started racing through my mind and his first words stopped my train of thoughts.

Josh, I am tired, I am really, really tired of life he remarked, looking at the floor.

I couldn’t help but sit up straight, leaning towards him in that comfortable leather covered piece of furniture in his cozy office.

Justin, a successful 26 year old who had everything a young man could possibly want was tired of his life? I thought to myself. He drove some of the latest vehicles, wore expensive tailor made suits specifically designed for him. His perfumes cost a fortune, twice the salary of some people I knew. In everyone’s eyes, this kid had it going for him. What do you mean you are tired of life? you are the most energetic and driven person I have ever met and there is nothing you have put your mind to that you have failed to achieve. The world my friend is already under your feet so what more do you want?

Exactly Josh, that’s why I am so tired because I have everything yet I still feel empty. You know, those words you have framed in your office have given me a few sleepless nights. He added.

Waving my right hand gently, I asked. Which ones? You know I have framed quite a number of words I consider important.

Yes, I know but the ones that keep me awake are those right behind your seat. I actually know them word for word, tapping his fingers on the table. Well, I said, "recite