Have you ever heard about the story of Daniel in the lion’s den?
If you live somewhere in the Western society, I’m sure you did. But if you somehow never heard of it before, here’s a quick summary:
*Daniel became one of three senior administrators overseeing 120 regional officials.
*Because he was exceptionally competent, the king considered placing him over the entire kingdom.
*His rivals searched for corruption or negligence but found nothing.
*They manipulated King Darius into banning prayer to anyone except the king for 30 days.
*Daniel continued praying toward Jerusalem three times daily as he had done before.
*The king reluctantly placed him in the lions’ den.
*God sent an angel who “shut the lions’ mouths.”
*Daniel emerged unharmed; his accusers and their families were then killed in the same den.
*Darius publicly acknowledged Daniel’s God.
“Cool. But why are you bringing up biblical stories? Are you going to preach?”
Absolutely not, my friend. I just brought it over because two days ago, Peter Nelson (a fellow member in a community I’m part of) gave me an insight that truly touched my heart.
In his words, I need to “be Bold as the man you get your name from. You may find that the one who smiled on him will smile on you as well.”
Damn.
That was his answer to a post I did asking fellow members to help me evaluate the idea of my business.
I wasted way too much time trying to find “the perfect idea”. That sh*t doesn’t exist.
But I’ve never thought of it that way before. I mean, how would “being bold” help me? Well, more than I’ll ever know.
And to confirm that, we just need to observe closely the story of Daniel from the Bible.
He wasn’t bold because he entered the lion’s den without hesitation. To be honest, that was actually expected, based on his previous actions.
What truly made him bold was not only staying loyal to his faith despite the enrollment, but also building professional excellency despite serving a nation that wasn’t his.
This shows us 2 important characteristics that made Daniel special:
- Consistency
- Excellence inside a foreign system
He wouldn’t have earned both God’s and King Darius’ favor without these traits.
Consistency in his faith, and excellence in his work.
Executing these things inside a totally unfavorable environment is what made Daniel bold.
For me, it’s pretty much the same. Without consistency, I can’t have progress. I won’t go anywhere.
Without work excellence, I never will be truly recognized.
Both things are necessary to build the future I desire.
And the secret to achieving both is being bold as the man I get my name from.
See you tomorrow,
Daniel Costa.