BEX0905

Democracy | Nigeria | Our Legacy
Hi,
Nigeria celebrates this month, 10 years of democracy. Through the hassles and victories, we have emerged stronger and more focused as a nation. Yet I wonder; what value systems have we developed? What does democracy even mean to us as a people?

I am not a politician and do not aspire to be one. Interestingly however, this topic caught my attention in no small way. One definition of democracy I recently fell in love with is: a situation or system in which everyone is equal and has the right to make decisions. Reading this triggered a search who's purpose was to find the origin of the word 'democracy'. Here's what I discovered.

Democracy dates back to the 1500-1600s; demokratia, from Greek language merges two words: demos = people, -kratia = rule. Ha! I think most times we have it all mixed up! People rule, not the government or any leader for that matter! Yes they occupy political offices but ultimately, the people rule. Let me try and explain this.

Firstly, don't get me wrong here. I'm not saying the present regime, government and all are misplaced; a thousand times no! You see, we have often taken time out to observe and criticize our leaders and have constantly held them responsible for every strait we have found ourselves in, both as a nation and as individuals. We accuse them of not living up to our expectations. We blame them for the hikes and spikes we find in prices of food and other commodities. Sometimes we even hold them responsible for our lifestyles. Okay, maybe they were a direct/indirect influence on what has happened to us throughout the ranks. It might even be possible to point -with evidence- at specific leaders and say "here's what he/she did that’s placed me here". Still, there's a truth you should know.

demokratia. People rule. There are two things that never go together; never ever. They are blame and responsibility. They're mutually exclusive. One means, "to say or think that someone or something is responsible for something bad". This originates from the word blaspheme which was derived from a Greek word, blasphemos meaning, speaking evil. The other means, "a duty to be in charge of someone or something, so that you make decisions and can be blamed if something bad happens" - among other similar definitions. What I mean to say is there's only one person that’s been assigned the responsibility of matters concerning you. That’s YOU, and you alone. You have been assigned the responsibility of taking charge of you and all that concerns you. Of course we cannot rule out deity or political influence but basically it still boils down to YOU.

The truth is this, when a person starts to blame, the individual rids himself of the opportunity to take charge and turn the situation around. He/she freezes their brain from producing anything worthwhile and create a spiral effect of blaming and possibly, loathing and certainly eventually, irresponsibility in many forms. These forms most commonly are expressed by sitting back and waiting for the government to raise standards of living or waiting for some person to come to their aid and 'help turn things around'.

demokratia. As we celebrate our 10th year of 'people ruling', lets rule, really. A wonderful place to start is with ourselves. BE all you can be! We could start by shifting our focus from our leaders to ourselves. Take responsibility for the dissatisfaction you sense around you. Take responsibility for your environment. Take responsibility for your life, regardless of your past. Grab inadequacy and make it adequate. Don't wait for the government - they will not act on time! And if you find you are stuck, ask God for wisdom: He will show you- even in the mundane things! Go ahead and make the necessary changes.

The Butterfly Effect says that the tiny and seemingly insignificant changes we make in our lives now, buildup over time to become strong influences in our future. So BE! Make that change. BE the one to standout. BE the one to promote a cause that would end up being legislated. BE an exponent of healthy values amidst your peers. BE the strength your neighbor needs to do the right thing. BE the one to say NO! to values that do not promote our image. BE! YOU, RULE! BE all you can be!!

BEX0902

The LEGACY

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.

Pericles

A few days ago, I listened to someone I consider an icon that every young man should watch and pattern his life after speak about a project that burned in his heart. It had a theme — Nigeria: Out of the Box. It immediately caught my attention.

‘Out of the Box’ is an expression that describes breaking away from the norm, breaking out of all set or perceived limits. It usually initiates a process of change that is radically persistent. Are you wondering what box Nigeria is in?

Look at it this way: no one ever specified limits to the amount of achievement any individual can make. Nobody has set limits to the lifespan of any corporation. Nor, were limits set to the length of years a company’s vision can span. No divine mandate was given to any particular regime (gubernatorial or presidential) stating that the plans they have to execute must last only for the tenure during which they were in power. No law was passed stating that for Nigeria to make any progress, she must depend on other nations to support her with loans and funding or revamped raw materials which we produce.

No one has done this to Nigerians. It’s a mental rut we have found ourselves: a lot that has been handed down from one generation to the next and now nestled in our court. Fortunately the soil around this rut has not set and so we can easily lift our feet out of it before we are permanently stuck within.

I believe legacy thinking to be the only cure. Renown globally focused companies have been known to draft out visions that span the entire lifetime of the founders and extend to over a 100 years. And so when they are done here on earth, the next generation after them quite easily pick up the vision and run with it: hence the remarkable growth of so-called 3rd World Nations like (Nigeria) Korea, Japan.

Legacy thinking is doing what we do now to enable the next generation. Sowing seeds of ideas, morals, values, businesses and more which they can pick up from where we have stopped because of what we have left behind. It’s a conscious plan that involves considering the direction you would like to head a number of years from now and the position you and what you represent would be then.

A legacy basically involves building to last. It involves setting in place a vision structure that looks beyond now and considers continuity as critical to productivity. It involves projecting your core values to persist over time rather than just within a life time.

Nigeria getting out of the box does not have as much to do with the government as it has to do with the private sector. Till now, most businesses fix their eyes firstly on profit, secondly on maximum profit. Profit is good (a man must get paid for his labor). However if we focus on propagating our core values in business and as individuals, a 100 years from now, that will be the only reason people would seek the services you provide whether directly from you or indirectly from the figures that represent you.

That’s a legacy.

People talk about leaving an inheritance for their children and children’s children; what Nigeria needs as an inheritance is value. I’m talking about leaving an inheritance of a value system that will pervade the mind of the generations coming right after us, not just wealth. Value will always outlast wealth.

BE all you can be!!

A tribute, published October 22, 1931, to Thomas Alva Edison upon his death: THE passing of Thomas Alva Edison serves to direct our attention to the multitude of benefactions he bestowed upon all humanity during his many years of fruitful activity. It reminds us of the debt of gratitude we owe him as members of the human race. By his achievements, he laid the foundation for continued and greater development. His persistent efforts and indefatigable spirit multiplied many times the valuable opportunities for man, especially the young man. To each and every young man, Mr. Edison left a legacy of opportunities.

Thomas Watson (1874 - 1956)