BEING FAKE IS HARDWORK!

I believe the hardest task anyone can saddle him/herself with is working towards being the perfect replica of somebody else. It costs and involves a lot.

Also, anyone who chooses to be like someone else should be ready for constant [and annoying] evaluation; people will continuously measure your 'transformations' with your ORIGINAL's identity. This could be very frustrating if whatever they say is a far cry from what you want to hear. It is cheaper being YOU. It is only a 'competitor' than stands the risk of being defeated...

On the other hand, nobody desires to ‘photocopy’ an ‘original’ that's a failure. Everybody wants to duplicate a SUCCESS. Obviously, pirates don’t go after artistes and albums that don’t sell. Thus, as an ORIGINAL, when you become successful in anything, there would always be someone waiting in the wings to ‘duplicate’ your style, approach and principles. While this may be the shortest route to ‘success’, it equally has its cons.

I can't argue the fact that some folks may have risen to fame and stardom through duplication of 'successes', one fact we shouldn’t downplay is the fact that the Almighty created us to be ORIGINAL - He equally placed in us all the resources required to make this possible. Without doubts, living life different from our Creator’s standard has its own disadvantages... There is a portion of the Holy bible that says: "What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and LOSE HIS SOUL...”
In relation to this post, I think the above can be interpreted as saying: “what will it profit a man if he LOSE HIS SOUL (uniqueness, originality, conscience, individuality) in his attempt/desire to gain the pleasures of life!” The message is simple: Be ye ORIGINAL!!!

It is not out of place to be inspired by people. It only becomes tragic when you let their ORIGINALITY expire yours! I believe it is good to adopt the style and principles of others. However, we have the responsibility of developing ours and thereafter blend theirs with it. To my mind, the effect of other people’s uniqueness ought to make you a BETTER person! It shouldn't transform you into what you were never meant to be! You must make a conscious choice not to get lost in other people, especially in this crazy age that forces you to become what you don't have natural ability for!

Every time I get the privilege of speaking at University campuses and to young people, I never fail to tell them: “get inspired by me, don’t get expired because of me.” All too often, young people easily get carried away by the glittering ORIGINALITY of others, without necessarily focusing on how they can harness theirs. Be yourself, so someone else can adore you. You have a life – LIVE it!

When 2 persons are alike, one of them would certainly lose relevance. The 'photocopy' becomes a ‘spare’. Besides, why on earth should anybody buy 2 shirts of same size, same colour and same design?
Maybe one of the main reasons you have been losing fame, money and relevance is because you are the perfect replica of someone 'around.' Take note of 'around'!
Why should people come after you when your style, product and principles doesn't reveal anything UNIQUE? Nothing sells like DIFFERENCE! Today's leading organizations appreciate this fact, this is why they work assiduously on building a U.S.P - Unique Selling Proposition. They devote so much energy and resources in building and projecting their difference.

Fact is, as a PHOTOCOPY; no matter how much you may try, the credits always goes to your ORIGINAL. All attention shifts to your original, despite your sweat.
Question: why should anybody come for you when your ORIGINAL is still very much around and can be gotten very easily

Looking at a perfect example in the bible, Elisha never gained prominence until Elijah was taken away by the Lord.

Folks, it is too expensive and somewhat detrimental to be a PHOTOCOPY (this is different from being a PROTEGE). It takes away more than it brings.

In life, everybody likes variety. In fact, variety is said to be the spice of life. Thus, if you truly want to be a “spice” in life, be UNIQUE! Refuse to opt for 'pseudo' when you can effortless be a great YOU!

Work on your personal brand. Don’t be ashamed to be different. This is where your wealth and relevance is, celebrate it!

Let me end this post by asking you 2 very important questions:

· If we decide to separate your thoughts, style and principles from your friend’s and those you admire, what will you look like?

· Do you truly have a life you can call yours?

WHAT TIME IS IT?

Hello people, it’s been like 7days without any post. In reality, I wish I could update my blog daily, I truly wish. No thanks to my crazy schedules and several engagements. But for these, this passion of mine won’t be blinking; I will look for a way around it before long. Trust me!

Of late, I have been thinking. Thinking about my generation, our numerous acts of modernism and what we would be offering the next generation. Fact is, we truly can’t talk much about the present or the future without basically looking at the past. Can we please wind the hands of the clock backwards a bit?

Once upon a time...

1. There was dignity in labour, our people were proud to do something with their hands and feed their mouths from their sweat. Women didn’t ‘use’ their bodies to get whatever they wanted, neither did men seek for opportunities to criminally exploit and extort resources.

2. There was the celebrated spirit of communal living; everybody in the community lived like a family. Every child was the responsibility of every parent and every parent was every child’s guardian.

3. Values and morals were not strange to us; only those who were high in morals and values ever got to be honoured or decorated.

4. Our definition of leadership wasn’t different from the global view and civilization.

5. Those we LOANED our votes to did everything to improve our living standard. Because to them, that was what they owed us for the trust we bequeathed on them with our vote.

6. We were spiritual, there was nothing like humanism. We knew God truly exists and EVERYTHING we did was done with this consciousness.

7. We had a security system we could really call secured and safe.

8. We were a people who valued our words and promise; there wasn’t the issue of African time or ‘diplomacy’.

9. Education was the responsibility of the GOVERNMENT. There were [functional] public schools everywhere and education was seen by all as the RIGHT of the Nigerian child. Education wasn’t privatized with those who can afford it made to believe it is a PRIVILEGE. Talk about slavery mentality!

10. We had known criminals who robbed with guns, machetes and other weapons. Unlike now, the HOLY BIBLE wasn’t a prominent weapon of robbery; we didn’t have robbers in priestly garments.

11. We once had fathers children truly adored and respected, as they provided the indispensable father-figure and leadership qualities. Now, children look outside of their homes to choose “role models”.

12. Virginity was a thing of pride. Society didn’t make people ashamed of their sexual innocence. Mothers didn’t put their daughters under pressure to lose theirs before marriage.

13. It wasn’t very difficult to have a reliable and trusted ally. Trust wasn’t very scarce.

14. We did everything to prevent rogues from ascending leadership positions. No gift was big enough, neither was any lie good enough to buy our conscience. We valued leadership, thus we did everything we could to ensure that only people of value ever had the privilege of leading us.

I am wondering which age this is. My questions and worries are much. What age is this? What a blunder we have made of life and living! Do we call this the digital age, the age of Armageddon or have we strolled into to the biblical Perilous times? Are we close to the end of the time? Can life ever be worse than the way it is now?

Since these are not questions I planned to answer, I guess I have to pass them to you!

ONCE AGAIN, OUR POLITICIANS GO BRAINLESS!

You never get bored in Nigeria, there is always something new to ‘bother’ or laugh about. Indeed, this is a ‘happening’ country. But, it becomes really worrisome and nauseating, to both Nigerians and the rest of the world, when the loss of a life is involved in our ‘happenings’. In most cases, the loss is treated with levity and triviality. This further makes the rest of the wonder if we have 'VALUE FOR HUMAN LIFE' in our national dictionary.

The Nigerian people woke up last week to hear of a new political violence and bloodshed in Jos, Plateau State. This is not the first time this is happening in that part of Nigeria. Something similar occurred during the Obasanjo/Dariye days.
However, this present incidence started a day after the local government elections. I don't think anyone needs to be convinced if it was politically motivated or not, we know our people and what they can do if they are denied of anything - irrespective of whether they are right or wrong.
It beats my imagination that in Nigeria, we are still in short supply of gallant losers and genuine winners.
The media was awash with news of massive rigging of the elections. Reports from those on the field say the elections were indisputably won by the opposition party: ANPP. Whereas, the state is governed by a PDP governor. Perhaps, the governor has an 'instruction' to deliver, by all means, to his superiors in Abuja!

Why are our politicians brainless and numb? All of a sudden, the violence is now wrapped with the face of religion; they are trying to divert attention from the main issue by saying it is a case of 'religious intolerance'. Politicians! They say it is a brawl between Moslems and Christians. We are not all fools, our people know when their intelligence is being insulted and their docility treated as stupidity. Most of us have friends and loved ones resident in the city of Jos. They have told us what’s been happening, how it started and who's responsible for it. We hear this has got nothing to do with religion.

As at Sunday 30th November 2008, over 200 Nigerians have lost their lives owing to the mayhem and lots of houses and properties razed. It seems to to me that our ‘rulers’ believe that the loss of 200 of her citizens is really nothing to worry much about. If some governor or high-ranking traditional ruler had been killed in the process, the hypocritical elements in our 'rulers' would have prompted them to call for national mourning.

Right now, the Jos people cannot buy or sell. People are starving and they have no idea when this would end. The markets are not opened. People of the state are hiding in bushes. Many peasants have lost the properties they spent years to gather. Many children cannot find their parents and parents cannot locate their children. The banks are out of operation, people are cash trapped. 3 youth corpers were butchered; one was killed inside the church while he was on phone giving his brother minute by minute report. These are young people who left their parents and family members to a 'strange' land to serve their motherland, only to end up being killed. It is indeed a sorry situation.

For those who don’t know, Jos is one of Nigeria’s most beautiful cities, but it is economically and industrially backward, compared to Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja and the likes. There are very few industries operating there and entrepreneurship seems not to be encouraged as the state is largely regarded as a civil service state. Imagine the devastating effect this violence and meaningless destruction of properties will further cause the economy of the state!

What is our problem? Why are our people this heartless? Why has the craze for power and relevance made us lose the most important gift God gave man – CONSCIENCE?
Our youths are being used to perpetuate these evil, just because somebody somewhere must get into political office and continually enjoy undeserved prominence.
Shame! Shame!! Shame!!!

May God help Nigeria.