Memories of the Last Decade

Over the weekend was a remarkable transition in my life. It was the birth of a new year as the old kissed my now, goodbye. This day was one of reflections into the past and a memory of the last ten year made an impression on me. I share my lessons as I have known in the last decade.

Exactly ten years ago was when I had entered high school as a fresh entry. I remember being driven to school by a good family friend together with my mother. I remember that day just as yesterday because after I had been checked in, I sent my things to my dormitory, returned only to find out that my mother had left without bidding me goodbye (Obviously one of the most lonely times I've ever known).

The memories are sure in my mind because of the challenges I had to go through to get an admission into a high school and the miracle it has taken to bring me this far. Below are ten of my most treasured lessons I have gleamed along the way:

1. God is King and Jesus is Lord: In my short thoughtful life I have grown to know that, there are majority of things we don't control as humans. Lords and kings hold the final power to make things happen. Their authority and mandates are binding. The fact that my birth was not my decision and the family I was born into was not my decision informs my fundamental faith in a Lord and King aside of myself. Not my parents! Because they didn't have an idea of who I was, what I liked and above all they didn't have a catalog to choose me from (I may have lost that vote). I have seen my parents in as much need as I have been over the last decade and the only things I personally have known to work is when I commit to God' Spirit and to Jesus. Things work out for me when Jesus is in control!
2. Essence is in Service: I have grown to know that meaning and fulfillment is found when one commits to service. In service I have found joy and meaning, such as I have not been able to find anywhere.
3. There is always more to who/what we believe is possible with us: We mostly judge and see ourselves by our environment, education, parents and things we are familiar with. But from my background and where I schooled I know that more is possible with/for us.
4. Faith is a golden Language: We may not necessarily know how things will turn out but hoping with a firm assurance that things turn out right works miracles. Faith creates broad-ways when the future is hazy and the vision unclear. Faith gives commitments and passion to pursue. Faith is a language, an expression of inner believes and it is indeed a golden language. Believe in your own ability if no one else does, for people only learn to speak to you with the faith you speak with yourself. 
5. Humility is the price to pay for greatness: Humility is the sum total of a gentle spirit and a gracious nature. Wisdom and intelligence are mostly hidden is despised places just as opportunities. It always takes humble heart to notice them and pursue them irrespective of how humiliating others may see it. Nothing good is too small for us to do. Nobody chances on the big things unless he/she is ready to do the small things. It takes humility to accept and learn from the pain, failures and challenges which stretches us for real greatness.
6. Pursue Wisdom, understanding and Knowledge: The key for a life of greatness is found in wisdom. One should commit to a life that seeks to learn always. We do not stop growing until we stop learning. Knowledge paves the way for all the contribution you will ever make to earth. Understanding what life is about, purpose of life and how to live life are key things to pursue.
7. There is a beast and lamb in me: I have come to know everyman/women even the best ones have a propensity to do evil. I have grown to know there is a gentle and honorable man in me as much there is a brutish and vile man. The truth I have found is that, out of the two selves the one I feed and give attention becomes my expression and personality. One of the two selves must be subdued, famished and rejected for the other to thrive but the choice lies with us. I choose who to feed!
8. Solitude is a golden safe haven: I have realized that dependency on people will rip you of the opportunity to find great gems. All the great ideas, wonderful stories, beautiful pieces and remarkable gifts are discovered in solitude. Running into people arms because you can't enjoy your own company is stifling your own imagination and creativity. Imagination is the room to behold the future and it is best practiced in solitude. Meditation, time-alone, quite time, and personal sober reflections are the best grounds that breeds great geniuses. 
9. Share: No one will ever know what you have until you volunteer to share it. No one will pay a price or even invest in your big dreams and talents until you first sacrifice it by sharing. In sharing you grow, In sharing you gain credibility. I have found out that it is only in the corridors of sharing that the great coincide with amazing success.
10. Love is Diamond: Strange things happen with love. I will not say it any better but to quote the wise writer, Apostle Peter, "...Love cover a multitude of Sin" Deep love is an experience to behold! One that have might stronger than death.

10 years, 520 weeks, 3,640 days, 87,360 hours,  5,241,600 minutes, 314,496,000 seconds. This has been the time line since I first entered high school. It has been a build up of the passing seconds. I guess the greatest lesson then, perhaps, is the fleeting nature of time. If someone has something to do, it better be now for time and tides indeed waits for no man.

Engineering Social Change

Change is a campaign theme that obviously wins! No doubt about that. This is a good time to talk about change more especially because African and the world at large has seen significant changes this year. Yet change is a complex social process that must be well thought of, carefully engineered and executed with excellence in order to achieved the desired change. Many leaders, both national and corporate leaders have so much vision of change yet the results of their good and lasting desire, at least in the part of the world where I come from, is least to be desired by any other person either than themselves.

Social change refers to an alteration in the social order of a society. It is used in reference to the notion of a social progress or an evolution of a sociocultural setup. This process of social change is much more complex not simply because it is engineering change in human beings but more so because it is dealing with the sanity of the whole society; the way things have been done over ages, the perception of what is true, the standard for ethical conduct and the measure of what ought to change itself.

The fact that the whole social structure is a complex existing human-created 'being', any desire to see change in the system will have to be targeted at the main creators of the system. We discussed below some of the key creators of the social system and how to achieve change by knowing how to relate with these 'creators'.

1. The General body of knowledge: This in my opinion is the most important creator of the whole change process. This is the factory, if I may call it, where the human mind is programed to create the real world. We can only achieve change to the level of our knowledge capital. Educational systems are meant to give the society an idea of what will work and what will not work and how to work out what. Knowledge is shared and continually discovered by this body until it trickles down the whole society. Unfortunately, education now is becoming a platform where the child is robbed of the opportunity to be curious, to think and solve problems. He/She is measured by standards and principles which has never been tried by even the professor. We teach people how to pour water into a bucket  rather than teaching them how to find water. The essence of this aspect of change is to give a man light and they would find their own way. Knowledge of defined and old path are necessary but our time needs courage and curiosity for more uncharted  courses, for at least these old path were once uncharted.
2. Societal Religious framework: A general national theology is key and critical to the whole social sanity. Religion has been part of man since the early known history of the world. Human beings are religious, even Atheism, is a religion that believes in no deities. This is critical because, what we believe broadly makes us as much as what we know. The believe system shapes attitudes, passions, values and commitment which are key ingredients for any change process. There is a general feeling among humans that God exists, and statistics and history proves this time and over again. Connection with God breeds peace and meaning knowledge alone can't provide. Intelligent minds without ethics can become the worse social liabilities ever known. Change engineers much understand how the belief systems work and they must engineer change in the light of knowledge, considering the culture and faith of the people.
3. The Arts and Entertainment: Arts and Entertainment is the tool to communicate lasting change with subliminal effect. Ideas, philosophies, cultures, passions, attitudes, heroes, innovation, and love are all build into the creative industries and are passed on through such with very little efforts. People buy into the change without even realizing what has happened to them until what has been planted is pressed out in due time. Change markers need the creative industries. Change engineered in a creative manner always last because an old culture can be question and replaced in a world the audience believes in.

In conclusion, true and lasting change is possible although it may be a lot of effort and commitment. Let the change makers unite and lead a new path for the next generations yet unborn by revolutionizing the general body of knowledge, shaping the believe system in respect of a perfect God and creatively communicating the values and ways of change. 

Ethics and Morality

"Morality" and "Ethics" although used interchangeably, "Morality” generally refers to conduct itself, whereas “ethics” refers to the study of moral conduct. The essence of this discourse has transcended time and it has been an important discussion in academia, professional life and national development. 

Although it has been an ancient topic of review yet its essence has not been left in antiquity, so we reflect on some perspectives on morality and ethics as it concerns leadership and national development today. Ethical standards are principles by which society and individuals judge whether a moral action is right or wrong; they may include statute law, religious authority, public opinion, and conscience.

The quest to just want to do the right thing, is somewhat the desire of the ethical but this desire has really been question by relativity. The main question has been, what is right? It is not my intent to try to answer this question of what right is in this blog although this forms the backbone of the whole discussion but I intend to relate to ethics as it may be to leadership and African development.

A leader is essentially one who is called into influence and thus achieves a greater good through people. The objective of leadership which is to make the world a little much better is defined by ethics. Brilliance, innovation, problem-solution skills, strategic thinking, may all be good traits of a star lead but these qualities does not guarantee anybody a space in leadership until he/she can inspire and motivate, build relationships or communicate powerfully. But the ability to inspire others is purely based on their judgement of how right or wrong they think these qualities you posses translate into their good.

People want to know if leaders act in their best ethical interest, then such leaders win their commitment for a greater cause. This is a key reason why everybody who pursue leadership genuinely should master him/her self. Morality becomes the only reason why a leader will genuinely seek the best interest of a person he/she may never know and might never need their help. Ethics becomes the why for wanting the world a much better place and not for the goodies. 

But unfortunately, our part of the world is filled with leaders who pursue a sense of greater good because of their own selfish greed. I have heard and seen in my short life experience some  African leaders made themselves rich at the expense of the people they claim to seek their good. 

When a public servant fails to work, when a corrupt government minister misappropriates funds, when a cooperate executive cheats the people for gains, when the industry man kills the people for his profit, when the young man robs the innocent for riches, when the young lady engages in prostitution for promotion and employment, and when the pastor collects the people's money for personal luxury then these are certainly not technical problems neither is it a problem of lack of interpersonal skills. It may not even necessarily be one of self-mastery but then it is purely an issue of ethics and morality.

These problems has made me ask time and over again, what forms the ethical strength of a leader? Among the basis do I find:

• A knowledge of God: Without a sense of a supernatural, all perfect being to whom every individual is accountable, ethics never holds to impress anybody. It is by this same knowledge of God that one tells, his/her neighbor is in God's image and deserves a godly treat. The fear of the Lord has become the basis for most ethical and moral conducts over time.
• A strong virtue base: Leaders have a passion and a commitment for what is virtuous. Leaders with sound ethical strongholds have a passion and commitment for values like, honesty, justice, Beneficence, Non-maleficence and respect. Their value system become the basis on which they make decision and treat themselves and people around them.
• Principles of Collaboration: When exploitation becomes the leading word for people and their pursuits are fueled by greed, all they will seek to do is to rip people for selfish gains. Leaders have a genuine desire to see others better and thus collaborate on the basis of people's strength for a cause. They work with people and not people working for them. They respect peoples' value and do not cheat or disrespect them.

In conclusion, let me invite you to imagine a world where people desire and do what is ethical. Welcome to a world where people fear and live for God. To a world where people value what is virtuous and pursue principle that are collaborative.We have a sense of accountability to a perfect God in whose nature we are.

Let us desire and form our society from such pure desire to shine as light and preserve as salts, for that is right and ethical and I guarantee, it will solve majority of our problem as a people if not all.

What Should Exist?

This is an amazing question to consider today in this blog. What should exist honestly might appear a fanciful or utopian wish on a fairy land. But the reality of this question is far more reaching than a pursuit of a wishing soul.

What should exist is one question among many others any innovator or pioneer of change will have to ask. A careful consideration of this question does not only open one up to search for the answer for a change process but it redirects and streamlines social discourse and actions. 

The beauty of innovation is noticed in our recollections of Steve Jobs yet how many of us have sat to ask what should exist in the next decade as we reflect on the life of one who lived in the essence of this question.

An analytical mind which seeks to know what should exist gleams multivariate data in such an exercise and thus stand the chance of building a system which will champion the vision of what should exist.

The birth of any vision is on the altar of this same question:What should exist? The stronger the question of what should exist the more compelling it is to draw a clear plan of how to chat that course.

Leadership is a path of daily questioning and pursuit of what should exist and then leading the way there. Since I am one of the ardent believer of the universalism of human leadership  I can rightly suggest that until one can clearly answer in his/her own terms what should exist, life is yet to really begin for him/her because it means the inherent nature to lead has not been explored yet.

Exploring our full individuality is tied around our pursuit of innovation for common good but the question of what should exist does not automatically set anybody on a leading end. We suggest below how to ask this all important question of what should exist. We also seek to help you in building a lifestyle that constantly asks this question and thus help you lead a way to changing the world much more real by the lessons shared.

• Ask with Prejudice to None: A red-tainted sunglasses will most definitely make the world appear red when the world is viewed through them in a sunny day. Judgement of the world by such lens is most certainly flawed. Perception counts and may mean a lot of things. Everybody who can see what should exist should be able to first see what is without prejudice to none. If somebody lacks the ability to see it as it is then it most predictably asserts that he/she can't chat a course from here to where he sees because the problem under review is not even clearly comprehended. It is therefore key to be able to know prevailing realities in the light of what should be. The key lesson here is to be able to answer what should exist, first answer what exists?
• Who pays the price: When the answer for what should exist is diligently sought, one truth that comes to bear is that somebody must be willing to pay the price for the transition. Your answer of what should exist does not magically bring it bear. You must pledge commitment and passion to transform the birth vision. Like a baby born somebody must have enough dedication to nurture it until it can survive on its own.
• Leverage on Synergy: Gathering talented people around your answer of what should exist is a sure way to at least see your vision succeed. Such people who may have bought into your vision of the future or perhaps have a similar hope for the future help in reshaping the road map for success. They may not only serve as companions on the way but they are healthy contributors to an overall change process. Treat people therefore with respect and in a collaborative spirit which harnesses individual strengths around a single question of what should exist.

Commitment is a sure way to leading this part of the world to what we see, if I may share my own answer of what should exist, then I see a new African Leader without corruption and ill-vision but one passionate about African unity and growth brimming with endearing visions. I equally see talented African minds leading the way in technology, communication, the body of knowledge, arts in the fear of the Lord and for the creation of a new Africa without war, poverty and preventable diseases; a new healthy and hygienic African with cutting-edge infrastructure and respect for the image of God in every man. A new continent with new people leading the world to find solutions.

The Theories of Plasmolysis

We consider our last blog on the series on Turgidity which is Plasmolysis. This is a simple concept of losing water and unsustainable turgidity. Many of us manage to persevere and hold on yet a little while but not as a lifestyle. We in conclusion to this series look at sustained turgidity and avoiding loss of content at any point in time.

The following are listed note to take in avoiding ever being diagnosed of 'Plasmolysis':

1. Know Life is a Marathon and not a Short-Dash: Sustained speed is more prudent to life's course than mere speed. We emphasize on speed in today's term over the ability to hold on to that measured pace. No one can ever advocate against speed, but the essence is not to be in a hast to failure but be guided unto a well measured sustainable speed.
2. Build Tough Cuticles: One remarkable thing in life is the opportunity to choose how you will react in any circumstance. Circumstances will most certainly vary but your decision to either withstand or be subdued by the prevailing time is most important. Psychologists have taught over ages goal setting and dreaming techniques but the truth is that, after you set your goals, times will vary. Build capacity before those variations come because when they do arrive it will be too late a time to decide what to do. Those are the days when you will be pressed in and what has been in you all these while will be brought up. This is a friendly reminder, as you set your goal decide to build capacity for varied actions and make sure to entrench those decisions before the worse strikes.
3. Be open for exchange of knowledge: Stereotypes and prejudices could serve as the worse facilitator of Plasmolysis. This is where you keep a closed system and therefore leave little or no room for appropriate flow. Flowing water scarcely stinks! Life producing water bodies always have an inlet and an outlet to sustain life. Don't forget a healthy balance of other opinions and perceptions could save anyone from a fool's paradise.(It is only the leader who refuses knowledge that goes to public with a soiled garment!)
4. Find Healthy Refreshers: We all need breaks to reinvigorate and revive dying passion and wobbling limbs. Find something healthy you you love doing and make it a reference point of bouncing back. It could be being around people you love or involvement in activities you love. The most important things is that, it should be healthy and must have the ability of restoring your childhood smiles. You will never be too old for a good laugh or a serious play! (A lesson worth for a the postmodernist man)
5. Remember great landmarks: If you can remind yourself of good times in the past, then you can certainly look forward to the best in the future. The beauty of this cue is that, it doesn't have to be your landmark necessarily. The law of Precedent allows for borrowed inspirations for people's stories. Keep your warmth by knowing landmarks of bounce-backs, bound-leaps, and curved roots.

In conclusion, let us all look ahead with eagles' vision as a new people of strength to rebuild and to overcome.Soaring is our destiny, succeeding is our calling and greatness is our birthright!