(B) According to .Com: Audacity Is 'Aggressive Boldness Or Unmitigated Effrontery'

The Audacity of Focus

I.O. OLURINOLA, Ph.D

1. Definitions

(A) Audacity.

(a). From www.vocabulary.com: The word audacity developed from the Latin word audacitas, which means “boldness." So someone who shows audacity makes bold moves — and isn't afraid of the consequences. Audacity can be admired or frowned upon, depending how far it's taken and how it rears its head. But as former British Prime Minister and novelist Benjamin Disraeli once said, “Success is the child of audacity.”

(b) According to www.vocabulary .com: Audacity is 'Aggressive boldness or unmitigated effrontery'.

(c) For 'Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary'; Audacity 'is a brave but rude or shocking behaviour' . Example: (1) She had the audacity of telling me that I was too fat. (2) He had the audacity to suggest that it was all my fault.

(d) The New Lexicon Webster's Dictionary sees audacity as 'boldness or an instance of it; impudence which is the quality of being offensively bold'.

(e) From: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/audacity: Audacity means: boldness or daring, especially with confident or arrogant disregard for personal safety, conventional thought, or other restrictions.

Note that the synonyms of Audacity are: daring, boldness, courage, bravery, impudence, etc; while some of the antonyms are cowardice, weakness, fearfulness, spinelessness, fear, etc.

(B) FOCUS

1. Focus means: (a) The concentration of attention or energy on something; (b) special emphasis attached to something; (d) to direct one's attention on something.

2. Focus can be used as a verb, as in " There is a need to focus on my studies, so I can graduate with a first class degree;" and as a noun, as in "What is the focus of this essay? I can't tell, since the writer seems to be all over the place."

Audacity of focus can then be defined as the brave and aggressive commitment to the overall purpose of one's life or to an aspect of it. It is a willingness to take bold risk to achieve a given objective relating to one's vision in life.

2. Why Must I focus?

a) Focus gives clarity to what you intend to do, just like the focusing of a camera lens on an objects gives a very clear picture of what is focused upon.

b) Focus empowers. It increases strength towards the object one wants to pursue. It is a means to concentrate all your energies in a particular direction thereby bringing achievement at a rapid rate than otherwise.

c) Focus enhances achievement of a goal, a vision, or a purpose in life; while lack of focus leads to failure, the shattering of a destiny and even death. Imagine a driver who is not focused as drives on the highway.

d) Lack of focus robs a person of God's providence. This results from the person's inability to keep what has been delivered to him, or the inability to develop one's potentials. Read I Kings 20:39-40.

e) Focus increases strength. It helps one to channel all one's potentials to a given vision or goal. Little wonder, the Word says, 'Occupy till I come'.

Prov 4:25-27

25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. 26 Make level paths for your feet

and take only ways that are firm. 27 Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

NIV

Col 3:1-3

3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated

at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and

your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

3. Why Must I be audacious in Focus?

a) Read Matt. 11:12. Every good thing of life demands audacity of focus and until you give it, the achievement of goal, vision or purpose of life remains doubtful. Example; The attainment of political independence in former colonial economies; the end of apartheid in South Africa led by Nelson Mandela and others; etc.

b) Distraction on any issue of life is an enemy towards achievement of excellence. The sure answer to distraction is an audacious focus. Refuse to wait for inspiration, take on an audacious focus to get that assignment done and you will achieve success. To write that book or to make that proposal that you have been postponing requires audacity and focus. Take an audacious step today and your victory is in view.

c) Using the principle of visualisation, Audacious focus gives you the end result from the beginning. The joy that this brings energises you to go through the task and make you a successful person in life. For instance, Jim Carey, the comedian and movie star who now commands twenty million dollars or more per picture, improved his focus by the use of visualisation. He wrote himself a cheque for ten million dollars "For services Rendered", dated it and kept it in his pocket.

d) Audacity of focus engenders hard work and fruitfulness. Remember, the Bible declares that in all labour, there is profit. Prov. 14:23. Don't just talk about achievement, be audaciously focused on it and get something done. This is because, "The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light' (Matt. 6:22).

e) Audacious focus leads to specialisation, which results into increases in productivity and excellence. Prov. 22:29.

4. HOW CAN I FOCUS?

a. Discover your purpose in life: This if the most important step towards becoming a success and achieving the plan that God has for your life. Remember, you are not a biological accident; you are created for a purpose.

b. Craft a vision around your purpose in life.

c. Create goals around your vision and set time frame to achieve each goal. Give yourself no rest until they are achieved, and when achieved, have a way of rewarding yourself.

d. Prioritize your goals, create a picture goals book. Have an ideas book.

e. Set time apart to Visualise, and think of what you stand to gain when your goal is achieved. Gen. 11:6.

f. Have mentors to help you. These may be persons you meet regularly or authors of books that will help you overcome day to day obstacles on the way to achieving your vision and purpose.

g. Invest your time doing what you are best at and let other do what they are best at.

h. Be Determined. Audacity of Focus requires determination. Determination is firmness of purpose; resolution or call it, stick-to-it-iveness. The Yorubas call it 'taku-ology'. Determined people don't quit. They act tough when things are tough. They are winners who do not quit, since they know that quitters do not win. Remember, Robert Schuller says 'Tough times never last, but tough people do.' Therefore, audacious people decide on what they want, and resolve in their heart attain it. Consider the determination of Jacob (Gen. 29:15-30; Gen. 33:22-32) and that of the Caaanite Woman (Mt. 15:21-28).

i. Be dedicated to each goal you have set. Dedication has been humorously defined by Bishop David Oyedepo as 'a deadly commitment to your assignment'. Dedicated people say: I'd rather be dead than not completing this assignment or achieving this set goal. Jesus Christ was committed to the point of death. (Phil. 2:8-11).

j. Be courageous and have strength of purpose. Joshua 1:6-8.

k. Have faith in God.