The Art of Showing Up: Why Your Future Self is Counting on You

 

Picture Courtesy of Unsplash.com

There is something fascinating in the ordinary act of showing up. Nobody applauds it right away, and it does not feel exciting like a big moment. It is like the quiet hum of a motor running in the background, the daily grind that nobody celebrates. But then the thing is, if you are not on the pitch, you can’t catch the ball. It is a simple equation, yet we so often overcomplicate it.

I have a peculiar fondness for how the mind works. How we convince ourselves to do the hard thing, or more often, talk ourselves out of it. The mind is a masterful architect of excuses, a maze consisting of "what ifs" and "maybes." But success, or rather, the capacity for success, appears to be built on a stubborn refusal to listen to that internal critic. It seems to be built on consistency.

Think of it like a muscle. You don't get strong by lifting the heaviest weight once; you get strong by showing up to the gym day after day, even when you don't feel like it. This is the assassination of boredom, a daily battle against the inactivity that tries to keep us stagnant. It is a series of small, unglamorous victories.

And this is where the real reason for showing up lies. It is not just about the current project or the immediate task. It is about preparation. You are preparing a version of yourself that is ready to seize the moment.

Opportunities don't usually announce themselves with a fanfare. They are subtle, slipping through the door almost unnoticed. They are the unexpected phone call, the casual conversation, the sudden opening. If you have been consistently showing up, your skills are sharp, your mind is agile, and your confidence is real. The moment arrives, and because you are present, mentally and physically, you have the reflexes to grab it.

If you are not in the game, you can't win the game. If you're not at the desk, you can't write the best piece of your life. If you're not networking, you can't meet the collaborator who changes everything. The cosmos, or fate, or luck, whatever you wish to call it, tends to favour those who are already in motion.

So, show up for yourself. Show up when it is boring. Show up when it is hard. Show up because your future self is waiting in the wings, ready to take that opportunity, and they are counting on you to have done the hard work. Keep the motor running. The opportunity will come, and when it does, you'll be ready.

Why Nigerians Must Hold Their Leaders Accountable

This image was generated via Gemini

One of the biggest mistakes citizens can make in any country is to believe that leadership is only the responsibility of politicians. The truth is that leadership and citizenship go together. When citizens stop asking questions, stop paying attention, and stop demanding accountability, leaders can easily become careless, disconnected, or even irresponsible.

In Nigeria, many people focus only on the President or the Federal Government whenever there is a problem. While the federal government plays a major role in national development, governance also happens at the state and local government levels. The condition of roads in your community, public primary schools, local healthcare centers, waste disposal, markets, and even community security often involve local and state authorities. Unfortunately, many citizens do not pay enough attention to these levels of government.

Holding leaders accountable simply means asking questions and expecting results. Citizens should know what leaders promised before elections and compare those promises with actual performance. We should ask: Are public funds being used properly? Are projects being completed? Are schools improving? Are hospitals functioning? Are roads being repaired? These are not acts of disrespect. They are part of responsible citizenship.

Accountability also helps good leaders perform better. When leaders know that citizens are watching, asking questions, and paying attention, they are more likely to act responsibly. Democracy works best when citizens remain active even after elections are over. Voting every four years is not enough. Good governance requires continuous public participation.

Another important reason accountability matters is because corruption and poor governance affect ordinary people the most. When funds meant for healthcare, education, electricity, or infrastructure are wasted, it is citizens who suffer. Young people lose opportunities. Businesses struggle. Communities remain underdeveloped. Silence allows these problems to continue.

However, accountability should not happen through insults, threats or anger on social media. Citizens must learn to engage constructively. We should support good policies, criticize bad ones respectfully, participate in community discussions, and stay informed. We must also hold ourselves accountable in our own daily conduct because national development is built on both responsible leadership and responsible citizenship.

Nigeria cannot become the country we desire if citizens remain passive observers. Real change happens when people consistently demand better governance at every level, whether local, state, or federal. Leaders may shape a nation, but citizens help shape the quality of leadership they receive.

How the New Tax Reform Bill Benefits Most Nigerians

 

Picture: Courtesy of Steve Buissinne of Pixabay

On November 20th, 2024, I had the privilege of attending a meeting organized by the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, chaired by Mr. Taiwo Oyedele. This meeting provided me with a firsthand understanding of the tax reform bill and inspired me to delve deeper into its details. At the conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Oyedele encouraged attendees to inform other Nigerians in both the private and public sectors about the bill's benefits. So, here I am, doing my part to spread the word.

Why is this bill beneficial for Nigerians? There are several reasons, but I'll highlight three key points:

First, the bill aims to simplify and streamline tax administration, eliminating multiple taxation and some of the levies paid by companies, thereby protecting businesses. Currently, many businesses pay taxes to local, state, and federal governments. The new bill seeks to address this issue, making the tax administration process more efficient and business-friendly.

Second, the bill proposes a new formula for revenue sharing, where local governments will receive 35% of value-added tax (VAT), state governments will receive 55%, and the federal government will receive 10%. This shift means less VAT-based revenue for the federal government and more for state and local governments. This change is expected to boost economic activities at the state and local levels, as increased business activities will translate into more VAT-based revenue. Additionally, essential items consumed by Nigerians, such as food, medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and education, will be exempt from VAT.

Third, the bill aims to provide relief to low-income earners by reducing their tax burden, preventing a situation where the poor are disproportionately taxed despite their limited earnings.

If approved, the bill is expected to boost Nigeria's economy by increasing production and tax revenues, which are essential for economic transformation. It should also promote transparency and accountability in the tax system. 

So, I encourage you to stay positive and trust that the tax reform bill is a right step in the right direction. Until next time, be a good citizen and continue contributing to the development of our beloved nation.

3 Things We Can Do About Nigeria (4): the Crux of the Matter 2

 

Picture Source: www.pixabay.com

Continued from the previous post. You can read the previous articles through these links: 1, 2, 3.

 

3. Attack the Root Causes

If the leaders that we have are not ready to help us, then we must help ourselves. If the people that have been voting in unpatriotic leaders have been voting wrongly then we must start educating them. It may be true that majority of our legislators (senators and representatives) are not absolutely selfless people. It may be true that majority of Nigerian politicians are potential political investors seeking to get elected and recoup their investments through profits that are dangerous to Nigeria’s future. But, even if it is absolutely true that many of our elected leaders don’t do the best they should actually do while in office, that reality will not change if we don’t do something about it. Our legislators have the power to do a lot more than they presently do. If they truly bear the interest of the people at heart, they are able to use policies to influence positive change, make political offices attractive to only those that want to serve Nigeria, reduce the cost of governance, mitigate corruption across all levels and fix the impossible insecurity problem over time and even checkmate the almighty president whenever he slacks. But they will only do those things and perhaps more if they are properly installed by the people themselves. Most of the leaders that are elected to hold forth in Abuja are not affected by the concerns of most Nigerians. They were not absolutely given a seat there by people who may not have means but have many excellent leadership options. So, the laws that most of them make are made by choice and interest and not by commitment and accountability. On the face of it, their money got them there not their readiness to serve.

So, what’s your role in all these? Your role is to start from where you are with what you have. Get your PVC. Get concerned about the selection process of the person that will sit over the funds allocated to your local government. If you already know that the monies some of our leaders misappropriate, even when borrowed by the entire nation, belongs to every Nigerian, and that it should get to everyone in form of good roads, better healthcare, quality education, affordable food and shelter, reliable electricity, effective security, etc. and that the misappropriation of such monies is the reason why some (but quite many) people die through road accidents and insecurity or healthcare issues, students get poor education, people become corrupt to prosper or even survive in our society, business becomes quite expensive to run, etc., then start doing something effective about it henceforth. If you didn’t think of it that way before, well now you should. So, start enlightening those that are yet to see these root causes as our problems and encourage them to take responsibility within their vicinity. That is one way to help ourselves.

Most of all, examine yourself often and sincerely. Ask yourself, with the kind of decisions I make each day, the kind of life I am living right now, if I were to be the Ward Counsellor, the Local Government Chairman, a Member of the State or Federal House of Representatives, a Senator, the Governor of my state or even the President of my country, would Nigeria get better or worse? Would my reasons for getting angry about poor governance in the first place be justifiable? When you ask these questions, you will sense the truth. So, if sense that you’re not good enough, try to become a better Nigerian because there will always be room for more improvement. Most times, people get the kind of leaders they deserve. But we are clamoring that we deserve better than we are getting right now and we truly do. So, let’s make sure that we ourselves are more than the mere culprits that many of our leaders think we are. Let’s start making a difference. Let's fix this nation.

 

3 Things We Can Do About Nigeria (3): the Crux of the Matter 1

 

Photo Credit: www.pixabay.com

Continued from part 2, which can be read by clicking here.

Regardless of what your opinion about the best way forward for Nigeria is, the starting point for everyone is getting involved. I am totally for one Nigeria through proper restructuring and regional governance though I absolutely recognize and respect other people’s rights and opinions. But since there is a common starting point, I will briefly discuss 3 things we can all do to move from poor governance to good governance in Nigeria.

1. Get Involved

Join the political process. You don’t have to join a political party or ask to be voted for. But you can support those that you’re sure have the capacity to change the narrative. So, get your PVC. Get educated about your rights as a citizen. Educate others too. Think up useful solutions to the problems in your environment and provide ideas to those that can implement them. Rebroadcast good initiatives.

Also, remember that bad leaders don’t drop from the skies. They were raised by some parents and guardians too. So, do your best to raise a good family. Before doing something, ask yourself if doing it will make Nigeria better or worse if everyone does likewise. Yes, the country could be hard at times. But if we can’t be good examples at the base, we won’t be better examples than those at the top and the problems in our society will keep mounting. So, strive to become one of the points where the chain of problems in the entire system always have to get broken. Get involved responsibly.

2. Demand for Accountability

If there are no followers, there will be no leaders. But when leadership is not accountable and the system is vulnerable to unpunishable misconduct, its quality is more likely to be poor. So, demand for accountability at the local, state and federal government levels. Don’t judge people blindly. Don’t spread fake news. Ask for facts and figures. Seek to know how much was budgeted, how much was given or obtained and exactly how the funds were spent.

You don’t have to know the president of Nigeria but your ward counsellor and local government chairmen are not so far from your reach. Get to know them. Some these people will sit up if they know that a lot of serious people are checking up on them for public reasons.

But then, as you demand for accountability, be accountable too. Be disciplined. You may be facing a lot of challenges but you’re not alone. A lot of people are feeling the heat even when they don’t make it obvious. So, don’t be the one that will pull out the cord of hope in other people’s hearts through your actions. Don’t be a source of misdeeds that the rest of us have to manage. Be responsible. Be a beacon of light in your environment. And really, I’m not asking you to love other people more than you love yourself. I am only pleading that you let people see that there’s hope for Nigeria when they observe how genuinely you try to make Nigeria better.

 

Continued in the next post. Read the next but last post in this series here.

3 Things We Can Do About Nigeria (2): the Reality

 

Photo Credit: www.pixabay.com

Continued from part 1. Click here to read Part 1 if you haven't.

Whether we see their political tactics as unwarranted shenanigans or permissible cleverness, those approaches are what they believe will work in Nigeria. It has worked for them before. Perhaps, it is still working for some of them. And in places where poverty and illiteracy continue to prevail, it may keep working. So, it’s not a question of whether it is right or wrong. The real question is, is that the kind of politics we want to have? Without considering any data source, I would take the risk to predict that you (the reader of this article) are not among those that are influenced by that kind of political strategy. Though it’s a wild guess, I know that most of the Nigerians whose politically will can be influenced by petty cash are not likely to have access to smartphones, the internet or blogs like this. Some of them might be uneducated. Some might just be seeking how to survive each day of overwhelming disadvantages or how to have their next meal. But, all of them have something in common; they do not have the viable options, the dignifying survival instinct, the inexplicable grace that you often have.

 

The truth is, a man is only as disciplined as situations allow him to be. You cannot withstand external pressure when you do not have the innate or mental capacity to do so. Only men who can afford to lose their lives, their peace, their beloved, their opportunities and even their plans can withstand any kind of external pressure. Such men, who can lose their lives and their everything for others, are very scarce. They are in extremely short supply. Why? Their lifespans are often short and even when they exist and live for long, they are often almost irreplaceable. But that is the irony of life. Those who must do good must fight evil. The more the good you want to do the more the evil you will have to fight. So, you see, everyone actually has a breaking limit. Everyone has a yielding point. Everyone has something that can be used against them. Given the most perfect circumstance for their own kind of customised failure or submission to wrongdoing, even the strongest of supermen and women will yield to pressure.

 

So, that is why it is important for good people to always come together. To support one another. To form formidable groups, and if possible, an overall formidable group. To overlook the differences that do not affect our humanity but rather strengthen what we all have in common, the good of all people. Whether you’re Yoruba, Igbo or Niger Deltan, Hausa or Fulani, or of any other tribe, the onus is on all of us to look beyond religion, tribe, origin and all other secondary attributes and focus on a culture of common good. A culture of unity. A culture of what is good for us. It is our collective responsibility to help the weak among us, the illiterate among us, the disillusioned among us, the vulnerable among us. If we do not do this, we will keep running around in circles. The strength of water is in unity. The strength of electricity is in bulkiness. The strength of fire is in its size. No matter how strong one individual is, they cannot be as strong as they will be if they are joined by other people.

 

Let’s unite together to solve our problems. They are not other people’s problems; they are our problems. Though a lot of us didn’t contribute to the creation of most of the problems we face today, they are now our own. They are ours to solve. We shouldn’t multiply them. We should mitigate them. So, let’s become the problem-solving generation. Let’s initiate the beginning of a new history. Let’s live and let others live.

 

To be continued.....

3 Things We Can Do About Nigeria (1): the Intro

Photo Credits: www.pixabay.com

I’m not a politician. I’ve never been one. I’m just a hobbyist writer and concerned Nigerian. But the first time I ever attended the meeting of a political party at the house of a prominent Senator somewhere in Lagos, I was amazed. I hadn’t planned it. It was my first, long holiday in Lagos and one of my most enterprising and adventurous cousins and his friends had come to pick me up at the bus-stop. Since I didn’t know Lagos that much, I couldn’t tell that we were not going home directly. But anyways, I had no option than to attend the meeting with them after I was given a low-down and assured of my safety. Apparently, I didn’t know what to expect so I had my second analogue camera on me. Though I hadn’t loaded the camera with film yet, I had to go and drop it in the car before I could be allowed in. Yes, we were thoroughly searched and I think that was a good thing. I do not remember the exact year this event occurred but it must have happened sometime between 2005 and 2008.

 

You might be wondering what my cousin and his friends were looking for at that kind of meeting. Well, I did ask them and got an honest answer. Basically, they often went there after the usual Lagos grind to cool off, have fun and know what’s happening in that Senatorial district. For them, it wasn’t about the money or refreshments. It was just another adventure. And I believed them. I believed them because when I saw how much was given to one of them who doubled as a representative, I knew they couldn’t possibly be going because of the money. At least, I had a rough idea of how much this my older cousin handled in his business on a daily basis.

 

Being a novice, I was taken aback by the reality of how monies were actually shared to win people’s approval. I also heard how various avenues were being exploited to obtain money to fund activities. Some of the avenues were said to been existing without the knowledge of the President (yes, the one in Aso Rock at that time). There was a register of names of representatives. Each representative in attendance received some preassigned amount of money, signed for it and was meant to go and share it with other persons. So, yes, the Ghana-must-go-bags stories are real! I had started reading about leadership and the problems in Africa at that time. So, they actually showed me some of the bullet points I needed to add to my list of problems in Nigeria back then.

 

Let’s make no mistake about it, it costs money to do politics. Globally, it costs lots of money to do massive publicity and win elections. Politics may involve lots of volunteering and networking but those who will win elections must spend money; whether they have it or not. So, what was happening that day was strange to a schoolboy like me. But to those who organised the meeting, it was all about political strategies. None of the things they did or said at that meeting needed to be reviewed.

 

These days, I try to write shorter posts. Please click here to read part 2.

How to Become a Better Reader: Breaking the Comprehension Barrier (2)

 

Image Source: www.pixabay.com

This post is the second part of an ongoing discussion. If you are yet to read the first part and would like to do so in less than 5 minutes, please click here.

 

Link the Content or Information Presented to Prior Knowledge

Most times, materials appear difficult or are actually difficult to understand because we are unable to see things the way their authors did when they wrote them. We may not have the kind of prerequisite knowledge or experience that the authors have so, we will need to consciously find the relationship between what we already know and what they are trying to share with us. To interrelate the content of a difficult material to what you already know, consider the topics, main ideas, principles, examples, etc. in what you are reading and connect them to the ones you already know. Doing this might help you understand the material better or inspire you on how to bridge the gaps between what you know and what is being discussed. Also, if the author included the details of references or a list of additional study materials in the material, you may consider accessing those other materials to see if reading or skimming through them would aid your understanding of the actual material. However, that is only advisable if you have the time for it. Otherwise, you should focus on other (time-sparing) techniques.

 

Attempt to Summarise the Content of the Material

Sometimes, materials are difficult to understand because they are not written in familiar words or comfortable structures, volumes, etc. Consequently, creating a summary of the material while reading it and focusing on understanding that summary might help improve your understanding of the material. When you are given a material and it seems too difficult to understand, attempt to summarise the material in your own words without removing key concepts or distorting the obvious opinions of the author. Then try to read and understand the summary. Creating a summary should not take so much time if you time yourself properly and maintain discipline. But, if for any other reason you find the summarisation process too time consuming, you might want to focus on summarising just the difficult or most difficult parts.

 

Read More of the Kinds of Texts You Consider Difficult Regularly

If you are likely to keep encountering such material often in your current or future endeavour, it is important to put in extra effort and start familiarising yourself with similar materials regularly. In this case, you will need to up your game and apply the ideas I have already suggested above in addition to those you will think of by yourself and those you will get from other experienced readers. The truth is, no matter how difficult a material is, it is still possible to understand it. Once you can identify why it is difficult for you, you can find effective solutions to the cause of that difficulty and gain a good understanding of the material. So, challenge yourself by reading more of such materials.

 

Seek the Recommendations of Persons That Are Familiar with That Particular Material or Such Kinds of Materials

Finally, if you know or can find persons that have studied or used the material before, you should find out how they were able to understand it. Ask them relevant and clear questions and try out their suggestions. If the material was recommended by a superior, teacher or tutor, you could also seek their opinion on how to improve your comprehension of its content. Tell them the efforts you have already made on your own to improve your understanding and the outcome. They are most likely going to help you by supplying useful ideas that will aid your understanding or they might decide to recommend an alternative material that you can equally use to achieve the intended outcome. But when asking the person who recommended the material to you originally, let it be very clear that the help you need is how you can effectively understand the content of the material. Make sure you don’t suggest that you are trying to avoid “seemingly” difficult materials or dodge the challenge they may have intentionally presented to you.

 

The suggestions above are just ideas that I have personally applied before. However, after drafting this post, I decided to randomly check out what some international schools have to say about the subject of discussion and found a few similarities in our ideas. If you would like to read their thoughts on how to understand difficult materials, you can click here and here. Alternatively, if all you want to know is how to study smarter, not necessarily how to understand difficult materials, you might learn a few things from this school. Kindly note that sharing these links (for more ideas) does not mean that I am presently affiliated with any of the sources.

 

Cheers to you, on your journey to becoming a better reader!

How to Become a Better Reader: Breaking the Comprehension Barrier (1)

Photo Credit: www.pixabay.com

When a piece of writing or a study material is easy to comprehend, you will definitely spend less time understanding it (compared to when it is difficult) and really, that is how things should be. Or, maybe I should clarify that that is one thing I have realised as a reader too. I believe that the goal of every writer should be to be easily understood by their readers. As a writer, you are likely to make maximum impact when you are able to communicate your ideas or thoughts in a way that all or most of your readers can clearly understand them. So, except in cases where the target readers are expected to be familiar with the nature of the material, no matter how seemingly difficult it may be, or the objective of the writer or recommender of the text includes the creation of a learning experience in the minds of the readers through some form of mental exercise, no communication material should be written in a way that makes it hard for any fairly knowledgeable reader or potential reader to understand.

However, we all know that that is not the case and perhaps, that has never been the reality in written communication. Not all writers write to be understood by almost anybody and not all readers can easily understand the simplest kind of material. So, when an essential material appears difficult to understand, what can you do to still comprehend it? Well, there are certain techniques that you can apply to derive maximum understanding from any kind of material and I will share the ones I know shortly.

 

Examine How the Material Is Structured or Organized from the Beginning to the End

While this does not guarantee an absolute or even better understanding, you may find it helpful. If you are familiar with or have previously observed how materials in the same category as difficult material you are reading are usually structured, you will know if the one you have with you conforms or not. If you are new to such kinds of materials, try to find materials that are easy to understand but belong to the same category as the difficult material and compare their structures or organizations. Ascertaining whether the material you are reading conforms to the usual convention might help you realise how best to study and understand it. For instance, if the material is not well-structured, you may find out from the table of content that it is better to read randomly in a way that will improve your understanding than to follow the serial arrangement used by the writer. Also, you might notice in the preliminary pages that the author actually gave useful suggestions on what you can do to enhance your understanding of the material.

 

Identify the Actual Cause of the Difficulty You Are Experiencing

Most times, authors of written materials follow industry-specific writing standards and have conscious reasons for writing the way they do. Their reasons are not so hard to detect. If it is not the about the way everyone writes that kind of material, it would probably be about the way they have personally chosen to write the material. Once you have realised that a material seems quite difficult for you to understand, consciously analyse why the material seems difficult. Are there too many jargons? Using a dictionary or reference manual might solve that. Do you find the information presented abstract? Consulting additional material or finding examples might solve that. Are there no examples you can relate to? Discussing with a more experienced person might solve that. Are the sentences disjointed? Editing the material first might solve that. Is the author unable to convey their ideas or findings meaningfully due to poor lexicon? Contacting the recommender of the material or revising the material might solve that. Regardless of what the nature of the difficulty you are facing is, what you need to do is to first identify its root cause(s) and then seek the best ways to overcome them.

 

End of Part 1. Please click here to read the concluding part.

When Is It Okay to Give Up on Something? (2)

Photo Credit: www.pixabay.com

Continued from the previous post. If you haven't read that, you can do so by clicking here.

3. When Giving Up Becomes the Only Way to Move Forward

There are times when the only way to make progress is to let go of what you’re pursuing. For instance, if you set a goal to pursue a marital relationship with someone and eventually find out that that person got happily married to someone else, the right thing to do is to give up. You should face your new reality, get over the heartbreak in due course and move on too. You definitely shouldn’t anticipate that something will go wrong with their union and stay hopeful about your goal to marry that person. Inasmuch as it is clear to you that the person you loved did not love you enough to choose you, the best thing you can ever do for yourself is to give up and move on. In fact, if you truly loved that person, you should settle your grievances with them, sincerely hope they experience the best in their new relationship and move on with your own happy life.

 

4. When What You Are Pursuing Is Taking More from You than It Will Give You

There is a cost for everything. Even the free things in life were already paid for by someone or something –be it a human being, nature, inter-system interactions or if you believe, an external supreme being. Naturally, we pursue goals that we know will either gratify us or contribute positively to the lives of other people. So, if you are pursuing a goal and you subsequently find it so demanding that the cost of achieving it (in terms of efforts required, finances involved, impact on your welfare, resources needed to stay driven, etc.) will eventually be more than the fulfilment you will derive from it, you may have to give up on it. Even if your goal will benefit the whole of mankind, as long as you are not able to make the kind of sacrifice that is required or you find out that the accomplishment will not be worth your losses eventually, the best thing to do may be to give up and maybe transfer the idea or goal to someone else.

 

Finally, there are more than 7 billion people here on earth today and I have always believed that quite a lot of us receive similar, exactly the same or parts of the same kinds of ideas at the same or different times in during our lifetimes. Consequently, after writing this post, I decided to find out what other people think about giving up sometimes and I have chosen to share the links to their opinions too. Some of their thoughts are in sync with mine but others are unique.

 

Disclaimer:

While sharing these links does not mean that I absolutely agree with the writers or endorse their suggestions, I believe they are shreds of evidence that I am not the only person who thinks there are times when it is okay to give up. In fact, I suspect that a lot more people believe so. These three are just a few of those who have decided to share their thoughts on the issue publicly on online platforms.

 

Please, see the links in the bulleted list below.

 

Till you read from me again, keep seeking solutions to the problems in Africa and remain strategic in your deliberations and contemplations!

 

•           Lara Rutherford-Morrison (Bustle, 2015)

•           Cheryl Conner (Forbes, 2013)

•           Dorie Clark (Harvard Business Review, 2012)