The Will To Succeed

"Life is not a race. It is not a 100 meters race, it is a journey" Pastor Moji Isaacs





A long time ago, I worked with an Uncle of mine in 1994 (I had to spend 2years at home as I awaited my NYSC call-up). I remember clearly as I left the office and reached the famous Mushin bus stop. I remember how I stood still and watched the mad  rush that characterizes this mega city called Lagos.


The rush was unbelievable. People maneuvering through ice cream sellers, on coming buses and other people. I just smiled to myself as I strolled to the bus park.


I have often wondered why people rush so much in this city. The Bus drivers rush, the cab men rush, everyone rush-rush. Well, I have always said this to myself, "nobody drives home and takes the road with him".

It really isn't how far but how well. To succeed in life, there is a place for patience. You must have a teachable spirit. What I mean is, you must have an attitude to learn. Learn from those who have succeeded. Ask yourself - "how did he/she do it?" Do not be in a hurry to join the rat race.

Who says you have to put in 10 years of active service to be the next best thing? If you learn from those who have gone ahead of you, it means your success rate doesn't have to take that long.

You may also have to learn those things you have a silent passion for (acquire a skill or improve yourself academically). Did you know that the late Steve Jobs (The Apple founder) had a passion for Calligraphy? He actually took time to study this, and this was part of the secret recipe for the Apple I phones.

Did you also now that The Late Steve Jobs was also sacked as CEO of the Apple corporation? Well The Board hired him again and he took the company to new hieghts.

I say this, the will to succeed is in you. Failure is not an option.
Learn from the best, improve yourself by acquiring or pursuing your secret passions and never fall down and out. Until you bring out the best in you, never let go. Keep going, find what you love doing and keep going to you get it right and till you are perfect in it.

Till we meet again, remember this, failure is not an option.

David Chiaka

Genie In A Bottle

“When a man wants to do something, he finds a way. When he doesn’t, he finds an excuse.” David Chiaka

The concept of the genie in the bottle is derived from Arabic folklore. In summary, it is about people who are privileged to have a deity trapped in a lamp. Whoever is in possession of the lamp has power over this deity such that upon the release of this deity, the person is granted a certain number of wishes. In some vein, we need such genies in the office place or as special advisers to political office holders. These genies make things happen.

I am from a country with a lot of challenges. Nigeria is said to be one of Africa’s giant continent. With a population hitting over 165million citizens, very rich in ‘black gold’ (crude oil), and various material resources, one would expect that the emerging intellectual class would steer the nation from an age of darkness (economic waste and corruption) into an era of light (infrastructural & economical development).

Alas, this is not so. I have always had a solution oriented mindset towards any issue (call me a genie). This is seen in the type of company I keep and the way I do my work. So it is very annoying when I see the inability of The Government of this great nation to resolve certain basic issues that affect the citizens of the country called Nigeria.

Let’s look at security. Since the emergence of the present democratic regime, the celebration of his victory saw an increase in sectional killings in the northern part of Nigeria such that a militant group emerged. This group has brought chaos and fear like none other in the history of this great country. The question is not whether the Federal government can restore order. I believe they can. I however am lost as to if they want to restore order or if vested interests are resisting such efforts.

With the launch of Nigeria’s successful second satellite, we need to ask if this satellite can be deployed for security use amongst other things. There comes a time when physical strength is not enough to win a fight. There is also a place for wit and intellect. That is where technology comes to play.

There is a need for a new crop of information technology personnel in the police force. Their task is simple, track, identify and provide evidence to convict offenders and bring crime and terror to the barest minimum. These IT personnel of the police should be deployed to regional offices around Nigeria. There is great need to embrace technology. CCTv’s should be deployed on streets, satellites should also be used to track and the data base of Nigerians should be in the possession of this team for the identification of criminals.

So the question now is, who do people call in times of emergencies? Simple, call centers should be set up in every state along with emergency telephone numbers through which citizens can call in and report ‘crime in progress’. Above all, the police need shooting ranges for target practice (in police stations). We don’t need 10 cowardly police men with big machine guns, we need 1 efficient police man with a pistol who knows what to shoot, where and when. The project looks big, but considering the amount of billions being wasted, we must ask ourselves if we want to solve Nigeria’s security challenges or not.

Nothing is impossible, if you will only believe. In the same vein, in whatsoever we find ourselves doing, minimize the excuses for failure and look out of ways to get the job done. Ask questions, and listen to the remarks of your critics. Many times, the voice of your critic is the answer to your greatest challenge. Above all, don’t be afraid to do the right thing especially when you know you have been wrong.

I do hope we can learn from all that has been said. Till we meet again, keep winning.

David Chiaka

Zebra Crossing

The most sensible people to be met with in society are men of business and of the world, who argue from what they see and know, instead of spinning cobweb distinctions of what things ought to be.

- William Hazlitt

 
I was privileged to host some of my colleagues from Siera Leone over the weekend and they amused me as I drove through the famous city of Lagos, Nigeria. They were either clutching firmly to their sit or clapping enthusiastically as I meandered through buses, road intersections and traffic. They asked me why everyone drives so ferociously in this West African mega city and I had to explain things to them.

You see, the majority of Lagos drivers feel cheated that's why we drive ruthlessly. The streets and roads of Lagos are guarded by the "Lagos State Traffic Management Agency" aka LASTMA, well these guys are supposed to be arrest traffic offenders but the worst of these traffic offenders (bus drivers) have been in existence long before their creation. Thus they seem above the Law. It is painful when you have to queue up in line only for a bus driver to drive past a long queue to the very beginning and get waved through by the same LASTMA official(s) that is supposed to arrest a traffic offender. So you see? The Lagos driver has evolved to beat the system. Its more like saying, if you can't beat them, join them.

However, this is not an advisable approach to life. We must learn to stop at Zebra crossings for people to cross over. Do you know people look at you as strange when you do this in Lagos? Drivers have become callous as to zoom past "the red light" on intersections. It is only when there is some form of authority to enforce compliance that drivers obey. Some habits are destined to fail. Have you ever wondered why with all the rush these bus drivers do, they never seem to have attained anything in life? Have you ever wondered what the networth of a driver will be or ought to be? Think!

There is a place for discipline in self actualization. If you want to be a million dollar business man, you have to be very disciplined. You must stand for something. Your word must be your bond. You must have core values that define you. It must be that when your name comes up in a discussion, people can say something like- "that guy is dependable" (and sight examples to substantiate this).

Those that have chosen the path of indiscipline and corruption have left behind legacies of shame and disdain. We have a history of corrupt leaders in the past that have left billions of ill gotten wealth and a family in dis array. Their names are now associated with shame. However, successful people are known for particular lifestyles. They wake up at certain times, they dress is a particular way, read particular books, keep to time etc take time to watch them.

I encourage you to stand for something. When you go to a friend and family member to give you a loan to do business, let it be that they know at the back of their minds that you will be disciplined enough to see that business through and repay their loan. Do not be known as a defaulter.

Maybe you can get a group of friends together and assess each other by writing out traits that you are known for. At the end of such an exercise you can work on the bad things you are known for. Take this as an O.T.I. ie "opportunity to improve" . Refuse to follow the crowd. Be somebody different. 

 

Till we meet again, believe in yourself, stand for something positive and keep winning.

David Chiaka