I believe our attitude is a determining factor as to whether or not we will be relevant in the New Nigeria. Listed below are a few areas I believe, if worked upon well by every youth, will bring forth meaningful progress:
How can we handle crisis situations? Do we, as young people, have large hearts for the tasks ahead? It is essential for us to develop the ability to listen. We must be able and willing to listen to everybody, and must also be able to filter out the information we receive and make use of the right information. Our ability to be able to listen to everyone and also relate perfectly with them is what will make us good leaders. This skill will be needed in the New Nigeria.
To be relevant in our New Nigeria, I believe, we need to know something about Character Management. I have come to discover over the years that, we most often mistake ‘reputation’ for ‘character’. ‘Reputation’ by my own definition is what people know us to be, what we have been able to convince people over the years or over time that we are. ‘Character’ is what we are, when no one is watching us or paying attention to us. Character is really what a man is made up of on the inside.
It has always been said by people that have gone before us that your talent, skills, and intellectual ability will take you to the top, but they are not what will keep you up there. It is your Character that will keep you at the top. Character Management is very important in our lives, because it will either make or maim us. Whatever we have as our attitude or Character today can hinder our greatness later in life. It should be carefully dealt with, because we don’t have much time on our side any more. As youth, there are things we get ourselves involved in that can work against us in the New Nigeria. There are habits we have that we must stop as a matter of urgency if we want to be relevant in the New Nigeria.
Cult activities are something major we must contend with if we really want to make headway in the New Nigeria. Young people should know that there is no power other than from God. We have been made to believe that if we join this group or that group we will have power and influence. But this is a lie from the pits of hell. It is simply a strategy by the Devil to steal the future from us. I don’t have to join any cult group in order to live a good life and to have power and authority. These lies have been believed because we don’t know the Ability of our Creator. From now on it shall not be so. God made us in his image and gave us Dominion over all things; so I don’t need any other power or Dominion from any other place. That is a fact.
Moral Stability/ Management: There is another key factor that has worked against young people over the years and that is our Moral Life. In this day and hour, we can’t afford to just misbehave. A lot is expected of us, the young people, and we can’t just let people down at this point in time. Yes, I know its not easy to keep one’s sanity in the world we are in today, but I have always been an advocate of Determination and Discipline. With these two in place, I believe there is no limit to what we can achieve concerning our moral lives.
It is not that easy, will be the response of someone. And that I know. Whatever we don’t attempt to achieve in life, will always remain difficult to us. Making up our minds is the aspect of Determination. Following up on the decision religiously is the aspect of Discipline we need to put into place. Most people at the top today have one thing or the other tied to their Moral Lives. So they cannot come up to advice the youth on morals. That should not be the case with us. Let us work worthily of the calling that has been placed on us. There is more to life than the moment of pleasure we derive from our Moral Lives.
We cannot cease talking about the Right Attitude of the young people in the New Nigeria. I would like to phrase it as their ‘Attitude towards themselves’.
In my few days’ sojourn on planet earth, I have come to discover that life itself consists of two phases: either you’re making it or you’re not; either you’re on the winning side or you’re on the loosing side; either you’re on the side of people causing changes in their world or you’re on the side of those folding their arms and spectating; either you’re fulfilling your purpose or not. You can never be in two places at the same time; it is never possible. Determine what you want for yourself and work towards it.
I have come to discover that our Attitude to life is very important, and I have also discovered that people have different Attitudes/ Perceptions in life. People approach/ see life from different angles, but the most important is your own perception of life. How do you see life? How do you take life? And, finally, how do you determine life? We have limited time here on earth and our perspective on life will determine our Attitude in life. In preparing for the New Nigeria, why not choose to be relevant, to be a force that can never be done away with? This is the type of person needed in the New Nigeria. By the time our own generation will be leaving the scene, there should be cause for those behind us to open their mouths and praise us.
Your Attitude towards life determines your position in life. Enough of joining forces with people to confess that Nigeria is bad. If you continually confess this, then expect the worst, because things can never be good as long as you continue to see them as bad. Don’t ever forget this: ‘Life Is In Two Phases.’ We are in this race together, your pains are my pains, and my joy lies in the fact that a new day is dawning. That is why I am positioning myself well now.
Having said so much about our Attitude, I want to focus quickly on another issue that is really affecting our leadership and Nigerian People as a whole: it is the ‘I and You Syndrome. Over the years we have fallen victims to the I Syndrome. This is to say that those in positions of power are only concerned about how to enrich their own pockets and better the lives of their immediate families. This syndrome has kept Nigerians in perpetual bondage. The I Syndrome is the reason why people go to any length to attain positions of power, even to the extent of shedding innocent blood. This I Syndrome has brought about serious retrogression in Nigeria’s Economy and even in the standard of living of the citizenry. It has also, over the years, brought about bad leadership and insincerity and lack of transparency in politicking. Now it’s giving rise to a hard-hearted following.
The You Syndrome is what I am canvassing for on behalf of the New Nigeria. Every youth that wants to be relevant, make a difference and write his/ her name on the sands of time must have the interest of the people at heart. It is not possible for you to have the interest of the people at heart and not to be given the same in return. It is simply impossible for the people not to reciprocate. The New Nigeria is about selfless youth. Yes, we have our own various needs and challenges, but the people must come first. Everything we do must be about the people, and nothing just about us.
As I bring this edition to a close, I want to talk briefly about our decision-making ability or Decisive Ability. Like I said earlier on, we need to develop the ability to listen to everyone. Most important of all, we need to be able to make the right decision at the right time without any bias. The ability to make the right decision without being biased contributed to firm leadership. As youths we should be prepared for situations when we must be decisive. This is what will really distinguish us, because it is the right thing to do.
Nigerian youths, I believe this is a call for us to really sit down and appraise ourselves to see if we are ready for this New Nigeria. I also believe that this call is meant, not only for Nigerian youth, but also for youth from all over the continent of Africa and the rest of the world. We are moving to the next level, and the youth will be the ones to champion the course. So it is very important to be prepared and ready to take our positions.
We are shining stars and we are bound to shine.
« return.