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“Everybody needs a platform to raise their sight so they can release their inert energy”  

 

 The first time I drove an automatic transmission car, it was an awkward position for me because I was used to driving manual transmission car – at least I had driven 5 different brands of manual transmission car. I was quick to jump in the car following various insights from friends and acquaintances who made me understand that it is easier and a piece of cake to drive the automatic transmission than the manual. Based on the hearsay, I jumped into the driver’s seat and turned on the ignition and swerved the car straight into the express way then after about ten minutes of driving along the express way, I perceived a pungent smell persisting. On getting to a police check point, a policeman advised me to check my tires so I definitely knew something was wrong with the way I was driving the car. I parked the car around a curb and saw smoke coming out of the front tires. Then someone tapped me in my shoulders and told me that I was using my two legs on the brake and the gas pedal causing friction on the gas pedal; he told me in order to drive automatic transmission car, I needed to use one leg to control both the brake and the gas pedal so I could not get into the habit of simultaneously hitting the brake and the gas pedal at the same time. 

 

 Before I delve into the message I have for today, I would like to appreciate two guys that have really inspired me on this site with their comments; not that they are the ones with the highest number of comments but their comments have kept me writing despite my very busy schedule. Each time, I try to pass writing for a week, I remember they are always there waiting for me to put up something they could learn from. I am always glad I end up writing because I learn from my write-ups and they spur me into effective action. Thank you very much, Royal_Prince and Emeka; you have truly inspired me to keep writing and writing. I really do not know how to appreciate you but to offer you a token of my love. Please, kindly send me your address through the contact page using the e-mail address you normally fill in your comment section. I hope a 2GB Apple IPod would be well received. Thank you once more. 

 

 Since January this year, I have changed the tone of my write-up by supporting a strong theme which is financial empowerment through leverage investment. I have debunked our traditional way of thinking that premised on looking for a juicy investment vehicle to place our capital instead I have encouraged my readers to look within themselves because therein lies the genius they need to increase their wealth. Recently, I have placed much emphasis on the mind as the surest leverage to financial empowerment; I cannot emphasize this particular leverage enough; when we look at Nigeria in fact let’s not look at Nigeria, let’s look at NITEL – the first and the biggest telecommunication outfit in Nigeria. NITEL is the only telecommunication outfit in Nigeria with a membership in the SAT-3 submarine cable, it has the finest and the most sophisticated equipments and the only telecom outfit that has presence in the whole of Nigeria. Why is this company the worst and the poorest telecom service delivery outfit in Nigeria? This is why I keep on telling people that it is not about the amount of resources in your possession but the strength of the mind to coordinate your available resources to greatness.  

 

 

I realize changing from a former perspective to a new one is not an easy venture; it is a very critical venture if one plans to increase individual wealth. It is this particular change that I am highlighting; the advantages, disadvantages and the crucial points to consider when planning on going through the journey of change. There is always a platform we need to embrace in order to achieve this change we sought for. Identifying this platform is quite important because the nature of the platform is very important. If I recognize that a ladder is the best platform to move me from a lower plane to a higher plane; as I climb this ladder, I am aware of the stability that the ladder poses and the advantage of sight it gives me over others who choose to not climb the ladder. Please, kindly note that you may see the ladder leaning against the wall and choose not to climb it despite the awareness that it will increase your sight. Not sure the ladder is leaning against the right wall may be a reason for not undergoing the task of climbing of it; this I totally respect because if one is not aware of the right wall, it may be futile to climb the ladder. Let’s suppose you are aware the ladder is leaning against the right wall and you choose not to climb it because of fear; fear of height, fear the competency of the ladder, fear of an external body pushing the ladder while you are at the summit of the ladder, fear you may not achieve what you set out to achieve, etc.  

 

 I believe the greatest hindrance to change is FEAR – False Evidence Appearing Real. Sometimes, I believe the emotion of fear blinds our minds to see the reality. A girlfriend discusses her fear with me; she has been moved from customer service unit of a bank to the marketing unit. She went on and on about the disadvantages associated with the unit – staffs in the marketing unit gets laid off very fast, staffs in the marketing unit are always under pressure from the Managing Director, etc and she was on the verge of resignation. I understood her fear very well because I had been in the same position before but I knew she was not seeing correctly like most people are blindly by FEAR. This fear is built by those that have experienced the marketing unit and are giving false evidence because they choose not to change. So I gave her my own evidence of the marketing unit; this unit is the most vital unit of the bank; without this unit, the profitability of the bank will decline. Staffs in this unit are regarded as very important so they get promoted faster than any other staffs in other units; Staffs in this unit are always under pressure by the MD because the MD is under pressure by the board of directors; the whole concept of banking is fully exploited in the marketing unit because staffs of this unit are forced to interface with other units due to the nature of the work; if you can get some experience in this unit, you will never be out of a job; if you are planning on being on your own one day, there is no better unit to be than the marketing unit of the bank. I told her to thank God that she was being drafted to that unit because she has constantly talked about being on her own. In the unit, she would learn to think big and deliver result despite challenges.  

 

 

She needed the Marketing Unit as a platform to take her to her destiny but she was scared of using it because of FEAR. Almost all our destinies lie in what we fear – the platform to take us to that height where we are differentiated and distinguished. Please, note that when you are not differentiated, you cannot make a difference in this world. This is why I emphasized the quote “do not be conformed to this world…” If we do not confront our fear and conquer it, we are not moving ahead in life. If we do not step out to do what we have never done before, we are moving in the same cycle in life then we have no story to tell, nobody to empower (not even our children), then the world would become very still and flat. The crisis my aforementioned girlfriend was going through was synonymous to what I went through when I jumped into my first automatic transmission vehicle. I was pressing the gas pedal and break simultaneously therefore damaging the car; she was going to go the department (the gas pedal) but with fear (brake). Though it may appear that the car is moving, the car will be going through serious damage. This is what happens when we carry our fears to our project, we are seriously damaging our chances to learn and embrace change. 

 

 Fear in itself has its application just like the brake; it keeps away from danger and let us know when to stop and move to the right direction. When you apply the brake of a car in the middle of a journey, it does not mean you are not going to move again, it only means you applied it to take a right course of action. This is the whole concept of being afraid, it makes us tackle things more intelligently not paralyze us and freeze us from reaching our destiny. The danger lies in applying fear and moving ahead with a project; though it may appear as if we are moving ahead, we are rally causing imminent danger to ourselves. It is noteworthy to define courage which is experiencing fear and still taking action. Experiencing fear is very different from applying fear; it’s like driving an automatic car and be aware that it has a brake but you are not applying it; though you are consumed with the fact that the brake is in car when you apply the gas pedal but as long as you do not apply the brake simultaneously with the gas pedal, you will be okay. 

 

 Let me use this opportunity to invite you to a life changing platform that would challenge and move you to your next step in destiny. It is a program titled THE PLATFORM; it brings together speakers who have moved ahead in life entrepreneurially to share entrepreneurial strategies with those who want to excel in the same stead. The last one I experienced featured Toyin Subair – the founder and CEO of HITV,  Dapo Adelegan – the President/CEO PR Africa International, Segun Olujobi – Partner, Accenture and board chair LEAP Africa, Tonye Cole- Managing Director of Sahara Energy Resources, Bolanle Austen-Peters – Founder and M.D. of Terra Cultures and Fela Durotoye – Founder and President of VIP Consulting. This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than last year’s. Check out the profile of those entrepreneurs featuring this year: 

 

 1.      Sharon McPherson: Founder and MD. Mcpherson and Taylor. She was a senior associate with Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton; one of Wall Street’s most reputable and successful law firm; whilst working in this firm, her responsibility included legal restructuring of financial investments for fortune 500 clients in America and Europe. She was also first female Vice President for Capital Markets for Capital One Corporation. She has a Bsc. and Masters. She also has a Doctorate from Columbia University School of Law. She is currently the Executive Chair of Women Enterprise Development Initiative (WEDI), a 250 million USD niche private equity and enterprise development fund with headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa.     

 

 2.      Fred Thompson: A TQM (Total Quality Management) Consultant with over 20 years of experience in assisting all types of organization. He is noted for his ability to assist organization to move beyond awareness of TQM to implementation. 

 

 3.      Leke Alder: He is the principal of Alder Consulting – an idea, strategy and branding consulting firm based in Lagos and London. He is a highly regarded author and a speaker.  

 

 4.      Ibukun Awosika: She is the founder of Chair Center Limited and also the MD/CEO of Sokoa Chair Center Limited, a joint venture company she promoted with Sokoa S.A. of France, GT Bank PLC, The Chair Center Limited and some local investors after the ban on importation of furniture by the government. She host a TV Program, Business, His Way. She also chairs the Afterschool Graduate Development Center (AGDC) – A National Career Center in Lagos. 

  

5.      Dapo Adelegan: He is the President/CEO PR Africa International. He has distinguished himself in the area of public relations. 

 

 

The program holds on Thursday 1^st of May (Workers Day) from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. The venue is XQZ MOI besides the palms, Lekki Lagos. Entry ticket is FREE! Hope to see you there and embrace this as a platform to change. Ciao……