REDISCOVERING YOUR ABILITY TO EXCEL: THE REDWOOD LESSONS

Learning is a very natural thing. Everywhere life seeks to unfold and express it beings. Nature is a wise and profound teacher, and if you pay attention to all it has to teach, you will discover many great lessons to learn. This article was inspired by a sermon by Pastor Bode Lawal of Hope Alive Christian Center, Abuja, about the numerous lessons we can learn from nature. 

Nature is full of wonder, profound designs, systems, and miracles. Hence, my interest in Redwood tree. Where we may reflect on some life lessons to excel in life. For many in Africa, redwood will not strike as a common tree type because of its rarity in the area. 

Sequoioideae, popularly known as redwoods, is most common in the coastal forests of Northern California and is known for being the largest tree in the world with amazing qualities humans can reflect on and apply in real life situations to succeed. 

1.  REACH FOR THE STARS

Attaining soaring heights of more than 300 feet, Redwoods are so tall that their tops are out of sight. The tallest one of all is a towering beauty by the name of Hyperion, this giant stands at 380.1 feet in height.

You may have come across the quote “The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire” When it comes to setting goals, sometimes it's best to GO BIG or go home. When we set a big goal, we build a bottom-up plan to achieve it.

Many people make the mistake of setting goals that are little. While little goals are more attainable, they do not provide the motivation to achieve bigger goals. Failure is so scary to some that they set goals that they have a good chance of attaining instead of ones that might not materialize.

Instead of setting goals that you know you can achieve, consider stretching yourself a bit. Starting out small is fine if it makes you more comfortable. If you meet the slightly loftier goal, make the next one a little more ambitious, and continue this pattern with each goal that is reached. Before you know it, you will be in awe at what you are achieving!

2. LEVERAGE NETWORK

One might think that such a lofty height of the tree would require deep roots, but no. The roots only extend down six to twelve feet. But what they lack in depth, they make up for in breadth. Extending up to 100 feet from the tree’s base, they intertwine with the roots of others, all holding on to each other, greatly increasing their stability.

Once upon a time, being the best in business was all about beating the competition. But times have changed and the 21^st century generation has come to know the importance of pooling resources for greater success. To buttress the importance, Young African Leaders Initiative-YALI Abuja hub in their November face-to-face meet 2019, harped on the importance of collaboration in the 21^st century.

To stay relevant and achieve greater success, we must come together to create a collaborative and innovative environment.

3. HAVE YOU GOT THICK SKIN?

Redwood is known for the deep rosy hue of their surface, the redwoods’ bark is impressive beyond color. At up to 12 inches thick, it allows the trees to generally survive forest fires, the bark also do a good job at fending off damaging insects.

In your endevours, I advise, don't take things personally and don't let others get to you.

A thick skin is developed by evaluating the strength of others opinions based on their stock of knowledge. If they form their opinions based solely on fear, either of change or being excelled, resolve to be okay with people thinking negatively of you. Not everyone’s going to like you. That’s a fact. So why try to make everyone like you which I consider vain and perhaps leading your life into a miserable existence in the process?

Instead, think about yourself, and in terms of your own desires and goals in life. Focus on the people who are on your side and matter to you, who want for you what you want for yourself. 

It is amazing how the very least of things around us inspire us. It is just another opportunity to rediscover your hidden strengths and talents.

HARD WORK DOES NOT PAY -BY: NWACHUKWU LUCAS EMMANUEL

We live in a society that promotes the narrative that success is guaranteed from one's hard work. We pride ourselves on our hard work and our work ethic. It will not be out of place to draw up the conclusion that success is a demonstration of your virtue, as it points to the fact that you are entitled to success because you have worked hard.

I have seen many deserving people and frequently classmates from my secondary school study years to my tertiary study get out of the blue poor results at tests and examinations.

Sadly, many people that keep struggling daily to succeed from hard work, find themselves sucked into a cruel cycle from which they can never seem to come out from. This cycle makes you think you have not done enough, hence, you have to work hard the more, it goes on and same poor result is the output. How about you pause for a moment and evaluate what you are doing to know if it is the right thing or better put, if it the right kind of hard work.

The big question is, what did you fail to do?  How did the outcome turn oddly out of sync with the effort you have put in?  Quite often, if the person is grossly worried, room for further questions can be made, such as, have I committed some slip in my preparation process? Then your worst fear, maybe you are not just good, that even your best falls far short of the mark?

Apparently, the endpoint is the feeling of disappointment that birth both shame and exasperation. Then, there is a last option to place the blame on. In a highly religious space like Nigeria, the person begins to entertain thoughts and feelings of being robbed of his/her destiny, occasioned by some dark powers that be, which I do not take away from the equation. Your thoughts reverberates “las las, my village people don get me”

By this time, the person will think he/she will provoke sympathy of people but all you get is a cold scorn and judgment.

Hard work will NOT PAY if the right things are not done, it will only amount to suffering. It will just be a torturous journey and efforts that will not yield anything other than pain and disappointment.

If hard work indeed will bring success, we may consider some things we have ignored for long and I see them as requisites to rewire our mindset, which will positively change our approach towards achieving success.

§  Hard work isn't physical–it's mental- We all know plenty of people who worked hard all their life and ended up broke, don't we? I have nothing against hard work. However, we have to agree that hard work fundamentally involves mental process of making smart decisions. The key here is to ask questions with an open mind and without any preconceptions, such as where am I? Where are my going from here? how do I get there?. Of course without entertaining preconceptions, because, preconceptions lead to fear and clouded thinking. This form of open-minded thinking allows for creative problem solving and opportunities. This will help you make smart and strategic decisions in order to hit your mark and surpass it. Smart thinking combined with smart work will always pay off in the long run.

§  Be intentional in all you do- Is your life run on autopilot or you are in charge? Being intentional about all you do means you knowing why you do what you do and why you don’t do what you don’t do. It is actually not about making choices but evaluating the choices you have made and how they add up towards achieving your goals

§  Focus on things you can control- It is an extreme extension of perfectionism to think you have “everything under control” you will constantly overextend yourself without much to show for it. Of course, you expend too much energy on issues that fall outside of your circles of influence and control, limiting the energy you have left to use on issues that you can truly control. Be realistic about what you can control. Pick fights you can win and win big, that way, you will be living in alignment with and doing (working hard) on what matters most? That will make your hard work pay.

§  Success is all about relationships NOT Hard work - Sometimes your actions (hard work) fail to bring the results you want. You will need to have anchoring relationships. It is essential, you require this web of support of relevant people with different skills, and ability. They can come from your family, friends, colleagues at work or peers. The right people in your life will benefit you throughout each of your life’s endeavors.

I believe that merely working hard does not cut it, but adding the externals I have mentioned in this write-up will help you set a course for your life rather than just wandering aimlessly through life.

BREAKING PRESSURE AND BREAKING BOUNDARIES: A REALITY CHECK FOR NIGERIA YOUTHS - By: LUCAS NWACHUKWU

When you saw your secondary school class mate after 10-15 years, and to your surprise, She/he has “Blown”, (Nigeria term for becoming successful financially), did you become concerned in a weird way?, did you ask yourself, if this is the future you envisaged?, did you feel a level of hubris coming from your soul that you have never seen before that you have done your best, perhaps, it is not “God’s time” ? Or the shame of feeling like I haven’t done enough with my life and time is running out, looking at your age. Did you become devastated because Invictus Obi made it to Forbes under 30 African Entrepreneurs? Or did you feel crushed when you see Mompha flaunts his Bentley, Rolls Royce, Porsche, Hublot and Rolex wrist watches and pile of cash on instagram?

According to recent research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, the more time young adults spend on social media, the more likely they are to be pressured and depressed.

We love a little bit of Instagram, Facebook, and Whatsapp stalking, of admiring the glamorous and exciting lives of others through these platforms. But how does admiring the lives of people you have very little contact with in the real world make you feel? Does seeing the successes and achievements of others make you feel a little insignificant or is it having an impact on your mood? You don’t have to live your life through social media. Spending too much time believing everything you see on that small screen can be harmful. Don’t fall for the over-glamourizing of lives on social media. Be happy for those that post the great things that are going on in their lives. But keep in mind that you don’t always see the full picture.

The pressures placed on the youths to meet a certain standards often lead to inordinate amount of stress over the fact that you are yet to start, that big job, own that exotic car, build or own that mansion, get to that height in your chosen career or even start and launch that business or your own company.

In a society that tells the youth that they are failures if they did not finish with 2:1, if they are not successful as artists in their twenties, entrepreneurs, or startup CEOs by the time they are 25, it’s good to have a reality check. Contrary to popular belief, not all celebrities or known figures in the world found fame and fortune in their twenties or even their thirties.

Do you know that at the age of 40, Samuel L. Jackson hadn’t yet starred in a movie.
Henry Ford worked as an engineer under Thomas Edison, where he worked on ways to improve the then new automobile. It was not until he was 40 that he founded the Ford Motor company.
Vera Wang had barely gotten her start in fashion.
Morgan Freeman appeared in several small roles in film and TV in the ‘60s, but it wasn’t until 1989 that he gained mainstream attention and his career really took off.

These known figures also prove that with a lot of hard work, you can do anything you set your mind to.
The idea societal pressure is morally and political neutral in that such pressure can be used for any purpose, good or bad, and everyone uses the tool to varying degrees. It is my submission that rather than being pressured, focus on providing a positive alternative. How do you achieve this? I instruct you do the following:

Develop a Strong Sense of Self- Introspection is key here. Take stock of your asset, what do you enjoy most? What are you best at? your current job or whatever you are doing may hold clues. Pay attention and leverage on them. To develop and strengthen a realistic sense of self, Connect with yourself. See challenges as a way to know yourself. Apply these actions to your life daily.

Be Practical – Keep it in your mind that you can always fail, but remember that even if you fail, you will have learned a lot, even more than you probably would not have learned, if you would have succeeded, perhaps, that is why John Maxwell titled his book : Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You (Lose) Learn.

Don’t try to fit in- Be strong about the benefits of being different, make it clear that your choice comes from your values and be prepared to speak and defend them.

Work your dreams out – You are the only one that is responsible for what you can and cannot do. So, how do you pursue your dreams? If you work on it each day, eventually you will achieve your dream. Execution breeds excellence. Practice is the growth to perfection. The more you do, the better you become. Everything takes practice including pursuing your dreams. If you want to achieve your dreams, start now, learn in the process from the experiences and adjust. The important thing to know is that your failures are there to teach you lessons that can help you pick yourself up and keep moving forward.

The big question is, do you want to push against and beyond boundaries and go to those places they once said you cannot go, or are you going to allow the pressure hold you back? I don’t think so, rather, you must reclaim yourself and launch into the ever accommodating space that is out there for everyone, but this can only happen when you decide to take the first step which is ACTION to become who you truly want to be.

The Irreparable Bridge between Morality and Politics: The Nigeria Experience - By Lucas Nwachukwu

Politics is a game, is a general saying around, and it is played in any state with a substantive government in place. Political actors play with one purpose, and that purpose is to wrestle power and wield it to protect their interests. But the poser here is, is it for self or for the State, (the people they represent?)I must clearly state that I write not to demonize politics through my submission as politics is engaged in, expressed through the appropriate channels or institutions put in place.

According to Okoye (1982), Politics comprises activities of formal structure, institution and organization which competes through electoral mechanism to influence the people, policies and programmes as well as allocation of public wealth through a stipulated and articulated procedure.Without drawing up confusing definitions of morality, I am going to be practical with the kind of morality I think is greatly at conflict with the kind of politics we are experiencing in Nigeria. It is the morality of the common good or interest, it is the morality of duty, do to others as you would want them do to you, such as virtue, compassion, love, which I consider very important in delivering good governance.

Niccolo Machiavelli and other writers that are seen as pragmatist and as immoralist may have divorced politics from morality which prioritize the “end”, even the most unscrupulous “end” which inspires politicians to pursue and protect their interests first before that of anyone they represent. Sadly, in the case of Nigeria, the political actors subordinate moral standards to political ones. One will wonder when the saying has it that man is a moral being, if Nigeria politicians are included.

Politics has been extremely abused through pursuing self-interest, political rivalry, ethno-religious sentiment and making it incompatible with morality. It is even the caricature and travesty of what may or should have counted as morally good.This have made the people deeply suspicious and very cynical about the veracity of a politician’s promises during political/election campaigns whether it serves the general interest or just masquerading as one. The present day brand of politics glorifies corruption and even rewards people that are thieves, recently, the chairman of a ruling political party openly said once you join the party, your “sins” will be forgiven. Such style of politicking is devoid of morality.

Also, in Nigeria, politics is predicated to be engaged in and considered with personal or group interests rather than enviable national principles and values driven by morality which have threatened service delivery or for better word, good governance viz-a-viz good politicking. The Nigeria politics is run on the basis of “at any cost” or “do or die” making it impossible to serve the interest of the people when they are elected into the office. Perhaps our expectations are unrealistic because how do you expect someone that spent billions of Naira to emerge and even used thugs to achieve his/her election to power to be moral in serving the interest of the people? To them it is only but a business, they invest heavily and must recoup and make profit off the public treasury.Another contending issue in Nigerian politics is the common issue of ethnicity or cultural differences which is as a result of people from different tribal and cultural backgrounds.

This creates insurmountable numerous problems for the country at large. Their interests are marked by aggressive ethnic nationalism as they push for the realization of their sub-national self-determination. Like the case of Independent people of Biafra-IPOB, that often their demand for sub-national self-determination and directly challenge the Federal government’s demand for national unity. One would ask, where is the morality in this act as it undermines the general interest.With the benefit of hindsight, one cannot but marvel at how politics in the 1st and 2nd republic was played, there was a certain enviable level of morality in the manner it was played as figures like late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa and others pursued the interest of the country. They did play with conscience regarding the consequences of their actions.

But this age and time, a politician is elected to represent his pockets, and satisfy his greed, we have countless cases of corrupt leaders that have continually remained at the corridor of power and have no conscience to resign and face the law.

The brand of morality that should be practiced alongside our politics is founded on humanism, it considers interests of the people and welfare as core. This is why in African moral thought, we speak of communitarian ethos of the African society. Any good brand of politics should be done with a sense of the common good which is a core of shared values, which is the underlying presupposition of political morality to ensure that the interests everyone can be achieved within this communitarian society.If we are stuck at this impasse, should we say “there was a country”.