Heart of the Wise

While people are playing politics of self interests, are we asking ourselves these types of questions: How can we make our education system so much better so that going to school in Nigeria makes you solidly equipped and employable in global markets? How can we make our healthcare system effective so that our even elites will not have to go overseas to seek better solutions to their medical needs? How do we make our security apparatus effective for every citizen and every resident of the country? Are we thinking the right thoughts? Are we having the right conversations? Are we asking the right questions? Or are we playing games with our social fate? Are we playing petty politics of personal interests? Are we silly little men spying on or sabotaging each other out of envy and mediocrity instead of working together for the greater good of our collective interests and existence? Abientot!

I know a man who when his mother passed, I went with my mother then to commiserate with him and we gave him some money as a condolence gift. Fast forward to when my mother passed, the same man has never bothered to extend same gesture at least for the sake of the fact that he was close to my mother and she had been of immense help to him and his family when she was still alive. Not that I expected anything from him per se but circumstances have recently revealed the kind of person he really is, in undeniable and clear ways. I have seen things that he did to undermine and sabotage my parents and their interests. Matter of fact, he has instead tried to shortchange me at any given opportunity that presents itself. A most intriguing thing is that there are possibilities and indications of undercover wickedness with mixed signals of charisma and pockets of selective goodness.   Same venomous attitude has been experienced by many other people who have worked with him. I have my insights ...

Can you really save the world? How can you save the world? What can you say or do to help? Are you helping one person at a time? Are you serving in your little space? Do you seek any position or platform? Are you genuine, sincere and mature heart/soul/mind or are you a fake little piece of work placed by a mastermind/puppeteer with a hidden agenda and ulterior motive? What are you really about as a leader, influencer or person in a position of power? Is it about saving the world/your nation/community, or is it about your personal interest/profit/gain/control/glory? Are you a selfless and unbiased unity leader or a personal interest driven factional and sectarian ruler who divides to conquer? Are you playing politics or practicing principles? Are you a politician or a patriot? Is it a career or a calling? Or both? No wrong or right answers. Just know what you’re about. Just a few questions to ask yourself. Just a few points to ponder on.

Relating With More Successful Younger Persons Now, listen: 1. Give them wise counsel from your experience  2. Help them with what you have—service, advice, morale support, encouragement, guidance, etc 3. Be a servant leader and be exemplary  4. Admit your mistakes and take responsibility  5. Respect them in their own right and space 6. Never try to take undue advantage of them  7. Be willing and eager to learn from them  8. Don’t be too proud to ask younger ones questions in order to learn from them 9. Be grateful for any support they give  10. Be careful not to ask too much for assistance so as to avoid any disrespect and contempt  11. Be wise and be the mature person  12. Respect yourself and you’ll be respected  13. Don’t allow unwarranted disrespect  14. Never allow envy into your heart       I repeat: forbid envy from your soul  15. Never compete for superiority  16. Celebrate their wins; and genuinely, gene...

When or where there is competition, contention or fault-finding rather than cooperation, appreciation and team-building, then and there will there be a markedly limited communal or social development.  Now, this is often a sign of lack of true leadership.  It is not necessarily lack of technical skill, expertise, competence, experience or even management. Leadership is like a lid or stopper which determines the overall rise or fall of communities and countries. No nation or organization can rise above the level of leadership that they have. This is in line with the Leadership Law of the Lid as described by leadership expert John C. Maxwell. The law states that a leader's effectiveness is limited by their leadership ability, which acts as a "lid" on their potential and the potential of their team or organization.  It means one's capacity to lead directly influences how far their followers and the entire endeavor can meaningfully or authentically make good progress. Le...

Even when people are past their prime or are no longer as famous, popular, reigning or trending as they used to be before, we should not abandon those who have been a blessing to us before. A lot of people are not loyal but are just leeches. They jump on those who are hot cakes just to use them to climb to the top. They are social climbers. They don’t really care about people, regardless of how charismatic and charming they may appear. They are very clever and strategic performers. They have no basic or sustained love and loyalty. They simply target and roll with anyone who can take them to their next level of self-actualization. It’s all a selfish game and they don’t empathize with those who have challenges yet they want people to empathize with them when they have challenges. Selfishness is a very strange, satanic and dark character trait—even those who have it hâte to see it in others or to be at the receiving end of it. If you have a bad break, people don’t care and in fact some of...