Celebrating the 4th of July

Happy Independence Day America! Greetings to my ever faithful readers in the USA. As you guys celebrate the democratic birth of your nation over 240years ago, I would like to use this day to commemorate a woman who stirred in me the passion for national reformation, whose birthday happens to actually be today. Her name is Dr Joe Odumakin.

I recently did a piece on her for Connect Nigeria which will be posted soon, and I was reminded again just how blessed we are to have a humble, dedicated and vigorous woman fighting for the cause of female liberties, justice and good governance in our country. I remember the first time I heard her speak; it challenged me to start paying closer attention to National issues and how I could use my gift of writing to make a difference in Nation building. I ran up to her after the program to not only have a picture of her but to volunteer my blog to be used to spread communique on any subject she deems fit to rally behind. As with all busy people, our communication stopped after a few emails. But the seeds she sowed in my heart forced me to ask myself critical questions like, am I ready to die for the cause of a better Nigeria?

These days we have so many social media activists in Nigeria, but when push comes to shove, everyone gets tongued tied because only a few have what it takes to endure what Dr Joe has endured in the fight for a better Nigeria. Only when you are willing to fight selflessly for a cause can you truly admit that you are dedicated to that cause. So here are some nuggets of truth I picked up from her life story when I was done researching on her:

1. Own a cause - There is a lot wrong with the world we live in today. Colin Tomlin’s book, Your A-Z for Growth, mentions having a cause as one of the prerequisites for personal growth/maturity. When you commit yourself to being the solution to any of the many challenges the world faces, you become fulfilled and a master at something. You don’t have to be the one in the streets leading the protests if you can’t handle the consequences of such actions from powers that be. You can help a cause by giving your time, money or skill. Support those who are doing what you would love to do and stay committed to them. You don’t have to solve an institutional or systematic wrong alone; start little by sensitising others, building a team of people as passionate about the cause as you are and start working on doable solutions to the problems. Look around you, who can you help? Take action, and like little drops of water that make a mighty ocean, you will find yourself championing a cause.

2. Have a stable source of income - There is a lot we would love to do to make our lives more meaningful. Like committing to an NGO or religious organisation, going on business trips or vacations abroad, getting recognition for our skills or enterprise. But all that cannot happen if we are broke. We need to be financially empowered to live out our dreams. To do so, you need to have the right education. Books are a powerful tool for mental transformation. So read widely, both what you like and what you don’t like for examples, history, memorandums, biographies, articles on specialist fields like medicine, computing, etc. Also, Study in the field of your interests, learn soft skills, stay hungry and be ready to work without making excuses.

3. Marry the right person - There is a school that believes no one is Mr or Mrs Right, but it's a known fact that there are factors to consider before tying yourself to any one individual in the bonds of marriage. One of which is having a spouse that supports your vision or passion. One who is willing to give you room to achieve the lofty heights you need to attain in life for your own personal fulfilment. Someone who understands what makes you tick and can help you resolve any issues or obstacles that can stand in your way of achieving your dreams. Also, make out time to treat that person special. Find their love language and reciprocate as often as you can. Nothing encourages a spouse as much as gratitude and mutual respect.

4. Have Mentors - It’s not enough to admire people from books or from a distance. You need to have physical mentors. People who will guide you in decision making, push you to give your best, throw you curve balls to overcome and stand with you both in public and private. The mentor does not necessarily need to be in your field of interest. They could be people who dared to do things by working with principles that will give you the result you need for your endeavours. People whose lives have the fruit and result you want in yours and are willing to dedicate the time to inspire you to become just that. A lot of people want to be called a coach and have people kiss up to them in their charge, but the proof of a real mentor is one who will continue to follow your progress, being actively involved even when the purpose for your union has long expired. I’m sure if I had more time, I would have said a lot more. It’s good to have someone to look up to. They may not be perfect or do things right all the time, but just being there gives you the strength to persist in your battles. Likewise, be such an inspiration to others around. As we all play our part, we will see a change in our world. Once again, Happy Birthday America and Happy Birthday Dr Josephine Obiajulu Okei-Odumakin.