On This Day...

On this day, I choose not to blog about my regular topics. Rather I want to write about some things quite personal and a little bit away from the scope of this blog.

I wish to first of all express my profound gratitude
to the Almighty for His abundant mercies, favour and grace which I have experienced over the years. And to my parents who did an awesome job raising me to be the man I am today, I am eternally thankful. My family and loved ones, I wholeheartedly appreciate. And to the mentors, friends, and acquaintances that came my way these years and made the experience worthwhile, I’m glad I met them.

I have been betrayed by some friends when they were needed most. Today, they are still called “friends”. I hold no grudges, they are forgiven. and to every one I have ever offended, '"I'm sorry I did".

I have been “this close” to opportunities and connections that may have altered my destiny and perhaps social status that didn’t come through.

I have made mistakes that I’m not proud of that almost ruined me financially, emotionally, and even spiritually. But I am thankful to the Good Lord who has been ever so merciful and gracious, that through them, I have learnt invaluable life lessons and today am stronger, better and wiser.

I will share my thoughts on a few aspects of life that I deem very important:

1.       Faith: 

     I believe there is one true God and His Word is communicated in the Holy Bible. It is my Standard of faith and the only book upon which my faith and knowledge of God is based. I believe in Jesus Christ Crucified and risen.

2.       Youth: 

     Youth is an age of energy, excitement and visions. I have this to say to young Nigerians like me–success is NOT easy! Neither is it accidental. It isn’t attained by wishful thinking, dreaming or merely talking. Most of us want to or dream of being wealthy like the Dangote’s, Otedola’s and Adenuga’s, but are not willing or determined to work hard at becoming like them. (Interestingly, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Dr Mike Adenuga share the same birth month with me! *wink* Seems to me like Billionaires are made in April. I digress).

     

     We forget that prosperity and wealth is a function of time, and that the success these men have achieved took decades to achieve. I am aware that today, one can become rich in a moment through winning promos, gambling, internet start-ups, the stock market and all of that but the reality remains that sustaining that wealth-however achieved-would still take a lot of work, discipline and wisdom to manage.

3.       Dreams: 

     I had a dream of someday being the youngest–or at least among the youngest–billionaires in Nigeria before the age of thirty. Facing my present reality on this day, I realize I do not have much time and I would have to work extra, extra hard if that dream is to come anywhere close to coming true. But I have not given up, I am on course and very much on my way.

4.       Life: 

     On this day, I submit that life truly is a gift. Having come close to death only a few days ago, I realize that what really counts is not so much the problems we think we have, the unnecessary burdens we carry on our heads, or the much we are able to achieve with our time on this earth realm. Rather what matters is how we lived our lives and how we would be remembered when we pass on, by both God and men. “What would people say about me when I’m gone?” That thought struck me! I thought I had tried in that regard, but I feel I have got to do much more. Life truly is passing, but we must take every moment and truly live it.

5.       Politics: 

     When I was a kid, I sometimes wished I could just perform disappearing acts and appear in America or someplace in Europe. Or that my parents were not from Nigeria. I was obsessed with it. Today a grown man, in spite of the many evils bedeviling her, I love my country! I love Nigeria! I no longer dream of relocating to foreign lands or having white parents. Rather I think about how I can do my bit to ensure that my country gets better and that my kids after me wouldn’t have to wish for some place better than home. I will serve my fatherland as a civic responsibility and a call to duty the best I can.

6.       Education: 

     I believe education is important and valuable, but not an absolute necessity. It is good to go to school, but it is better to learn for yourself. What they teach you in school may get you a job, but what you teach yourself is who you ultimately become.

These summarize my thoughts on this day. I hope I have been able to bless a life, illuminate a soul and inspire a mind.

You can follow me on twitter as I will be live tweeting my thoughts there as well. Follow @peepmoney and use the hashtag #PmoneyTalks. Happy Birthday to me!