You Are Valuable.

You Are Valuable. 

I studied and worked under Dr. Ige Olumide for 5 years. I learnt a lot from this humble and self-effacing, but highly gifted and educated man.

One of the most important lessons I learnt from him is respect for fellow human beings. He showed courteous respect to everyone, no matter their social standing or station in life.

With 5 earned doctoral degrees, over 60 honorary doctoral degrees from universities all around the World, a knighthood from the kingdom of Malta, a prodigious brain and handsome looks, he listened respectfully to us, his protégés, and addressed us as "Sir/Ma"!

We once asked him why he did it. His answer was simple, but deeply profound. It changed the way I looked at myself and the way I related with others:

" All human beings, no matter their status or station in life, deserve to be respected. It is a right. I am not more valuable or superior to you just because I am older, richer or more educated than you. All that is relative and not absolute. The only absolute value in life is the fact of your humanity. Now, if God gave His best gift to redeem humanity, who am I not to respect this creature that Divinity places premium value on?"

Now, how about that for a life-changing lesson?! 

I have not been the same ever since. I now seek the good and wellbeing of my fellow humans above my personal interest. Your success is my success and I find true joy when my efforts help to lift a fellow being to a higher life. It is so because I respect one and all. I value the fact of your humanity above your class, race, status, station, creed, religion, location, etc. You are valuable because you are a human being and nothing more or less.

If you are human, you are my brother/sister. I am because you are and, together, we are taller and stronger.

It is Agoso Bamaiyi, your friend for a greater Nigeria and the best things of life.

You Are The Best.

Relax, you are the best that there ever was, is and will be! Just up your game to make yourself better. 

Compare yourself with no one.

Compete with no one.

Be jealous of no one.

Hate no one.

Fear no one.

Be intimidated by no one.

Just be yourself with confidence and enthusiasm.

Orderliness For Efficiency.

One of the outstanding things about Lagos is the large population crammed into a small landmass. Every square inch is taken, and when you walk down any street in Mile 12, Mile 2, Oshodi, Mushin, Ojuelegba or Obalende, you feel like, for some strange reason, the whole world is out for a walk. Come see a sea of people!

During my days in Lagos, I avoided the crowds as much as I could. I operated my office from my house and ventured out only when absolutely necessary, like when I have to go to the bank. Even at the bank the crowds can be massively crazy, especially at the end of the month when salaries are paid. If you operate an account with one of those old time banks that pay salaries on behalf of the government and you have to do business there during such time, your name is 'sorry'! 

Wahala dey!

The main reason for this wahala is our inability to master ourselves and do things in an orderly manner. This disorderliness causes unnecessary delays, resulting in huge stress and frayed nerves, occasionally resulting in fisticuffs and other forms of show of shame.

Little wonder then that General Mohammadu Buhari and General Tunde Idiagbon found it necessary to regimentalize us into the queueing battalion. That was when the generals were younger and stronger. We are lucky now, in his second coming, PMB is not in uniform and is no longer as young, and Idiagbon's place has been taken by the scholarly and pious Pastor Yemi Osinbajo (no relation to the wily Obasanjo, even though their names can be used together in the lines of a rhyming poem!).

But our penchant for disorderliness and, therefore our need for a Buhari/Idiagbon-type regimentalization, persists. I look forward to a day soon when we all will be 'decreed' into orderliness. Then we will quickly see that, as a result of orderliness, our effectiveness and productivity will increase exponentially.

Back to my days in crowded Lagos (and the crowding gets tighter with each new birth!).

One particularly tight month end, on a particularly trying day, I had reason to go to the bank; the Union Bank by the roundabout on Shasha Road, Dopemu. When I entered, I was greeted by a scene of disorderliness that is worse than Ngurore on a market day. There was no style or class to it, and no pretensions whatsoever. It was raw disorderliness of the strong-headed type: the type of headache that required Panadol Extra! 

My first impulse was to turn around and return home, but necessity persuaded me to stay. I scanned the motley crowd to see if I could make any sense of it. It had no decipherable handle nor angle to it. I pressed my way to a guard standing there like a lost child, with an expression on his face like fish out of water. I asked him why he and his colleagues had allowed things to get so out of control. He looked into my face closely, trying to determine who or what I was, before replying resignedly that the crowd got out of hand, almost violent, leading the bank manager to order the security guards to leave the crowd to its devices.

Not good. Not good at all. One can be here all day and not get anything done.

I turned around and looked at the bustling crowd once more. I concluded that someone needed to take charge and bring some order to this asymmetric madness. I asked the guard if I could give a try in attempting to bring some order to this sweltering mess. He stretched out both his hands towards the crowd resignedly, as if to say "ga fili, ga doki!" (Hausa, meaning - Behold the field, behold the horse!).

I took the cue and forced my way to the middle of the crowd. Then, assuming an air of authority, I commanded everyone to listen to me. The strength in my voice and the confidence in my manners compelled them all to quieten down and listen to me.

"We are all educated and civilized people", I thundered, " but our behaviour here today does not reflect that noble truth." I paused for a brief moment to allow my words to sink in. 

"If you will humbly follow my lead, I want us to form two orderly lines and take alternate turns at any free teller among the four that are available for business today" I announced and, without wasting a moment, I commanded further, "Oya everyone, fall into line!".

I pointed at where I wanted the lines to begin and the people, not sure who I was or what authority I carried, began to quickly fall in line. Before long we had two orderly lines and the hullabaloo quickly died down. I stood in front of the lines and guided the first few individuals to the free tellers. When normalcy returned and efficiency resumed, I walked to the end of one of the lines and took a place to await my turn.

As soon as the people established that I was a regular customer who took it upon himself to bring orderliness in place of chaos, they unanimously insisted that I come to the front and transact my business ahead of them. I flatly refused, insisting that my action was purely altruistic and not for personal advantage. Besides, I just stepped into the bank not long ago, behind everyone else.

I will never forget what one elderly man said to me as I stood in line and awaited my turn:

" My son, I do not know who you are or what you do for a living, but you need to go into politics. We need people like you as our leaders; people who will see an area of need and step out to solve it, even if it will not pay them personally. You are a born leader. God will reward you."

I thanked him and said 'amen' to his prayer.

After I finished my transaction, I returned home wondering why Nigerians cannot order themselves. We lose a lot of good for our disorderliness. Where is our sense of decorum and civility? Why are we so jaga-jaga about everything? Eadris Abdulkareem was not far from the truth, you know, (never mind the lively protestation of OBJ against the song!) When he sang "Nigeria jaga-jaga, everything scatter-scatter".

But, I see a better day...

Take some time to ponder on the following quotes about orderliness. Orderliness creates the conditions for increased productivity and prosperity. It facilitates creativity and originality, thus bringing out the best in humanity. We lose a lot when we act in disorderliness:

1. "Not only is orderliness an economy; it produces rest." - Alice Foote MacDougall - American businesswoman and restuarant owner.

2. "I am a big believer that orderliness begets wealth." - Susan Lynn "Suze" Orman - American financial advisor, author and podcast host.

3. "Without order in your life, you will realize that you will only be busy but without commensurate results." - Sunday Adelaja - Nigerian-born Ukrainian pastor, international speaker and author.

It is Agoso Bamaiyi, your friend for a greater Nigeria and the best things of life.

Practice Makes Perfect.

Sometime ago, an intelligent and talented young man came to me for counseling and advice. He had some personal problems he was struggling with and was also concerned about how he could improve his writing skills. I had read some of his writings and was convinced he had the potential to become a very good, even a great, writer. After counseling him on the personal challenges he faced, we began to talk about writing. For a gifted fellow like this young man, I did not have much advice to give except to emphasize to him the universal truth that champions all over the world know and religiously follow: practice makes perfect. This truth is universal because it holds true for all time, places, professions, races, nations and persons. Whatever you practice smartly, regularly, and consistently, you will become very good at eventually.

Publilius Syrus, writer, orator, and dramatist that lived in the first century B. C., captured this truth very aptly when he said:

“Practice is the best of all instructors” – Publilius Syrus. 

No matter the quality of the instruction you receive, if you, on your part, do not take the time to practice and practice some more, you will not rise to your potential, no matter the depth of your primary potential.

Pop Warner, former football and baseball player, who went ahead to become a great coach, tied the quality of play to the quality of practice. He said:

“You play the way you practice” – Pop Warner.

In other words, you can never be better than the quantity and quality of your practice. Pete Rose, former Major League Baseball player and coach, agrees. He is quoted as saying:

“My father taught me that the only way you can make good at anything is to practice, and then practice some more” – Pete Rose.

Lack of practice will firmly fix your feet on losing grounds. This fact was underlined by Ed Macauley, professional Basketball player. He made this powerful observation:

“When you are not practicing, remember, someone somewhere is practicing, and when you meet him he will win” – Ed Macauley.

Practice, indeed, makes perfect. I am a witness to this truth. My public speaking  is a blessing anywhere and anytime I speak. When I speak, lives are impacted upon positively and powerfully. This is not a vain claim but a humble statement of fact. Testimonies abound in this regard. You just cannot seat under the influence of my voice and not be touched, moved, or stirred! It is not possible. I know my speaking ability is a talent, backed by divine power to produce outstanding results. But it was not and still is not automatic. I did not just stand up one day and started speaking powerfully. No. As a matter of fact, there used to be a time when I struggled to utter a single coherent sentence. When I stood up, my mind sat down and I fumbled pitifully.

Then I began to practice. Long before opportunities to deliver public speeches came my way, I practiced long and hard, daily. I gave countless speeches to myself, standing before a mirror in my room, all the while imagining I was speaking to radio and television audiences and crowds and congregations in their thousands. I took walks in the outskirts of my home town, Numan, speaking to myself and projecting the images of a great speaker in my mind. I spent whole days in the surrounding bushes around Numan and the banks of the Benue, talking and praying and psyching and imagining great speaking scenarios and possibilities. 

I did not only practiced speaking. I read relevant books and materials on public speaking and then practiced the lessons I learnt. I also listened to speakers in fellowship, such as Asaph Zadok (who later became Hama Bachama), Leonard Nzadon, Amon Ishaya, Stephen Gyebgon, Bulus Taiya, and Vidiyeno Bamaiyi, and then imitated them in private. I followed Timawus Mathias, John Momoh, and Frank Olizie on Nigeria Television Authority and imagined myself speaking with the same elocution and power. I listened endlessly to R. W. schambach and Jimmy Swaggart on tape and imagined myself doing the same thing. Fred Addo, the Love Teaching Centre phenomenon, and Phillip Mokungah were additional influences and sources of inspiration. My life, during that period, was an endless chain of practice and more practice. 

Finally, when the opportunity to speak in public came my way, I was ready. I echoed and parroted, as a matter of course, some of my role models and influences for a while, but eventually I found my voice and style and gradually became a man of my own and, today, I am a recognized authority. Give me ten minutes and a platform and I will give you a rapturous audience and changed lives! That is just who I am, by the grace of God and my commitment to labor. 

Anybody can be as good, even better, in what they do, as long as they are committed to purposeful training and practice. That is how champions and world beaters and world changers are made. 

Mohammad Ali stands today as the greatest boxer of all time. He holds the record as the first Heavyweight boxer to win the title three times. He is famed for his speed, agility, technical ability, and unusual tactic which he called “rub-a-dub.” He retired from boxing undefeated and lives on as the greatest heavyweight boxer to ever grace the ring. He attributes his record-setting success to consistent and persistent training and practice:

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion’” – Muhammad Ali. 

There you have it. Without consistent training and practice, Muhammad Ali will not be the Great Muhammad Ali. Even though training and practice are not pleasant, he kept at them, knowing fully well that there will not be a great tomorrow for him, if he does not endure the unpleasantness of training and practice.

Are you gifted and talented? Are you ambitious? Are you pursuing excellence and greatness in life and profession? Do you want to be outstanding in what you do? Are you reaching for the top? Do you want your life to count for something in this world? If your answer is “yes” to any of these questions, then do as all champions and outstanding successes have done all over the world and throughout history: train and practice hard. Learn and learn some more. Train and train some more. Practice and practice some more. Hold on confidently and consistently. Your break will come. When it comes, it will find you ready and capable. You will shine in this life.

You can do it!

It is all within you!

All is well.

It is Agoso Bamaiyi, your friend for a greater Nigeria and the best things of life.

Investing In The People.

While speaking to Nigeria's leadership on Thursday, 22 March, 2018, the founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, mentioned repeatedly, that investing in people is the key that will unlock Nigeria's awesome potential. This is so because people make nations great and not natural resources. 

Among several points made by Bill Gates, I find these words very instructive:

"The most important choice you can make is to maximize your greatest resource, the Nigerian people. Nigeria will thrive when every Nigerian is able to thrive.

If you invest in their health, education, and opportunities—the "human capital" we are talking about today—then they will lay the foundation for sustained prosperity. If you don't, however, then it is very important to recognize that there will be a sharp limit on how much the country can grow." - Bill Gates.

This tallies with what The Madiba, Nelson Mandela, said about the power of education:

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela.

You see, without a highly educated and healthy people to relevantly exploit and develop resources and direct them to profitability, resources, no matter how great, will remain a potential. And nobody feeds on or takes potential to the market!

Great nations invest in people and the people, in turn, drive the nations to prosperity and greatness. That is a universal fact and Nigeria cannot be an exception.

What we need are more highly and relevantly educated and healthy people, and not more oil wells. We have overrated oil and given it such an exalted position over everything else that it has become an Albatross on the neck of Nigeria. It has blindsided us to what real development entails and given us a false sense of security and prosperity and, at the end of the day, leaving us with a highly vulnerable economy and the poorest polity in the World.

What our leaders need to do urgently and with the greatest commitment is to fiix our schools and hospitals. Build standard schools and medical facilities in our rural and semi-urban communities. Invest heavily in teacher training and procurement of relevant teaching and learning aids. Do the same with medical workers and medical consumables. Insentivise the posting of teachers and medical workers to rural communities so they will be willing to stay and work there. What we need is more brain exploration and not more oil exploration. 

Or can't we see that the world economy is knowledge-driven? Can't we see that ideas and knowledge has far more value and greater positive impact than oil or any other natural resource? Without building a knowledge-driven economy, we will remain a perpetual consumer nation. We will continue to produce raw materials, ship them out very cheap and then buy them back expensively as finished and packaged goods. 

No consumer nation ever becomes a high-income and high-net-worth nation. Given our large population, we cannot afford to remain a mere consumer nation anymore. If we continue as a consumer nation, we will eventually sink. To prevent this, we must invest in the people's education and health. You see, the true wealth of Nigeria is more in the health and brainpower of its citizens, than in any solid, liquid or gaseous mineral or resource.

This is the main task before the federal, state and local governments: educating all our citizens so as to secure genuine and sustainable development for Nigeria, giving its citizens a living standard comparable to that in Scandinavian countries. Good health and qualitative education will bring out the best in the citizenry and, thus, bestow the best on the country.

Let me leave you with these powerful quotations on education and health:

1. "Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” - Malcolm X - American Muslim Minister and Civil Rights Activist.

2. "It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver." - Mahatma Gandhi - Indian lawyer and nationalist.

It is Agoso Bamaiyi, your friend for a greater Nigeria and the best things of life.

Find Bill Gates' full speech here:

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/263194-for-the-records-bill-gates-speech-that-rattled-nigerian-govt-full-text.html#.Xnuo8D8ftvk.link

Making The Best Of Your Chances.

I have been writing since the early 1980s, but my work was first published in the year 2000. It was an inspirational/motivational book titled "HOW TO HANDLE OFFENCES AND DISAPPOINTMENTS: overcoming the rough edges of life". 

It was not by any means an award winner, but it contained a very powerful message that had a positive resonance in the heart of almost all that read it. It circulated far and wide, as people passed it around from person to person, and I received positive feedback from around the World.

One of those that were positively touched by this little book was an African migrant that was imprisoned in France. She got a copy from a friend who is a sister to my protege, the irrepressible Ahmed Magem. Ahmed had sent his sister a few copies.

This prisoner told me, in a letter she wrote to me after reading the book, how she had given up hope on a meaningful life because of the many offences and disappointments that life had thrown in her path. When she read my book, fresh hope rose in her and the fire of a productive and meaningful life was kindle in her heart. She recommitted herself to living positively.

Another woman, a rather saintly woman, whose world was destroyed when her highly popular husband was implicated in a murder case and thrown behind bars, leaving her and her children in a dazing maze of fear and confusion, got a copy of the book and went through it. I do not know how she got the book, but she told me how the book gave her hope and motivated her to remain positive and sweet, believing that her husband will be vindicated and set free. She found strength in the face of weakness, courage in the face of challenge and faith in the face of hopelessness. She stood her ground in faith and her husband was eventually vindicated and released.

Many such stories of how this little book positively impacted the lives of people abound. Up to this day, 20 years after it was released, I still run into people who tell me what a blessing the book has been to them. 

I remember lifting two middle aged men several months ago. I had closed from office and was driving out of the Government House when I met them walking the long distance to the main gate under the scorching Jimeta Sun. They both introduced themselves as soon as they entered the car. We got talking and one of them began to thank me for changing his life. I was lost a bit as I have never met the fellow, as far as I could recall, until that moment. He opened his handbag and brought out two of my books. One of them was this little book we are talking about. He told me that those books made such powerful impact on his life such that he decided to carry them around in his briefcase! 

Why am I telling you all this?

Simply this: you do not have to wait for perfect conditions to do what is right or what will bless humanity. I wrote this little book, that has become such a blessing, under the most imperfect conditions. All I had in my favour was the inspiration and determination to write and carry through to the logical conclusion. 

Come to think about it; is there really any such thing as "perfect conditions" for one to do what needs to be done? The answer is an emphatic NO! You just do what you have got to do with what you have got, despite the conditions. Otherwise, you never get to do anything worthwhile.

When I wrote my first book, my circumstances and conditions in life were far from perfect. My family and I (Rosabel wasn't born yet and Christabel was in early elementary school) were living in a single room with no furnishing, except a big foam on the ground on one side of the room and a clothes hangar hanging on the wall on the other side. We had a single upright chair, which was a sort of a hand-me-down that I got from my friend Zethan Hellon when he was leaving Lagos, and no table. We cooked our frugal meals using a small kerosine stove and the barest of utensils. We lived on hope for a better day, fired by faith in a God that can do all things.

How did I write?

Femi Boyede, an international businessman and an expert in the import/export sector of the Nigerian economy, had heard me speak and asked if I had published any of my works. I answered in the negative. There and then he promised to sponsor the printing of any of my works as soon as I was ready to publish. The ball was in my court. It was up to me to get one of my many manuscripts ready for publishing. I decided not to miss this chance.

I opted to write a fresh book. Despite the fact that the conditions were not favourable, I did my research, gathered material and started writing. I had no computer (laptops were few in circulation back then) and no internet connectivity. GSM was trying to find its feet in Nigeria. Precious few people had those heavy cell phones.

I wrote seating on that single straight-back chair, with a pillow on my laps, a hardcover higher education exercise book on the pillow, providing firmness for the 80-leafs exercise book into which I wrote. There was no fan, talk less of air conditioning, so I sweated profusely as I worked. Many times, I took off my shirt and vest and worked bare-chested. It was anything but comfortable, but I kept going, day after day, until I was done. Then I took it to Mr. Boyede. He kept his promise and the rest, as they say, is history.

One of the illusions that deprive us the chance to do great things is the thinking that conditions are not perfect, therefore, we will wait until conditions get perfect. They never get perfect, at least not in time for us to do what we wanted to do. We lose our chance in the waiting. What we eventually gain is regret.

Let me draw your attention to two important facts of life that you need to understand and utilize if you plan on doing well in life:

1. Use what you have, no matter how small it is, to get what you need and not wait for what you need before you exert yourself.

Those who wait for perfect conditions never arrive the Promised Land.

2. Take the chances with which you are presented in life. Do not ever allow chances to pass you by. Do something about them. And, if the conditions are not favourable, do not roll over and give up; create favourable circumstances.

Remember: no good thing ever come easy. "Easy" is the denominator that underlines mediocrity and failure. Those who rise above "easy" master the realms of excellence and abundance. Go beyond your comfort zone and create greatness in life. Take your chances in life, as they come. 

Let me leave you with three quotes about taking chances that you will find very useful:

1. "The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try. Once you find something you love to do, be the best at doing it." - Debbi Fields.

2. “You learn so much from taking chances, whether they work out or not. Either way, you can grow from the experience and become stronger and smarter." - John Legend.

3. “Take chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave." - Mary Tyler Moore.

You are created for excellence. Make the best use of what you have to get what you need. Do not wait for perfect conditions. Take your chances by challenging your circumstances. Create your world. Define your value. Be a blessing.

You can do it!

It is all within you!

It is Agoso Bamaiyi, your friend for a greater Nigeria and the best things of life.

Action And Reaction.

Every one who has studied Introductory Science or Physics in secondary school is familiar with Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Now, that law holds true for every physical motion. That is why you can stand up and walk upright, without falling over, despite gravitational pull and the interplay of other forces on your body. The inherent reaction engendered by the action from those forces ensures that you do not tip over and fall to one side or the other. Occasionally, however, there is a deficit in the counteraction or reaction to the interplay of these forces and the result is a fall. Equilibrium is, therefore, a function of balance of action and reaction.

This law holds true in life also, only that, in this case, the reaction that ensures balance and equilibrium is not automatic. There is a daily constant action of forces, both positive and negative, on our lives that threaten, sometimes, to tip us over the edge. How we react to these forces and events largely determines whether we fail or succeed in life. How you react to what happens to you in life, therefore, is more important in determining the outcome of your life. In other words, what you do with what is done to you is more important than what happened to you in the first place.

Let me give you an example so you understand my point. I was a bad (very dull) student during my primary school days. My brain was as thick as a reinforced concrete wall. Nothing penetrated my brain and I could not read or write. My case was bad and my mates knew it and some of them took sinister pleasure in rubbing salt into my injury. They mocked me mercilessly and even composed a song to illustrate my dullness!

That action was bad enough to cripple my spirit and confine me to the fringes for life, but it did not. Why? Because I refused to believe that I was dull. So, instead of running away and hiding behind the dark cloak of failure, I stood my ground and fought back by reacting positively. The mockery and jeering and name-calling drove me to work harder and longer and smarter. 

And then (thank God!) my brain began to stir and come alive. Gradually, I could put letters together and pronounce words and my writing began to gel. My literacy and numeracy grew by leaps and bounds and, by my second year in secondary school, I was literally cruising academically. My friends and mates stopped mocking me and started, though reluctantly in many instances, respecting me. Some of them celebrate me today.

My story changed mainly because I refused to fall over and roll with my dull circumstances and accept the uncharitableness of some of my teachers, mates and friends. Instead of discouraging me, mockery and jeering motivated me to work harder and smarter. My positive reaction to a negative event in my life resulted in positive outcomes that continue to benefit me, my family and humanity at large, even to date. As long as I did not give up, I eventually overcame and succeeded.

That is one of the reasons I am always so positive. I see a happy ending in every situation, no matter how bad. I believe that things are bound to get better, as long as I remain positively committed to taking the right actions and doing the right things. As long as there is life, there is always hope for better things.

Let me leave you with three quotations that I find very useful and instructive:

1. "The difference between a strong man and a weak one is that the former does not give up after a defeat.” – Woodrow Wilson.

2. "It is inevitable that some defeat will enter even the most victorious life. The human spirit is never finished when it is defeated…it is finished when it surrenders.” – Ben Stein.

3. "Winners are not afraid of losing. But losers are. Failure is part of the process of success. People who avoid failure also avoid success.” – Robert T. Kiyosaki.

You can be a thousand times better than you are right now. Do not be beaten down by the negative events of life. Do not be beaten by defeat or failure or loss. What you do in reaction to what happens to you is the determining factor. Beat down the negative action by reacting positively. Bounce back and stand tall.

Yes you can!

You are victorious!

It is all within you!

It is me, Agoso Bamaiyi, your friend for a greater Nigeria and the best things of life.

Attitude And Altitude.

Jesse Louis Jackson, African-American clergyman, politician, and civil rights activist, once made a link between altitude (how high one goes in life) and attitude (how one feels about and sees life and the issues therein) in a speech he gave about the plight of the inner city black population (especially the youth) and how they can turn their situation around for good. He called for a change of attitude, alluding to the fact that the ghetto youth were kept down more by their attitude towards life than any perceived injustice by the white population or the American system.

 

These are his words:

“If they can conceive it and believe it, they can achieve it. They must know it is not their aptitude but their attitude that will determine their altitude.” – Jesse Jackson.

True words! And there is a scientific validation of that statement. The science of psychology has established a direct link between a person’s attitude and how well and far that person does and goes in life. Those who approach life with a positive, engaging attitude, enjoy life and achieve more than those who approach life with a negative, detached attitude. Hear this: ultimately you will rise only to the levels you permit yourself, by the type of attitude you chose to employ and the things you are willing to attempt in life. If you employ and deploy a positive attitude towards people and all the other issues and circumstances of life, you will find it a lot easier to face and overcome all the challenges and obstacles of life and, eventually, reach your full potential. On the other hand, a negative attitude will unnecessarily limit your potential and complicate your life by compounding the challenges and the obstacles with which you are faced. A negative attitude is what really keeps an individual or a people a perpetual underclass or underachievers.

So, in reality, what most of us need to live up to our awesome potential and succeed in life is simply a change of attitude; a mental shift from fear to faith, negativism to positivism, doubt to belief, complaining to commitment, laziness to purposeful work. We need an about-turn from thinking that our success in life depends on, or is in the hands of someone else – an uncle or aunty or some other relation, or some rich person or elite to whom we are connected by tribe or nationality – and not in our hands.

Your success in life is in your hands. I know, from time-to-time, you will need help from others to push you forward and upward to the next level. It is a fact of life that you cannot scratch your back by yourself, but have you noticed that the part of your back that you cannot reach is a very small portion of your body, maybe less than 3% of your entire skin surface? Doesn’t that tell you something? That you are meant to do your scratching in life, with occasional purpose-built help, until you attain relief? You are responsible for your bed and the way you make it is exactly the way you will lay on it. You will only get help from others when they see you making your bed.

So, I ask you; are you making your bed or sitting around idly and complaining about how nobody wants to help you? You know, that is exactly what a lot of our young people are doing! We pass out of secondary school and make no serious attempts to gain admission into a higher institution for graduate studies and the acquisition of professional qualifications and then complain about how nobody is willing to sponsor us. What sponsorship are you going to get when you do not have an admission? We reject available jobs that are meant to move us forward towards better things simply because we feel they are “beneath our dignity”, and then complain about how no one is willing to get us a “big” job. What “big” work can you do when you do not have the necessary experience and preparation that “small” jobs are meant to give you? We spend the little money we get on frivolous living and then wonder why nobody is willing to trust us with money to go into business. What serious business can you do when you are wont to eat the seed that is intended for planting? You want to live like a millionaire when you have not laid the foundation and build the structures that will legitimately support that kind of lifestyle. Who will be foolish enough, even if you are their child, to sponsor your wasteful addictions?

I had an encounter with some youth a while ago that aptly illustrate my point. Sometime ago, I spoke passionately in a youth motivational program about how the youth can go from nothing to something, using contemporary and scriptural examples to buttress my point, if they are willing to push themselves and work hard. After an hour and a half of talking and taking questions, a group of four youth walked up to me. They had no question on anything that needed clarification, but a trailer-load of complains against the elites.

“Our elites are heartless. They do not want to help anybody. They occupy big positions in politics, government, and the armed forces, without helping anyone to follow their footsteps. All they do is spoil our young girls, live lavishly, build houses and take chieftaincy titles. They are our problem in this community…” they rapped on and on, with angry vehemence and self-righteous pomposity.

I stopped them and asked the ringleader, a lady, whether she would not build a house if she made enough money. She answered curtly that that was not the point.

“What is the point?” I asked her.

“The point is that our elites should change their attitude towards life and be more willing to help the young ones attain success in life.”

Now, while her observation does have some merit, I knew that that is not the main problem. With or without the help of the elites, I believe our young people can make something great out of their lives. After all, most of these elites got to where they are today by dint of hard work and positive commitment to life. As a matter of course, they did get help along the way but such help found them on the ground with overalls and tools in hand, working. If they had not gone out there pursuing their dreams, no help would have come to them and no assistance would have been relevant. Now, if they stood up, pursued and made their lives count, who says our young people cannot do the same today? So, you see, the main problem, really, is the attitude of our young people towards life:

- Planlessness and purposelessness

- Wrong and/or misplaced priorities

- Expecting too much from well-to-do relations

- Waiting for someone to carry their burdens for them

- Misdirected anger against the elites and the system

- Laziness and slobbishness

- Wanting the “good life” without working for it

- Unwillingness to submit to proper mentoring

- Feeling too big or too good for certain jobs that are really a means to an end and not an end in themselves

- Etc etc etc etc

Our young people these days want everything made easy. But if our young people will abandon these negative attitudes and be more forth coming and engaging in life, they can change their story from mediocrity to a glorious one. Take planlessness or visionlessness for an example. After ranting angrily about the failings of the elites, I asked the lady, the ringleader, the following question:

“Let’s say I get one of our elites to help you, what exactly do you want? What kind of assistance do you want?”

From the look in her eyes, I was sure she did not expect that question. What she actually expected was sympathy, and I was not ready to engage in a pity party. Our young ones do not need sympathy, but practical, concrete engagements that most come, firstly and mostly, from the youth themselves. Then the helpers will appear, at the right time and junctions in the process, to offer necessary help and assistance. You have no right to expect help, when you are doing nothing. Get involved in something constructive and positive in the pursuit of your dreams and, I assure you, helpers will come to your aid as and when you need them.

When I pressed our young “activist” for an answer to the above question, she stuttered and stammered and then gave a very vague answer. She had no ready plan but she was overworking her nervous fuses about elites that were not willing to help her! Now, in all fairness, what sort of help will a sensible elite be willing to give to a youth that cannot readily and coherently present a workable plan? Even SURE-P and YOU-WIN and N-POWER, with all their petro-naira, will not give you assistance without a workable business plan and a convincing presentation. And our fiery reforming crusader was eloquently coherent in condemning the elites but lost her sharpness when it was her turn to beam the searchlight on herself!

Young people, let’s do away with this attitude of condemnation and confrontation and cultivate an attitude of personal commitment and pursuit. Everything you need in life will come to you if you are willing to pursue committedly. Nobody ever built a great life with condemnation and confrontation. If you can take all that energy and channel it into productive pursuits and constructive engagements you will be celebrated, sooner than later.

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you:

For everyone that asketh recieveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” - Matthew 7:7, 8.

- Ask (not attack in criticism and condemnation!)

- Seek (not sit around and merely wish!)

- Knock (not fight and destroy!)

God has given His word, and the universe is duty-bound to bring it about; if you ask, you will receive, if you seek, you will find, and if you knock, the door will be opened to you. That is an unalterable universal law, good for all time, clime, and types. Your location, age, background, educational status, etc., does not matter. This law will work for one and for all who practice it. It defines the attitude you need to have towards life.

Now, my question to you is: “are you asking-seeking-knocking or attacking-sitting-fighting? Which one of the two best describes your attitude towards life right now?” 

Only asking-seeking-knocking will unleash your potential and eventually take you to your dream land. 

Please remember: nothing is impossible in life, if you believe.

It is Agoso Bamaiyi, your friend for a greater Nigeria and the best things of life.

Such Is Life.

Life comes in contrasts, even contradictions. One has got to take it in his stride and move on with focus and purpose, regardless the incidence or outcome. 

Take this as an example. Sometime back in Lamurde, as I worked on my computer system in the room, I heard a funeral service going on. The public address system transported the sounds right into the room. Not long after, the funeral procession passed and went up the main road that straddled Lamurde into the neighbourhoods for burial. It was the end of the road for someone.

A couple of hours later a boisterous bevy of beautiful Bwatiye ladies, carrying the Lokei (marriage procession) and singing joyfully at the top of their voices, came down the same road as they headed for the Hwodi Lokei (marriage house). Someone is getting married; the begining of a journey.

Same day, same town, same road, but two contrasting events and outcomes. People reacted to both events appropriately, depending on how close or related they were to the people involved. Then everyone eventually returned to face their own lives and the issues therein.

Cooped up in the room and bent over my laptop, I said a silent prayer for the family of the bereaved and wished the best for the new couple as I trudged on purposefully with the work before me. I was working on a strategy paper on how to push Adamawa State forward on the path of sustainable development.

The day you were born is the day someone, somewhere, died. The day you got married is the day someone,  somewhere, got divorced. The day you received your appointment letter is the day someone, somewhere, received a job termination letter. The day you were promoted is the day someone, somewhere, got demoted. Your moment of joy and happiness is someone's moment of sadness. Life goes on, regardless.

Annually, 1.2 million people die of road crashes (with between 20-50 million either injured or disabled), over 17 million people die from CardioVascular Disease (CVD), over 400, 000 die from Malaria and about 800, 000 die from AIDS-related illnesses. As a matter of fact, there are over 56 million deaths globally per year. Juxtapose that with birth statistics and you immediately see the struggle between death and life: 4.3 births per second, 258 births per minute, 15, 480 births per hour, 371, 520 births per day and over 130 million births per year. Double the number of people who die are born to take their place. In the midst of death life happens. Such is life.

Life goes on, no matter the incidences and experiences, close by or faraway, sad or joyful. Destiny must be attained. In reality, no one stops for any one. No destiny stops for another destiny. You must carry your cross and make your way to your destination, no matter what is happening around you. You do not wait for a complete alignment of events and incidences before you move out your forces. You get up and move when you are ready. If things are not happening as they should, you do not keep waiting. You make them happen as you want them to.

As a matter of course, we do mix and engage and support each other, but we can only stand by others, or others can only stand by us, to a certain point. Even siblings and other family members can only support each other so far. In the final analysis, we must carry our own weight, walk our own path and arrive our own destination, at our own pace and time, no matter what else is happening to others around us. You do not give up your life because someone, even if it is a loved one, lost theirs. You see, ready or not, life goes on.

Life is a mix of bitter and sweet. Storm and rain, pain and gain, hard work and comfort, negative and positive; all go together. The final outcome depends on what you do with the blend. So, when life throws you a Lemon, do as my mentor, Dr. Ige Olumide, used to advice us; turn it into a Lemonade. Process and convert the bitterness into something nutritious and healthy. When life throws corn at you, turn it into cornmeal. When the Sun beats down on you, capture its rays and turn them into Solar Energy. Also, take the wind and storms of life and turn them into power. Beat the odds and stand tall.

Have you noticed that the rainbow is a combination of seven contradicting colours all happening at once? Yet, it is so beautiful. In competing against each other, the colours actually bring out the best in one another. So, do not be fazed by the contradictions of life. Like the rainbow, harness the contradictions and shine forth beautifully. The vicissitudes of life are not meant to mar you but to make you. Take it as it comes and roll forward with each blow. You are wired to overcome and shine in life.

Such is life.

It is Agoso Bamaiyi, your friend for a greater Nigeria and the best things of life.

No Condition Is Permanent.

Ponder this: the fact that you are first does not automatically mean that you are the best. Inversely, the fact that you are the last does not automatically mean you are the worst. Things are not always what they appear to be. You see, things can and do change, depending on how you make use of the time and chances life gives to you; the first now can end up as the last and the last now can end up as the first tomorrow. No condition is permanent.

You need to know that where you are now is a position and not a conclusion. You can, therefore, move on to better things and improve your position and condition. You can change your position to a far better condition. You can turn the table for your good and go on to enjoy the very best of life. It is all possible.

For those of you who are currently doing well and occupy the front row, let me tell you a bit about the psychology of success: it is like an intoxicant. It gives you a false feeling of security and invincibility, making you lose both perspective and objectivity. You soon begin to believe your own propaganda and, in doing so, you stop doing the very things that propelled you to this position in the first place. Without you noticing it at first, you start to regress and those who you thought you were superior to, who kept working the processes of success, begin to make progress ahead of you. Except you check the fall and bounce back, you soon become a "has been"!

Do not lose your advantage. How? By keeping your perspective and objectivity clear. Maintain and sustain your ambition. Maintain and sustain your hunger. Maintain and sustain your drive. Maintain and sustain your curiosity. Remain at the top of your game. Be up and doing. Go after your aims and goals with unrelenting zeal and commitment. Work harder. Work smarter. Like Usain Bolt, continually break your old records and set new ones. That is the key to remaining first and relevant.

And if you are last right this moment? Its not all bad news, you know. Believe me, you can bounce higher and climb to better things and attain greatness. You can go all the way to be the very best and sit at the very top. It is a possibility that is fully within your reach. It is a possibility that is as real as the daily rise of the Sun and the air you breathe. You can take this fact to the bank.

The question is "how?" It follows the same principle as remaining the best; work harder, smarter and longer, and do not accept the mirage of defeat that thunders at you that you are good for nothing; that you will always be a failure; that you will never win; that you will never be celebrated. It is a mirage, a false appearance. Success is not exclusive to any particular race, tribe, religion or family. It is universally available to everyone that pays the price in relevant preparation, work and risk-taking. Your name can be written on the wall in the hall of success.

Therefore stay calm. Remain at your duty post. Keep your heart, your head and your hands on the job. Plough forwards and upwards. Observe. Ask questions. Learn and grow. Never give in to doubt, fear or complacency. Do not settle for good, when you can become better and go on and become the best. Keep working because work makes greatness possible. You never climb a wall with your hands in your pockets, do you? Pull your hands out of your pockets and work. Grab hold of the ladder of life and climb upward. Get up and get going.

My personal experience bear testimony to the fact that no condition is permanent. Things can  change for good. You can bounce back from worse to bad and from bad to good and then move on to success and greatness. You see, I was once labelled "purposeless" and "useless". I performed far below average in almost everything. My teachers beat me, hoping to spark some comprehension in me. My mates and friends mocked me. People in the neighbourhood wrote me off as a hopeless case. I personally felt lost and hopeless. 

Then I got a divine nudge, an unexpected chance to make good. I took it with both hands. I worked hard and I am a changed person today. It took time and effort but today I have become relevant and, from hopelessness, I give hope to people all around the World. Those who mocked me have had to swallow their words and cover their faces in shame. I say this, not in pride or self-praise, but to encourage anyone who might be going through a low time right at this moment. You also can bounce unto success and greatness.

Nothing in your divine origins say you cannot attain greatness. You are made in the image of God and God is great. Do not listen to negative people. Do not give in to negative circumstances. Do not listen to your personal self-doubt and negative self-projections. Be positive. Be strong. Be confident. Be bold. Be true to your divine roots. Work out your greatness.

It is Agoso Bamaiyi, your friend for a greater Nigeria and the best things of life.

Lesson From Grandma.

When mama gained admission and left for ABU Zaria to study for a degree, my five siblings and I moved, from the staff quarters in Villanova,  to the notorious Hwodi Pare, a neighbourhood in Numan, to live with our maternal grandmother. It was way back in 77 and dad had been dead for about 2 years.

Soon after, both Vidiyeno and Dadi (my older brothers) left for secondary school and I, taking to delinquency, dropped out of school for over 3 years. During that period, I tried my hands in animal husbandry (Pig rearing) and farming, mainly helping out grandma Margie Shittu. 

It was during this time that I learnt a very powerful life lesson from the wise lips of my gentle, but strong, grandmother.

You see,  helping her with the harvest (she cultivated maize, Sorghum, Garden egg, some vegetables, etc, mainly for subsistence purposes), I noticed she carefully took out the best produce (biggest sizes, well-formed seeds,  deep colours, infection-free and so on) from the rest of the lot, carefully prepared and hanged them out to air and dry properly. This means they will not be eaten but will be used as seeds for the next farming season. 

My adolescent mind could not work out the logic behind this practice. My thinking was that the biggest and the best should be eaten and enjoyed,  while the smallest and the wilted can then be preserved as seed. 

My grandmother pointed out to me that it did not work like that. The quality of what you sow, barring weather and natural interference beyond human control,  directly determines the quality of your harvest. If you sow malformed and wilted seeds, you will reap a mediocre harvest. If you sow well-formed and healthy seeds,  you will reap a bumper harvest.

Now I understand,  both from personal experience and study, that the quality of the harvest (output)  is in the quality of the seed (input). It is a simple but powerful universal principle. 

If you sow rofo-rofo, you will reap multiplied rofo-rofo. If you sow goodie-goodie, you will reap multiplied goodie-goodie. If you sow bwaraune (Ubuntu), you will reap multiplied bwaraune. Life is a boomerang: what you throw out eventually finds it's way back to you, for good or for bad.

The Bible also teaches that "...Whatsoever a man soweth,  that shall he reap... " (Gal. 6:7).

This principle I learnt from my grandma guides my actions now: I always put forward my best foot in all things and at all times. This has resulted in a productive life, from a delinquent one. It is a principle I am sure you will find very useful. 

Always give the best to life and you will get the best from life. 

It is Agoso Bamaiyi, your friend for a greater Nigeria and the best things of life.

The Topmost Priority.

A journalist once asked me, "if you were the President of Nigeria, what will be your number one priority? What will you emphasize above all others?"

"Education", I answered without hesitation. My answer surprised the journalist. She did not expect it. She expected me to say something like Petroleum Resources or Power and Steel or Agriculture and Natural Resources or Health. Education did not feature high on her list of priorities because, to be honest, it does not feature high on the list of the priorities of successive governments in Nigeria for a long time now. Nigerians are used to our Presidents appointing themselves Minister of Petroleum Resources. 

Somehow we, as a country, have come to believe that our "salvation" lies in the Petroleum Sector. It is a grossly mistaken belief. No resource-based sector, no matter how richly endowed, holds the key to genuine sustainable growth and development. Besides - and we do not seem to grasp this sobering fact! - the World is fast moving away from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy. Very soon oil will lose its value, and then it will matter very little, in practical terms, how much petroleum resources we have. Only human-based sectors, such as education and other social services sectors, hold the key to genuine, sustainable development and prosperity. Nations only truly grow and develop, in a sustainable manner, with highly developed and functional human capital. Education is the primary driver of human capital development and, hence, all forms of development. Get your educational sector right and you eventually rise to your potential and master your national destiny.

This is so because education ties into all sectors and aspects of national life and human existence. Without education, both formal and informal, the President cannot be the President in the first place! Apart from citizenship and age requirements, the constitution requires also that the President be educated to a certain minimum level. Addtionally, education confers on the human resource the skills and expertise necessary to develop and deploy all other forms of resources as goods and services for national growth, development, profitability and prosperity. Without a highly educated and capable human resource, all other resources will remain fallow and, hence, useless and unprofitable.

Not able to hide her surprise, the journalist asked me why I choose education as my topmost priority. I answered her as follows:

"You see, without education, there will not be the required manpower in all aspects, to run the nation purposefully and productively, nor will there be the purposefully proactive and productively engaged citizenry necessary to administer the country successfully. Education develops and builds the human being and the human being, in turn, fully develops and productively and sustainably uses and manages all the resources available to the nation. Thus education is the key to a great future for any nation and the most powerful weapon with which the World can be changed."

 

That is what the Madiba, Nelson Mandela, had in mind when he said:

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."

You want to change Nigeria for good? Invest heavily in all aspects and levels of education; sustain the investment for the long-term; leverage on international relationships and partnerships to help finance such investments, and empower universities and research institutes to deliberately work on solving the various developmental challenges that beset us as a nation.

This, in practice, will involve drastically improving the condition of service of all categories of teachers (this will attract the best brains to teaching and motivate them to give their best), training enough teachers all across the country, building standard schools in all communities all across the country (perimeter fencing, adequate classrooms, well-equipped laboratories, well-equipped libraries, well-equipped workshops, adequate hostels and dining facilities in boarding schools, well-balanced meals, beautiful landscaping, adequate sporting and other extracurricular infrastructure, 24/7 power supply, adequate teaching and learning aids, etc.), international best practice administration, adequate number of teachers in all schools and in all subjects (including coaching and auxiliary teaching staff, and lab attendants and technicians, etc.), timely and regular payments of salaries and other entitlements, etc.

You see, paying mere lip service or engaging in token, drop-in-the-Ocean, investments in the sector, as has been the practice so far, will not do. It has to be massive and all-encompassing. It has to be an emergency, a "brutal" revolution in the educational sector. It has to be, massive, all-encompassing, sustained and longterm. It has to be well-planned and well-executed. It has to affect every community, ward, Local Government Area, State and the entire nation. It has to begin now and be sustained Ad Infinitum. 

It is Agoso Bamaiyi, your friend for a greater Nigeria and the best things of life. 

Tips For Surviving The Heat Season.

The Heat Season is upon us and, with temperatures daily hovering over 40 Degrees Celsius, we must adopt a practical survival strategy to go through it with our health and sanity intact.

Here are a few tips that will help you along this harsh season:

 1. Avoid stepping into the Sun as much as possible.

But if you must step out into the Sun, use a sunscreen cream, sunshades and an umbrella.

2. Avoid thick, heavy clothes for now. Use light dresses made of cotton or other natural substances. These allow air into your body and, thus, help cool you down, stemming off the possibility of getting those prickly heat rashes that make you feel like your body is on fire!

Synthetic materials do not breath and are, therefore, ventilation-blockers. Clothes made of synthetic materials are definitely non-starters for this harsh season, no matter how trendy they may be. You do not want to "cook" your beautiful skin just for fashion, do you?

3. As much as possible, use white clothes, especially during sunshine hours. Whites repel heat, while keeping you cool. Dark colours, especially black, attract heat, thus, intensifying your discomfort.

This applies to shoes, caps, cars, offices, classrooms and homes. If you can afford everything white, this is the prescribed season to do so.

4. Talking about affordability, this is the prime time to aircondition everywhere, if you can afford it; your home, office, car, etc. If it keeps the tormenting heat and all associated ills at bay, it wont be money wasted, I assure you!

5. If the money available to you is limited and you cannot afford airconditioning, then joyfully make use of the general, ever-reliable rule of thumb for tackling heat and the many ailments associated with it: throw your windows wide open and keep your home and office well ventilated.

Also, make use of your electric fans, whether they be standing or ceiling fans, as often as good old NEPA permits or your pocket can afford to service and power your generating set, that is assumming you have one.

Or you can buy one of those hand-held, muscle-powered fans, whether it is made of plastic or palm frond.

The key to all these, and it is a Master Key, is to keep as aerated and ventillated as possible all through this season of the year.

Now, we can all afford that, cant we?

Or, you can do as we used to do in Hwodi Pare when I was growing up: take your beddings outside and sleep under the natural aircondition. Now, you can afford that too, at least until the Hot Season is over!

6. Whether you sleep outside or inside, avoid crowding. This will help prevent the outbreak and spread of deseases, such as Cerebruspinal Meningitis. You do not want to go there, do you? It is an expensive place to be, not to mention potentially deadly.

7. This is the underpinning rule to surviving the Heat Season with your health and sanity intact: make generous use of water!

Yes, water.
Water, water, water.
Life-giver that doubles during this season as a life-saver

At the foundational level, (and a building is only as strong as its foundation!) drink as much water as you can comfortably hold in. Do not hold back. I assure you you wont get a pot belly before this season is over!

The water will keep your body well hydrated, ready and able to successfy fight any heat-sponsored invasion. If there is anytime you ever need your body to be at its best, its during this season! So, give it water.

Then, at the secondary and superficial level, but equally as important, is the need to keep cool and clean using water.

Shower, oh, my sweet shower! What better time to indulge in you purposefully and generously than now?

The simple use of soap and water over your body, two or three times a day during this season can, not only keep you cool but also, save your life.

The shower is the right place to be this season. So, get to it and stay in it all through this season, so long as it does not distract from your other legitimate pursuits!

Before I go, let me draw your attention to the need to beware of snakes, scorpions and other paste that ordinarily stay out of our way. They too feel the heat and share with us humans the need to cool down and to survive. You are most likely to encounter such uninvited and unwanted guests this time of the year than at any other time.

Take necessary actions to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Now, do not say I did not warn you!

May you and your loved ones survive the Heat Season (and any other harsh season life throws at you) with your confidnce and your sense of humour intact!

It is Agoso Bamaiyi, your friend for a greater Nigeria and the best things of life. 

No Work, No Success!

Do not be fooled by those who would want you to believe you can succeed in life without any form of exertion. There is nothing like "workless" or "sweatless" success. Even 4-1-9, and other forms of fraud schemes, involve an appreciable degree of planning and execution, both forms of exertion. Juju and ritual wealth or success also involves planning and execution and sacrifice. Do not get me wrong; I do not support 4-1-9 or juju. I am merely pointing to the fact that even with them, you will still need to work. And even in church, after you are anointed for wealth, you still have to open your shop and be diligent at your business, otherwise you get nothing. You must work or else forget success in life. It is a universal truth.

Money or success does not fall from heaven. You want to succeed and get to some place great in life? You want your life to make meaning and have recognisable relevance? You want to be counted among the successful and great? You want to have an impactful life? You must be willing to work. Otherwise, forget genuine success. Work is the only legitimate way to success. Any other way to, or any other form of, success is a fraud. In life, it is no work, no success.

As a matter of fact, the only place where success comes before work is in the arrangement of the alphabet in the English dictionary! In practical life work comes before success. To succeed in life, you must work committedly on the processes of life. You must sacrifice time, energy, intellect and, sometimes, money. What people call "goodluck" and "fortune" are actually rewards for deligent and determined work. Goodluck and fortune never happen in a void. They are always triggered by sacrificial work.

This is how both Benjamin Franklin - American polymath and one of the founding fathers of the United States of America - and Emily Dickinson - American writer and poet - made the connection between luck and fortune and diligence:

"Diligence is the mother of good luck." - Benjamin Franklin.

"Luck is not chance, it's toil; fortune's expensive smile is earned." - Emily Dickinson.

You are looking for good luck and fortune? Do not look any further than work, because you will find them (legal forms of good luck and fortune) nowhere else.

Listen to King Solomon, the wise king of Israel, and benefit from ageless wisdom:

"Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men" - Proverbs 22:29.

Without diligence in what you do, you are going nowhere great. You will not attain recognition and promotion in life. You will do nothing celebratory. Nothing great will come from you or your pursuits. You will remain average, or even somewhere below average. Step up your game, therefore, and benefit from diligence. Avoid laziness like the plague. Get to work.

Like we say in local parlance: good soup na money kill am. So also, a successful life na work make am. No more, no less.

You can do it.

It is all within you.

It is Agoso Bamaiyi, your friend for a greater Nigeria and the best things of life.

The Power Of Preparation.

The book of Proverbs, chapter twenty four and verse twenty seven says:

"Prepare thy work without, make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house."

This verse clearly points out that if you are to successfully complete building a house,  you must first prepare adequately. This preparation involves buying a land, getting experts to do a site plan and developing a building plan, doing a cost analysis and quantity survey, raising and putting aside enough money, hiring a building engineer and other workers, getting the prescribed building materials in the prescribed quantities, building according to plan, etc. This truth applies to every area of life. 

Preparation is the Master Key to success in all pursuits and endeavours in life, including areas for which we are eminently talented and/or naturally gifted. No matter the depth of talent of an individual athlete or a team, if they are not adequately prepared,  they will be beaten by a less talented individual or team that is more prepared. Talent and natural gifting are not a guarantee for success. Preparation is the only guarantee for success. It unlocks doors that talent and natural ability alone cannot open.

We see this daily all around us; less talented or less gifted individuals doing better than highly talented and gifted individuals, simply because they are more prepared. You see, whatever you do not adequately prepare for,  you will not prosper in. When you are not prepared, you will be taken unawares, and whatever takes you unawares will reduce you. 

Please understand that success and greatness never come to those who merely sit around and wait, banking on their talents or connections alone to carry then through,  but to those who work in anticipation of success and greatness. You are not worth what you do not work for, and if you do not work for success, it won't come to you, no matter who you think you are.

Your future is as bright as you are willing to make sacrifices and prepare for now. You know the saying, "as you make your bed,  so will you lie on it". This is a true saying. So, what kind of bed are you making right now? Are you ploughing the grounds and planting the seeds of success or are you just fooling and playing around? Are you planning and working hard or just wishing and wasting time? 

It is up to you, really. If you fail in life, therefore, blame yourself and not the village witch or your mother (I do not know where they got the idea from that a mother can wish for and actively pursue the failure of her child!). Nobody can stop you from succeeding, even if they have the intention and actually try, except you. Only you can stop you. If you fail to prepare, or you give up the struggle too easily, then you will fail.

Listen to what inventor Alexander Graham Bell says about preparation:

"Before anything else, preparation is key to success."

Trust Mr. Alexander Graham Bell. He knows what he is saying. Apart from inventing the telephone, he held 18 other patents. All his inventions are products of preparation and work. 

Inventor Thomas Alva Edison, who held over 1000 patents, put it this way:

"I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work."

I conclude with this powerful observation I made in my first published work HANDLING OFFENCES AND DISAPPOINTMENTS:

"He who lays up for the future, will find the future laid up for him" - Agoso Bamaiyi.

What are you laying up for tomorrow? 

It is Agoso Bamaiyi, your friend for a greater Nigeria and the best things of life.