Where is the Giant?

Welcome to another mind stimulating article on recreation. This time we are focusing on the recreation of an entire country. One that many (an indeed its citizens) have dubbed the "Giant of Africa".

I'm a lover of great lands, people who rise above their challenges and create something great of their nation leading to a better livelihood for its indigenes. Many are the romantic stories we've read about the founding fathers of America, the heroes who, from scratch built a nation of wealth and opportunity both for the citizens and foreigners. The same kind of stories exit for even previously third world countries like Singapore, Malasia, Brazil, India, who are now creating massive wealth for their people. The trick is not just to create wealth but to create wealth for the people. They certainly deserve it.

So what is this all about? It is a sort of reverse creation - decreation, if you like (destruction would not do justice to what I have in mind), but one that resonates with potentials.

My eyes where finally wiped of scales that previously coloured it by a speech shared by my good friend on his facebook note. The speech was given by a friend of the nation in question, a former U.S ambassador to Nigeria.

The nation of Nigeria is a blessed country. I know because I was born there, I live there and I make of myself whatever I am becoming from there. To the rest of the world - it's a land of controversy. Listed in many a country's black books. But does it truly deserve to be ascribed with such negativity? We who live in the country see its huge potentials but generation after generation has come and gone without us reaching that fullness that we can so easily reach if a little determination was found in us. Instead frustration and deprivation has replaced the souls of many living within.

It has now dawned on me (and this is what I seek to achieve in my Nigerian readers) that even if we have the potential of dominating the African continent and a great portion of the world, we are languishing in our own vomit. Feeding our own greed and lust with the flesh and blood of our children at the expense of our very own souls. Never can we get to the top with such wanton lack of vision and a red hot desire to push ourselves to achieve. We can not keep blaming this person or that because we all have contributed to the state of things and we all have to contribute in one way or the other in the rebuilding...or rather the building of our dear land.

We can get there! And if every man who calls himself a Nigerian, can develop fire in his belly to produce a grand Nigeria, a giant, then the call will have been heard. The call is going out to Nigerians to wipe their eyes and see that their is nothing that suggests we are giants in our present condition but if we commit to it, then we will make a good impact in providing that which we need.

Let me share this article with you. A speech from a U.S diplomat (a former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria on the occassion of the Achebe's Colloquium, last month) It was shared on a friend's facebook note. It perfectly reflects the foregoing thought and then some.

Inspirational!

Here's a video that will teach us that what it means to forge ahead whether we are at a loss or not - teach us to be inspirational whether life is good or bad!
Judge for yourself! Will you beat this dog?



What do you think?

How Can You Create Like Mark Zuckerberg?

'Wow', was the word that kept jumping out of my mouth when I saw this guys profile.
He's just 25 (born May 14th '84... and I used to think it was '83 that was the only special year..lol).

Guy, guys, guys. I really don't know how to put this guy's achievement in perspective. It's really not about the individual but the wave he's riding on. If you've ever read anything about Google founder (the 'Google guys') - Larry and Sergey, you would discover that the pattern that Zuckerberg took in his journey to becoming who he is today.

Here is a snap shot of the facebook guy:
He started facebook (previously 'thefacebook') while at Harvard as an undergraduate and with the help of his roommate and other friends developed facebook to level that they took to different educational institutions in the U.S including their own school Harvard.

The wide acceptance of the social networking site quickly spread like wild fire throughout all these institutions and they later brought it into the mainstream (that it currently is) only a couple of years ago. Thereby breaking its status as an institutional tool only. Today facebook has over 350million users in only God knows how many countries and Mark Zuckerberg is worth 2 billion dollars (a young boy of 25).

If this doesn't inspire you to do great things, you should get yourself examined! What do you think?

Do You Believe in Chance?

Some people will say they do not believe in chance happenings while some will say they do. This article seeks to answer one question: Can miracles just happen? Things incongruous to our life style just drop of nowhere and bam! its in front of you. Is this possible?

Some will say we are the way we are because of things we have done in the past. Cause and effect and all that stuff. While there is reason to believe this group, the question still remains: can our lives be put to a halt by happenstance.

If you do not believe in happenstance then you will agree with me that you are the master of your own destiny, the captain of your ship (as someone has put it). It sure is a good thought to know that your life turns out the way you direct it (or not direct it). There is a saying that failing to decide is the same as deciding 'cause when you fail to make up your mind about a thing then you leave matters in other people's hands who will decide for you what to do.

Money Potential

What pains me the most about this beloved country of ours is that we have the strongest potential to succeed. Every Nigerian knows this and I believe it pains them too. So how can we combat this besetting problem where we take far less than what we truly deserve?

Look around you; bad roads, no electricity, drainage blocks and all other vices that are too numerous to mention. What in the world can we do to change this trend?

In places where these things work, angels do not drop from heaven to make them work. Human beings and man-made systems drive the organization and delivery of proper living culture. What makes our different?
Looking around, I see we have a responsibility to make things better for ourselves. It is really up to us to decide... I just hope we do so in time and in this generation.

If you have any suggestions please feel free to add your comments here.