The award-winning musical sensation, Timi Dakolo, was born on January 20, 1981, in the Ghanaian capital, Accra. His mum died when he was 13, so his grandma and aunt became his caregivers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Like many successful persons, Timi struggled through life. He met many setbacks while growing up in Port Harcourt as an upcoming singer.
He auditioned and qualified for the Idol West Africa in 2006. As expected, Timi was elated and ready to give his best performance to make his family, friends, and fans proud. But fickle fate gave him a grave challenge to surmount.
It was a week to the competition and his grandma–who was his inspiration–kicked the bucket. She died when he needed her the most.
Timi could have ordinarily bowed out of the competition, or even become too dispirited and uninspired to remain in the reality TV show. However, he rather surprised everybody with exceptional performance.
Today, Timi Dakolo is regarded as one of the best soul musicians not only in Nigeria but in the entire globe. From being a contestant in the West African Idol 2007, he became one of the judges in The Voice Nigeria.
Here are five things to learn from his rise to stardom:
1. Learn, and be disciplined enough, to motivate yourself: You will have many experiences that will discourage you in your life’s journey. Encourage yourself against all odds and remain focused on achieving your goals.
2. Don’t be overwhelmed by the gloom that comes with a bad moment; instead, use your mind’s eye to see your dream as though it has already been accomplished. When challenges come, remain positive.
3. You may experience tougher and seemingly insurmountable challenges at the brink of success. Recall that Timi Dakolo lost his grandma a few days to the Idol West Africa 2007, which left him despondent. That notwithstanding, he emerged the winner of the competition. Always be ready for challenges because they will surely come.
4. Be persistent: You will not go far in life without persistence. Timi sang in the years of his humble beginning in Port Harcourt. He sang and became famous even when his inspiration (grandma) left. Again, he still sings despite fame and fortune. Persistence has the power to take you to greater heights.
Feel free to share another lesson from Timi Dakolo’s story.
