The Four Demons
We have them but
we deny that fact, they haunt us but we glorify them, they are bad but we can’t
realize it.
I have previously traveled to various
parts of our country as I undertake the duty given to my calling. I have to say
that what I have seen always baffles me to bone. I have seen a generation
doomed in another generation in bloom. What brings out these two diverse
differences is really out of my wit. I do not know why this is happening given
that we are in the 21st century where information spreads like
bushfire.
My dear readers, I have seen four
demons that govern our people and make all these differences we see. I am
scared that the people are immensely possessed by the demons that a mere
prophet cannot avert that easily. It is so bad that even the greatest powers
that be are in fear of facing and fighting them. If you do not mind, I am so
much ready and willing to take you through this less travelled path. I guess
that it may not be that sweet but I have to say regardless of whichever barrier
that may come my way. I deem it quite necessary to speak it out.
Why is it that we
take these stereotypes so seriously and gauge ourselves by that yardstick?
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Most people have been broadcasted to be poor,
academically below par, unable to present themselves well or are incapable of being
leaders.
It is surprising that those who say it
loudest have never interacted with them in the first place.
So, what water or truth do these
sentiments hold? Why is it that you take them so seriously and gauge yourself
by that yardstick? This is what we call complete nonsense.
It is also important to note that
people take some careers to be more important than others. They say that
doctors are most successful people while teachers are the least successful.
They purport that businessmen are the richest while farmers are the poorest. In
the real sense that is not the case. This identity crisis has even gone down to
students. Those in district and county schools consider themselves to be less bright
than those in national schools. This mentality only is enough to make one fail.
They develop a low esteem of themselves and more particularly a rift and fear
of their capabilities. They do not realize that they are the same bodies but
only covered with different clothes.
I would like to change that notion in
you. When results are out, it is not only students from national schools who
feature but several others from little known schools make prominent
appearances. Haven’t you seen it happen? I would like to tell you that I have
seen doctors who own big hospitals while others struggle to eke out a living.
Some even strike for better pay. Where then is this stereotypic success that
ALL doctors have? I have seen prosperous and financially well off teachers who
even lend businessmen money to bail them out of bankruptcy. I ask again, where
does this stereotype gain acclaim from? It is in most cases a complete opposite
state of affairs. It calls on you to define your own identity in a clear manner
and not to rely on any other person’s opinion to do it for you. Doomed are you
if you do not figure out your real person that you will be known for.
“If you do not define who you are,
then someone will define who you are, in the way he wants, and you will be
forced to accept it the way he has defined you.”
In the true way of it, none of these
stereotypes are true. It only needs the knowledge of yourself for you to know
who you really are.
Some time back when I was a teacher, I
used to ask my students who they say they are. Unfortunately, most of them
could not forward any reasonable definition of themselves. But for those who
tried to coin a proper description of themselves, you could note that their
academic performance was commendable. I concluded that in most cases the most
effective and successful people are those who strive to know their true
identity and interrogate it wisely.
From this knowledge, they are able to
affect change in themselves and what they do.
Identity made Martin Luther King lead
a revolution that restored sanity and preserved the rights of the blacks. He
freed them from the chains of slavery. He fought tirelessly and though young,
he knew he will, and sure, he did.
Identity made Olusegun Obasanjo move
from a poor background and walking barefoot to school, to become the president
of Nigeria.
Identity made Oprah Winfrey move from
grass to grace. She presents a show that is acclaimed worldwide for the
inspiration that it brings to people’s lives. It should be known that they did
not own a TV while she was young.
Indiscipline
is filth and failure in manifestation.
(Victor
Otieno)
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Identity made PLO
Lumumba the best orator in Kenya and beyond although he was born in Pumwani,
where pure English, French or Kiswahili was seldom spoken.
Identity is what
is what is going to drive you from doom and damnation to glory and greatness.
Yes, it is identity and no other thing.
Impunity
The second demon
is the impunity demon. This impunity has become so inherent in us and we have
taken is as usual and normal. We have
developed a sense of wrongdoing and embraced it gracefully. We have been made
to know that it pays nothing to obey the law.
Most people have
defined success path wrongly from what they do and believe in. If you want to
be graceful, you must steal and break the law. This is incredible! We must
engage in corrupt dealings for you to succeed. We have come to embrace this
fact as self-evident and true. Students have taken it virtuous to cheat in
exams and pass without much ado. Wrongness has been replaced with
righteousness. This is impunity! What is more exceptional is that, as people
indulge in illicit and undignified means to gain benefit, they are insensitive
of morals and the law. They are aware but never mind.
Our young
generation is growing up knowing that all is gained through impunity. Merit is
no longer valuable; it is a great undoing instead. With this outline, is hell
not coming early to us? Are we going to be able to elude it? Each day is going
to add and renew deep and painful wounds that no concoction can cure.
Paul, one of the
greatest missionaries in history, was, at one time, a persecutor of Christians.
He killed and maimed at will. He didn’t care in any way. Persecution is what he
liked most and did best. But on one of his numerous undertakings, he met God
through a torch. He was blinded. On restoration of his sight, he changed his
name to Paul. He was no longer a man whose name was synonymous to terror,
horror and death. He was no longer a man of impunity. From impunity, he
transformed to become the missionary whose work we celebrate to date. This is
the man that Jesus laid the foundation of Christianity on and said, ’he is the
rock.’ Yes, a rock. He forgot impunity and became virtuous.
In my high
school, a student in our class way quite undisciplined for a long time.
Teachers punished him again and again but all was in vain. He made noise and
absenteeism was his second name. Being on the wrong side of the law was his
order of the day. But a time came when he was made a prefect in charge of the
school environment. The boy underwent total reform. I do not know how it all
happened but he changed. He performed his duties with zeal, dignity and
diligence.
The path
was worn and slippery. My foot slipped from under me, knocking the other
out of the way, but I recovered and said to myself, it is just a slip and
not a fall.
(Abraham
Lincoln)
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When I enquired
on his change, he told me, indiscipline is filth and failure in manifestation.
The third demon
isfatalism. We tend to think that
only the worst will happen. We do not believe that we can have a breakthrough
at any given time. All we know is misery and failure. The challenges that we
face do not act to show us any positive way or even correct ourselves and begin
to progress.
We should shun
the chains of this demon for us to see the positive big picture of ourselves
and our future. This is a clarion call for us to embrace and learn from our
failures. We should develop ourselves forever in a manner that even our dear
Lord will be proud of.
Bob Marley
averted fatalism to become one of the greatest reggae musicians in the world
albeit coming from one of the poorest estates in Jamaica. Poverty and
disadvantage never destroyed his enthusiasm dreams and the spirit of greatness.
He fought on and believed in great things. Fatalism is one thing that could not
be seen in Bob. His songs have stood the test of time and continue to inspire
and entertain generation after generation. He has indeed kept his legacy
despite being physically absent from the real world. Why can’t we do away with
this demon then?
When Professor
Ali Mazrui was young, he did not qualify to go to university directly. He
taught not to employ fatalism in any way. At a certain time, missionaries came
and wee looking for a translator. It was only Ali Mazrui who could do that job.
This is because he did not throw the knowledge away although he failed to move
on to college. He translated in flawless English that the missionaries got
astounded and sought for a scholarship for him in England. One man Ali Mazrui
went to Manchester University in England and graduated with distinction. He did
not allow any fatalism again; he perused his masters in Columbia University in
New York. He did not stop there either but went on to Oxford University to
acquire his doctorate degree. Upon its acquisition he was invited to Michigan
University as a professor and headed a political science department. The state
university of New York could not wait to call him as professor of humanities.
He performed the duty well among other high profile scholarly works he had
undertaken. This is a complete example of a man who fatalism is just but
nothing. Is it nothing to you too?
Nelson Mandela
believed in the deliverance of the black South Africans from the apartheid
rule. He endured all manner of undignified treatment and more particularly his
long time stay in prison. 27 years in prison! He became the most respected
prisoner in the most respected prisoner I the world. He believed in something
big, something great and something successful. Indeed, in 1994, so Africa was
free from apartheid rule. He rose to become the president of the country whose
interests he fought for almost three quarters of his life. For Mandela and his
likeminded colleagues, fatalism was nowhere. It did not exist.
As if that is not
enough, Abraham Lincoln is another perfect example of why we should fight
fatalism to bone and drive its spirit to inevitable extinction. This gentleman
passed through many tribulations before becoming the 16th president
of the U.S. his speeches were the most quoted in the American history. But
early in age, he had many hardships. Surprisingly, all this never killed his
vigour. In 1832, he lost his job and could not get into law school. In the same
year, he was declared bankrupt in business and spent 17 years paying for the
debts arising thereof. In 1833 he was defeated for legislature and again in
1834. That same year, his fiancée died and his heart was broken. In 1835, he
had a nervous breakdown and spent six months in bed. In 1836, he was defeated
in becoming the speaker. In 1838, he was defeated in becoming an elector. Come
1840, he never made it to congress again. In 1849 the senate narrowly escaped
him. In 1854, the vice presidency escaped him. But come 1860, he was elected as
president of U.S.A with a landslide victory with over 96%. And this is the Abraham
Lincoln that many might not have known.
Are you little
discouraged? You have tried and tried and you seem not to be achieving any
dream? Do not be discouraged. It took Abraham 30 years to become president. How
many years have it taken you? Don’t be fatal, be resilient. It does not matter
how many times you have failed in your business or exams. In raising your
family or career, what matter I s your resilience. In bettering your life and
aspirations, never be fatal. Fight on still. Why should you give up? Lincoln is
known as the most resilient man in history. Do his challenges inspire you? If
yes, then get encouraged.
A student once
wrote me a letter appreciating how my talk had helped her fight fatalism. This
is what it read.
Dear Abuta,
I am writing this
to let you know how wonderful your presentation on Dissing the Dis of Despair
was. You straightforwardly told the story and captured the attention and
imagination of everybody in the hall. I discovered that I was suffering from
the disease of giving up whenever a little challenge comes my way. Hearing you
speak, I thought you were talking about me, but I discovered it was the same
case to many of us.
You deeply moved me and I dare commit myself
to think smarter, generate many ideas and more importantly, never ever despair.
As I listened to the story of your past, the constant barriers to kick yourself
off, I find every reason to pursue my course to the highest point possible.
Your exceptional ability in delivering messages has helped me gain a vision for
something bigger than what I currently know. I thank god that you came to my
life because you really inspire me.
May God bless you.
We
decided to introduce new ideas that never existed before because Singapore
was not like any other country
(Lee
Kuan Yew)
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They have had a
great impact on humanity. Singapore’s founding father, Kuan Yew, said this in
his book. “We decided to introduce new ideas that never existed before because
Singapore is not like any other country.” The people of Singapore went on to
produce ideas that moved them from third a third world country to a first world
country. The demon of infertility was destroyed and driven to extinction.
The gentleman who
discovered M-PESA must have averted infertility out of him completely. He did
not mind whether he was a Kenyan or not, whether poor or not. He went on to
discover something that the world has embraced. Is this not colourful? Yes
indeed. As we enlist the services of M-PESA, we should know that infertility
was cultivated and a superb product was created.
It is only when
fertility completely replaced infertility that Brin and Brian discovered
Google. They produced an idea that has changed the world and its entire people.
An idea that has helped disseminate information and fight the common
enemy-ignorance.
An idea that has
employed millions and earned them a living. It is then, and only then, that we
realize that infertility should be thrown into the grave and rest there in
pieces.
May
infertility die and rest in pieces
(B M O)
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Fertility enabled
Kikelenzu secondary school in Ukambani to become the best school in Physics in
Kenya. The students did not let the low regard of their school or their past
failures prevent them from showing the country what they are truly capable of.
They knew they were fertile, they could produce and indeed they produced. It
should be noted that they did not just produce but produced the best. That is
what fertility makes of you and gives you.
Fertility of
ideas is what is going to transform you from who you think you are to who you
really are.
Fertility is what
is going to bring you out of darkness and put you into perpetual light.
Fertility is
going to propel you from grass to grace.
Fertility, I say,
is going to shake the failures in you and their foundations.
I have
said it time and again that between the fight of the lion and the shark, it
is the terrain that matters
(Dr
Wale)
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Fertility is the
vehicle that is going to move you from third world and establish your home in
the first world. I challenge you today to have the productivity that is
unparalleled in the whole universe. Embrace fertility and attain what you could
have achieved long time ago. May infertility in you die and rest in pieces.
May fertility be
born in your life and live there eternally. May you have a fertile life, studies,
service or even leadership!
As you strive to
avert these demons, it is good to know where to tread and fight. It is
essential to know who you deal with and the school of thought they belong. It
is senseless to explain sense to the mad. It is pointless to explain something
to the dead
I have said time
and again that the fight between the shark and the lion is determined by the
terrain. If the shark fight with the
lion in the jungle, it is quite obvious that the lion will win.
Likewise, if the
lion fights the shark in the ocean, it is undisputable that the lion will be
defeated. This is because of the terrain. In the jungle, the shark cannot swim
nor take in air. It does not have such a biological design to enable it to do
so. The lion cannot survive in the ocean because it can neither swim nor
breathe. It will just die even before facing the opponent
The terrain
therefore matters greatly in our lives. If you are the lion, do not fight your
way to success in the sea. If you are the shark, never attempt to undertake any
plan in the sea. The implication of the terrain is this. There are people who
possess the ability to gain insurmountable greatness but they do fight in the
wrong terrain. Many people are sharks but they do not know it because they are
on land.
Other people are fierce lions but they do not
recognize the ocean they have put themselves in. No wonder they are
defeated. To bring the point closer
home, one should undertake an activity he/she knows best, with the people who
inspire him/her most and most importantly, in an environment that can help you
achieve the climax of your success.
A student should
not dream of success if he/she spends time with people who seldom study, do not
value studies and are always absent minded when it comes to matters of studies.
A businessperson who wants to succeed should not associate with people who take
business as theft, cannot give any progressive idea or those who yearn for the
day his/her business will fail. It should be otherwise instead.
At all times, one
should try to make a new people, a new inspiration and a new environment out of
the one he/she has. You are the force that can put you wherever you want to be.
Remember that if you fail to say what you want and endeavourto get it, then,
you will be given something that you do not like and be forced to take it.
As I conclude
this chapter, I hope that the revelation herein has enabled you to discern the
demons that possess you. I believe that you are going to avert them and sharpen
your edge of competence in improving the standards of all that you do. I once
again challenge you to take the challenge and define yourself better than ever
before.
