There is an almost uncomfortable truth about the journey to success that very few people are willing to talk about while they are still in the trenches. We love to celebrate the finish line. We love the applause, the viral moments, the approval emails, and the grand announcements. But the actual building of success, the grueling, unglamorous, behind-the-scenes reality, is sometimes built on a foundation of continuous, relentless rejection.
Today, I want to tell you an incredibly inspiring story about my very good friend, Michael Ekanem Joseph, the Founder and Executive Director of the HENOSIS Initiative. TEDx Organizer | Founder, STEMx NG | Community Builder | STEM Education Advocate | Social Innovator. Recently, Michael received the news that he has been approved to give a TEDx Talk. But here is another interesting part that filled my heart with an unshakable fire: he got that approval after three deliberate, hard-fought attempts. Three tries! Multiple “NO’s” before the world-changing “Yes.”
His story resonated with me so deeply because, as many of you know from my previous posts documenting my journey: My 9th Rejection By Google AdSense But Still Grinding; it is been over a year now, and as I am currently writing this article, I have gotten at least 24 rejections from Google AdSense. Yes, you read that right. 24 times, I have submitted my work, my passion, and my digital real estate to the system, only to be told, “Not yet.” Back when I wrote my article about my 9th rejection, I thought the sting would eventually numb out. It has not. But my perspective has transformed entirely. Michael’s journey from a small speaking stage in Orile-Iganmu to the global TEDx stage is the exact proof I, and perhaps you, need today to realize that every single rejection is simply a prerequisite for a monumental breakthrough.
The Illusion of Overnight Success and the Power of the Grind
We inhabit a digital space that is fundamentally addicted to the “highlight reel.” We are bombarded by algorithms that prioritize the final, shining result: the viral post, the massive funding round, the prestigious TEDx invitation, or the “approved” status on a monetization dashboard. This constant exposure to the peaks of success creates a dangerous cultural hallucination: the illusion of overnight success. We observe the pinnacle of someone’s journey and, lacking the visibility of the preceding years of quiet struggle, we mistakenly assume they simply stumbled into their fortune or were gifted a shortcut that remains hidden from us.
This narrative is not just inaccurate; it is corrosive because it encourages a mindset where we seek the reward without the sacrifice, leading many to jump into creative or entrepreneurial endeavors with the naive expectation that effort will be met with immediate, tangible compensation. My own initial experience with my first blog, PredictOdd, was the physical manifestation of this illusion. I entered the arena with nothing but ambition and a superficial desire for the “easy win.” I was chasing the byproduct, the money, while completely neglecting the fundamental work of value. I have always known, but I practically learnt, quite painfully, that the universe does not operate on a system of shortcuts. It operates on a system of compounding interest, where the true value is not found in the final payout, but in the slow and, most times, tedious process of development.
The “power of the grind” is the antidote to this illusion. The grind is the unglamorous, behind-the-scenes work that occurs when the audience is empty, the funding is stagnant, and the results are not yet visible. When Michael Ekanem Joseph began his work in Orile-Iganmu, the “power of the grind” was not a buzzword; it was the reality of managing outreach programs with limited resources, navigating logistical failures, and persisting through the slow, agonizing pace of community growth. It was the decision to stay committed to the mission even when the results were not obvious that kept him going.
Whether you are in the trenches or not, whether you are a creator waiting on an approval email or an innovator building a movement, the grind serves a dual purpose. First, it acts as a crucible, because it strips away the ego and the superficial motivations, leaving only the core drive that sustains you when the excitement fades. If your only fuel is the potential for immediate external validation, the grind will eventually exhaust you. But if your fuel is a genuine, internal commitment to a purpose larger than yourself, the grind becomes the source of your resilience.
Second, the grind is the primary laboratory for competence. Every failed blog post, every rejected application, and every logistical setback is a data point. When I stare at my 24th AdSense rejection, I am not looking at a failure of my worth; I am looking at a diagnostic report of my craft from Google. The grind forces you to master from the smallest to the greatest details of your field, the SEO, the structure, the engagement, and the persistence. It forces you to become the type of person who is actually capable of sustaining success once it arrives. The “overnight success” that the world eventually sees is actually the inevitable conclusion of a long, often invisible, and painstaking process of preparation. In the end, the grind is not just the price of admission; it is the process of becoming.
Stacking the Evidence: Building When No One is Watching
There is a profound, quiet power in building your craft when the room is empty. In the early stages of any significant venture, whether it is Michael Ekanem Joseph’s initial outreach programs in Orile-Iganmu or my own early days of writing into the digital space, there is no applause, no external validation, and certainly no monetization. This period is what I call “stacking the evidence.” It is the process of building a structural reality that exists long before the world acknowledges its presence.
When you are building when no one is watching, you are essentially performing a test of your own intellectual and moral integrity. Are you creating because you believe in the value of the work, or are you creating for the dopamine hit of a “like” or an approval email? When the feedback loop is silent, your internal motivation is the only thing standing between you and abandonment. This silence is not an obstacle; it is a filter. It filters out the tourists who are just passing through to see if they can catch a lucky break, leaving behind only the residents, the people who are genuinely committed to the discipline of their mission.
Stacking the evidence means treating every small action as a foundational block. And for Michael, those blocks were individual mentorship sessions, small community hangouts, and the consistent, grassroots outreach that eventually accumulated into a verifiable, 1,000-life-impacting track record. And when he finally approached the TEDx committee, he was not asking them to believe in a theory; he was presenting them with a mountain of evidence. He was showing them a reality that had already been built in and started in the shadows of Orile-Iganmu. The TEDx stage was not the moment of creation; it was just the public recognition of a reality he had already established through years of private, persistent effort, and as a dear friend that he is to me, I always pray To Greater Heights In Jesus Name for him.
Similarly, in my journey with Value Faith, I have come to view each rejection not as a stop sign but as an opportunity to stack more evidence. Every article I publish is a brick! Every lesson I learn from an SEO failure is mold! Every time I hit “reapply” on an AdSense application, I am not just asking for money; I am documenting the fact that I am still here, still improving, and still refining my voice. I am building a library of intentional content that exists whether Google approves it or not.
As one of the many things I have learnt in my journey is that the danger of seeking approval too early is that it can make us build for the system rather than for the truth. As much as the AdSense approval is very, very important to me, I can not overstate how important it is to me, but I have come to understand that if I build for AdSense, I will write for robots. And like Michael Ekanem Joseph, if he were building for a TEDx stage, he might become performative, but that is not what HENOSIS is to him; it is not a performance community, no, not at all. My dearest readers, I said all of that to say this: If you build for the sake of the craft and the community you are serving, you become a master. You are stacking evidence of your own discipline, your own creativity, and your own unwavering commitment.
When you build in the dark, you develop a level of focus that is impossible to achieve in the spotlight. Because you are not distracted by the metrics of others or the pressure to maintain a brand image. You are free to experiment, to fail, to pivot, and to refine, and by the time the world finally turns its gaze toward you, and trust me, it will, if you do not quit, you will be standing on a foundation so solid, so deep, and so evidence-backed that no amount of criticism or temporary setback will be able to move you. You will have built a legacy, not just an audience. And that, my dearest readers, is the true power of building when no one is watching: you are not just waiting for your moment; you are preparing the stage so that when you finally step onto it, you are ready to command it.
The “YOU” in CommYOUnity: Refusing to Let Circumstance Define Destiny
The most dangerous narrative we encounter in life is the one that suggests our starting point is our ceiling. Society, with its cold focus on demographics, socio-economic status, and geographic labels, loves to categorize people. If you are born in Orile-Iganmu, you are expected to follow a predictable, limited path. If your blog has been rejected 24 times, you are expected to stop writing. If you have been denied a stage twice, you are expected to find a different hobby. These external circumstances function like a gravitational pull, constantly suffocating our aspirations, trying to anchor us to a version of reality that is defined by our past rather than our potential.
But the philosophy at the heart of the HENOSIS Initiative, and the core of Michael Ekanem Joseph’s TEDx message, shatters this by focusing on the “YOU” in CommYOUnity.
I have said this before in the article: Henosis Connect Initiative: Redefining Impact, this is not just a play on words; it is a fundamental shift in perspective. Before any community can achieve greatness, there must be an individual who decides that the status quo is not the final stand. Before there is collective progress, there is the internal, silent, often lonely decision of one person to refuse the label society has placed upon them. When we talk about refusing to let circumstance define destiny, we are talking about the radical assertion of human agency.
For Michael, Orile-Iganmu was not a trap; it was a laboratory. He refused to look at his home through the lens of what was “missing” and instead chose to see it through the lens of what was waiting. He recognized that the brilliance required to solve global problems can exist in the places society deems most “overlooked.” And so, by investing in the individuals within that community, the “YOU,” he ignited a chain reaction of empowerment that transformed his neighborhood from a location of limitation into a launchpad of innovation.
And this same logic applies to our personal battles with rejection. As I reapply for Google AdSense, I am very aware of the “circumstance” of the previous 24 rejections. It would be easy to let those 24 “No’s” form the walls of my professional writing journey. It would be easy to say, “I am a blogger who is not meant to be monetized.” But that is the voice of circumstance. The voice of destiny is the “YOU” that keeps writing. It is the part of me that looks at the rejection, analyzes the content, improves the structure, and hits “submit” one more time.
My dearest readers, refusing to let your environment define you requires an unshakable trust in your own value, a value that exists independent of external approval. When you realize that your potential is not something granted to you by an algorithm, a committee, or a bank account, you suddenly become unstoppable. You stop begging for opportunities and start creating them. You stop being a spectator of your own life and become the architect of your own breakthrough.
The “YOU” in CommYOUnity is the sovereign decision-maker. It is the part of your identity that remains untouched by your latest failure or rejection. It is the spark of resilience that whispers in the dark, “I am not finished yet.” When a community, or a group of creators, is made up of individuals who embrace this level of agency, the entire view changes. You stop looking for permission to exist or permission to succeed. You begin to build, knowing that your destiny is not found in the circumstances you were born into, but in the consistency, courage, and character you bring to the arena every single day.
Plus, I need you to know this! Refusing to let your circumstances define you is a revolutionary act. It is a declaration that while you can not control where you start, you are the final authority on where you finish. By reclaiming the “YOU” in your mission, you strip away the power of your failures and transform them into the building blocks of your legacy.
Dealing with Frustration: The Difference Between Sunk Cost and Genuine Investment
The space between taking action and witnessing the harvest is the toughest an innovator or creator will ever walk. Because it can be a quiet and deeply frustrating zone where your efforts feel entirely unreciprocated. When you are writing day after day to an empty room, or when you are pouring your soul into an organization while watching partnerships flicker and die, a specific, itching question begins to haunt your mind: “Am I building something great, or am I just wasting my life?”
This internal conflict is usually a struggle to distinguish between the Sunk Cost Fallacy and Genuine Investment. Because frustration feels the same regardless of its source, because many times we mistake the pain of growth for the pain of failure.
The Trap of the Sunk Cost Fallacy
The Sunk Cost Fallacy is a psychological trap that keeps us committed to a failing course of action simply because we have already paid the price of admission. It is the logic of the gambler who stays at the table because they have already lost so much that they “have to” win it back.
In my own journey, my first blog, PredictOdd, was a textbook example of this. I was frustrated, miserable, and disconnected from the content, yet I kept pushing because I had already “invested” so much time into the domain name and the initial setup. I was holding onto a corpse. I was investing more life energy into a project that was inherently misaligned with my purpose. Walking away from it felt like defeat, but in reality, it was the only way to save my future. And so, my dearest readers, trust me when I say, I understand it if you are struggling with a project that drains your soul, makes you compromise your integrity, or feels like a hollow shell of what you promised; you might be stuck in a sunk cost. Letting go in that instance is not failure; it is wisdom.
The Crucible of Genuine Investment
Genuine Investment is characterized by a “byproduct of evolution.” This is the vital distinction. When Michael Ekanem Joseph faced his first two TEDx rejections, he was not losing time; he was using that time to build, iterate, and refine the Henosis Initiative. The rejection was the friction that sharpened his edge. He was not just “waiting” for an approval; he was becoming the type of leader who was worthy of the approval.
The same is true for the “24 rejections” of my AdSense journey. Each time I receive a notification that I have been rejected, I arrive at a crucial juncture or turning point. If I were only in this for the money, I would have walked away by the 10th rejection. But because I am in this to build a platform of genuine self-development and truth, each rejection is actually a hidden investment.
The byproduct of my “investment” in these rejections is:
- Skill Acquisition: I have become a better writer and a sharper editor.
- Mental Toughness: I have built a level of resilience that money can not buy.
- Content Library: I have produced dozens of articles that exist in the world, providing value to readers, even if the monetization gatekeepers have not yet opened the door.
How to Distinguish the Two
If you are currently feeling frustrated, ask yourself these three clarifying questions to determine if you are wasting your time or building your legacy:
- Does the process change me? If you are frustrated but you are objectively becoming more skilled, more patient, or more insightful, you are making a genuine investment. If you are frustrated and you feel bitter, stagnant, or ethically compromised, you are likely trapped in a sunk cost.
- Is the “product” better than it was six months ago? Genuine investment is cumulative. If your output, your influence, or your internal character is demonstrably better than it was at the start of your journey, then you are building. If you are spinning, walking, or running with no refinement in your approach, you are likely just repeating mistakes.
- Would I continue doing this even if I knew the external reward was another year away? And this, my dearest readers, is the ultimate test. Because Genuine investment is fueled by internal conviction. If the answer is “no,” you are only working for the reward, and the frustration will eventually turn into resentment. If the answer is “yes,” you are a builder.
Genuine investment is a “slow-burn” commitment. It recognizes that frustration is not a sign that you are on the wrong path; it is often the sign that you are pushing hard against a wall that is about to give way. So, my dearest readers, do not confuse the heavy lifting of building a legacy with the aimless struggling of a sinking ship. Keep your eyes on the growth, remain committed to the craftsmanship, and trust that the byproduct of your labor is building a version of you that will eventually handle the success you are currently working so hard to reach.
The Breakthrough: Proof That the Sowers Will Reap
The breakthrough is rarely a single, sudden event; it is the inevitable destination of a long march. In our culture, we tend to view “breakthroughs” as moments of luck, the sudden viral post, the surprise invitation, or the magical email. But if we examine the lives of those who have truly built something lasting, we find a different reality: the breakthrough is the point where preparation finally intersects with persistent opportunity.
When Michael Ekanem Joseph finally saw that “Approved” notification for his TEDx talk, it was not the result of a wish. It was the harvest of a season of relentless sowing. For years, he had been planting seeds in the soil of Orile-Iganmu and other places, seeds of mentorship, educational workshops, and community outreach. He had been “sowing” when the harvest was invisible. He had been building systems and impacting lives while the world was busy looking elsewhere. The TEDx stage is simply the platform that will allow the world to finally see the fruit that had been ripening in private for years.
And this principle of reaping is a foundational truth that governs every high-level creative endeavor. You can not expect a harvest if you have not been willing to go through the cold, lonely work of the planting season.
Who is the Sower?
The “sower” is someone who accepts the delayed gratification of their labor. In my blogging journey, the “sowing” has been the thousands of words written, the hundreds of hours spent optimizing content, and the emotional courage required to share my vulnerabilities, even when the analytics remain stubbornly flat.
To be a sower is to cultivate a specific set of characteristics:
The Courage to Plant in Silence: Most people will only start working once they have an audience. But the sower works to create the audience. They understand that the act of producing quality work is an investment that compounds over time.
The Patience for Biological Growth: We live in a world of “instant,” but reality operates on a cycle of “growth.” Just as a tree requires time to develop its root system before it can support its branches, your digital presence requires time to build authority, trust, and depth. You can not rush the seasons.
The Commitment to Quality: The sower does not just scatter bad seeds; they are intentional about the quality of their work. Every article, every outreach program, and every initiative must be handled with excellence. If you sow mediocrity, you will reap it. If you sow value, you will eventually reap influence.
The Inevitability of the Harvest
When you have been sowing for a long time, as I have with my 24 AdSense applications, it is easy to succumb to the fear that the harvest will never come. The frustration of an unrewarded effort is a heavy burden. But there is a profound comfort in the natural law of the harvest: what you sow, you will reap.
The breakthrough is not an accident. It is the proof that the law of cause and effect is still in operation. Every time I hit “reapply” after a rejection, I am not just doing a technical task; I am declaring my faith in the harvest. I am saying to myself, “I have put in the work, I have refined my craft, and I am willing to stand here until the result manifests.”
Maintaining Faith in the Dry Season
The hardest part of sowing is the dry season, the period between the planting and the sprouting. Because during this time, the field looks exactly as it did the day you started: bare, silent, and empty. And this is where most people quit. They see no change, so they assume no progress is happening. But beneath the surface, the roots are spreading! The structure is being built! The transformation is occurring!
The breakthrough is not just the reward; it is the evidence. It is the moment when the world finally catches up to the work you have already done. Whether it is a TEDx talk, a monetization milestone, or the growth of a global movement, the breakthrough is the final confirmation that you never stopped working, never stopped planting, and never stopped believing in the value of your mission.
So, my dearest readers, keep sowing! Keep writing! Keep building! Keep refining your systems! The harvest is not a matter of if; it is a matter of when. Your breakthrough is being engineered by every single action you take today. And when it finally arrives, it will not just be a win, it will be a testament to your endurance!
Redefining the Finish Line: Legacy Over Recognition
What happens after the TEDx talk? What happens after I finally get my AdSense approval? If the goal is simply the recognition or the money, the victory will be incredibly hollow.
Michael Ekanem Joseph understands this perfectly. He explicitly told me that TEDx is not the destination; it is just a bridge. The platform is a means to create visibility for Henosis Connect, a larger mission to systematically link young Africans with investors, mentors, and opportunities.
When the applause fades, he wants HENOSIS to be remembered for building systems that keep opening doors long after every events. Success, for Michael, has evolved from achieving personal goals to creating enduring opportunities for others.
And I am taking this page and many more directly out of his playbook. Yes, I want to make a lot of money. In fact, I NEED to make a lot of money, and I make no apologies for that ambition. But AdSense is just a bridge. The true legacy of Value Faith Blog is the community we are building here. It is the ability to write a post that pulls someone out of depression. It is the framework that helps a young man or woman drop their double standards, face the harsh truth, and take control of their life.
I am no longer chasing “quick success.” I am building slowly, intentionally, and with all my heart. My 24th rejection is simply my 24th reminder that I am still in the arena. I am still covered in the dust, sweat, and blood that Theodore Roosevelt spoke about. I am striving valiantly. I may err, I may come short again and again, but I have absolutely refused to join the ranks of those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
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Conclusion
Michael Ekanem Joseph’s story is a masterclass in resilience. From the streets of Orile-Iganmu to the TEDx stage, he has proven that when you focus on keeping one promise to yourself every single day, reading one chapter, learning one skill, applying for one opportunity, you can literally alter the trajectory of a generation.
His inspiring victory has poured fresh gasoline on my own fire. I am 24 rejections deep into my AdSense journey, and I have never felt more dangerous, more focused, and more assured of my impending success. I am choosing to focus on my craft. I am choosing to write what I love. I am choosing to keep growing, and I am choosing to apply for the 25th time, the 26th time if I have to, and however many times it takes until that door is wide open.
I am looking forward to writing the success story of my AdSense approval right here on this blog. And more than anything, I am looking forward to celebrating your victories.
Whatever exam you just failed, whatever job application just returned a “We regret to inform you,” whatever business venture feels like it is moving at a snail’s pace, do not give up. Do not let your current circumstances define your destiny. You are being forged, and I want to hear from you.
Take a moment right now and go to the comment section below. Share your own success story, no matter how small it may seem. Or, if you are still in the trenches, share what you are currently building, what you are growing, or what you are relentlessly applying for despite the rejections. My dearest readers, like HENOSIS, let us build a CommYOUnity of resilience right here.
I am looking forward to seeing YOU all at the top! I am looking forward to greater heights! And do not forget, I AM ROOTING FOR YOU ALWAYS!
Michael Ekanem Joseph’s Social Media Handles
LinkedIn: Michael Ekanem
Instagram (Personal): @thisisekanem
Instagram and TikTok (Organizations):
@stemx_ng
@thehenosis_
X: @realekanem
Official Website https://henosisinitiative.org
