Serendipity

Image source: khalilcenter.com I have come to view life from the lens of it being a series of interactions with varying individuals at different stages in our lives. From childhood to adulthood, our exposure, knowledge and experiences are shaped by our various interactions with the world around us and other people across time and location. Usually starting within our families, our sphere of interactive influence grows as we advance and move through the different phases of our lives. This line of thought came to me as I pondered on my apprehension when encountering new people generally and particularly in a work based environment. This unease becomes more apparent in situations where I have to depend on or rely on these other people for any number of outcomes; otherwise it’s usually fun meeting new folks. At the root of this anxiety I believe is a fear of judgement and an unwillingness to relinquish total control over the outcomes of my life and work. That feeling of dependency on o...

Image: Fenderbender Overtime, I have come across two important lessons with respect to achieving goals. It is a still a struggle for me to imbibe the inherent truths in the lessons but I am convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that they hold the key to commitment to specific objectives 1.     1. You will never be good enough – We all have been blessed with fantastic ideas that can change and re-engineer our world. We are literally busting at the seams with life changing concepts and initiatives. But our mind never seems to agree with us. It tells us not to delude ourselves; great ideas are the preserve of an exclusive few and we are most certainly not part of that few. Even when we are convinced that we are on to something special or that has potential, our will is quickly worn down by the thought of the effort required to actualize the goal.     The excuses then begin to pour in, reason after reason why we are not qualified to chase that dream. And it doe...

Image: Sunnewsonline I was one of those people that campaigned vigorously for President Buhari in the build up to the 2015 elections. I had one main reason; I was tired of the ineptitude and corruption that held sway with blatant disregard in the Jonathan administration. I like many Nigerians at the time wanted Buhari to tackle corruption. I had no delusions of grandeur that Buhari was going to do wonders for our economy or transform Nigeria into a land flowing with milk and honey. The man in my mind had just the one mandate; fight corruption. And then possibly pave way for a younger more charismatic candidate beaming at the seams with progressive ideas; and one who would finally be able to settle down to the business of building a Nigeria of our dreams without the encumbrance and bottle necks of deep seated venality. The argument about Buhari’s performance thus far has left Nigerians divided, (not that we were running out of reasons to be) but irrespective of what side of th...

Image: Melmagazine We’re all familiar with the usage of the word ‘Chivalry’ today and this piece looks at the take on chivalry by some advocates of feminism. I recently read comments attributed to one of my favourite and most inspiring people (in an interview she granted) where she argued for I would describe as a more balanced and gender-neutral inclined substitution for chivalry. I discovered while researching the topic that this particular view has actually been around for a while. My choice of advocate for feminism as opposed to outright ‘feminist’ is deliberate as it represents my current understanding and struggle with what feminism truly means. I have and will always believe that men and women are equal (and this is where I differ with some feminist ideologies), but different. What I hear some, (again permit me) advocates of feminism averring, is the ‘same’ treatment for men and women. Same here should not be confused with equal, they mean different things. I will atte...

Image: Livguard I had barely left my street heading to church one Sunday when my car started to act up. Sparking sounds emanated from the engine; an issue my auto electrician had just assured me was resolved only the day before. It didn’t take long for me to decide that it would be safer to park and investigate the issue further. On the opposite side of the road from where I stopped was a truck driver backing his long container truck into an available parking spot there. Now, this fault is something that had damaged the brain box of my car in the past, (or at least that’s what I was told was responsible) and so I was not willing to take any chances. The day being a Sunday, I wasn’t likely to get a mechanic easily and so I approached the truck guy parked on the other side of the road for some help. Thinking about it now, I’m wondering why I felt he could help; I guess I felt driving a truck implied that he was more technical than the average driver.   As I approached h...

Image: Bonusly Purpose sometimes is a puzzle, sweating, toiling and hoping for the best Can we have fried eggs for lunch? Maybe not or not yet But you cannot afford to be drowned  in doubt, in the dream, in the shadows of cynicism Leaping in bounds doesn’t always require energy, sometimes just a synergy, of the soul and your resolve At the edge of the meadow, we contemplate and take stock, the air is rife with change and oranges Drift off, buoyed by courage, stringed by enthusiasm Things always look different from up there Again bounded by memory, slack, sticky and poignant It’s the oldest trick in the book, you will do well to bank, (a little) towards the sun,(full on) towards grace,(always) towards inspiration