The Noise or Your Gut?

Thank you all for your comments on the last blog. However, is there a reason ‘followers’ have not increased from 20 people?? #thinking

I  came across this article by Thomas J. Barrack Jr, the CEO of Colony Capital, and not one to generally gravitate toward or intentionally read anything financial, I was so entranced  reading this article from the first sentence! He wrote on ‘Harness Your Amygdala’…and yes, I had to Google that ‘horrid’-sounding word!  And thanks to Barrack, I have two distinct, and totally different blogs; the other is on fear (I now have 3 blogs on ‘Fear’ sitting in my drafts. Na wa oh. Fear fear fear!!!)  

Let’s go there….

Barrack asks, in the midst of the emotions being fed into our system, in the confusion (as I call it)going on in and around us, ‘are you listening to the noise or to your gut?' It goes without saying, that we are indeed in the age of technology; the world has shrunk so drastically it is no longer so amazing how I can see someone’s front door or flowerbed all the way in Australia, thanks to Google Earth! That we are bombarded by the noise called information,  everywhere we turn...internet: social media, print media...all sorts, emanating, 24/7 is an understatement;  you hardly have time to pause, assimilate, reflect before making a decision! It is all so exhausting and terrifying. How do you cope?

Gone are the days when we have to make a deliberate effort to go look for information, now it is with us, before our faces, we carry them in our hands, in fact, we are it! How do you get away from the ‘heat’ of it all? How do you exist outside the incredible maze of data upon data, all on the click of one tiny button, data that transports and transforms you from the place where you exists almost normally as ‘you’ into that place where most almost never return from. It takes discipline and a conscious effort to Just. Stop. How are you not swayed by the myriads of stuff fighting for first place in your brain? Into where do we reach to find the strength, the discipline to resist the lure, the attraction offered by incredible world of cyberspace?…by listening to your gut, because in the final analysis, all that surround you is just noise.  Like I would say, Indian film trick!

How attached are you to the screaming noise? What is it you need to desperately decide on? Granted,  information is very key to whatever project we are embarking on,  however, how what bombards you affect your sense of judgement depends entirely on you. It is so easy to Google everything; as in everything including ailments and diseases, just  researching (you know how the world has greatly ‘improved’ in the area of ‘new’ diseases! Illnesses we thought were meant for a certain age now strikes across all ages). People, so obsessed with wanting to know, and it being so easy to access;  is it any wonder that illnesses actually take a turn for the worse because people panicked when they read about that person on the opposite side of the world who did or didn't do this or that early enough...throws your sense of objectivity out of whack, introducing fear. Gbam. Blood pressure shoots up...and complication sets in. Barrack was so right when he said ‘we believe a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil can be the cause of a tsunami in Thailand!’ So, granted, it is okay to gather info and data, God forbid that we be un-armed with the necessary ‘tool’ needed for whatever next steps we ought to take but there is something greater and bigger than the data you have amassed. 

Me thinks it is important to be able to shut off and shut out the hullaballoo, the buzz, the attractive lure of the music of The Noise and retreat into place where your gut is the only voice you hear. For those of us who live in this great Naija; I always used to imagine that I could absolutely hear a small still voice while standing the middle of what was the (then) crazy, confused sea of humans and buses called Oshodi! …biko, what are you listening to? Noise? Gut? Ha, be free fa.

I look forward to having you readers complete this blog, there is so much that can  said of this topic...I have only blogged from one tiny side...go for it.

Be (absolutely) free oh!

Part 2 of the post, inspired by Barrack coming up….next

2012: Resolutions

Right! I thought we ought to move on to the simpler things of life, I mean, let's leave the 'seriousness' of the issues confronting us for a bit while we do something a bit more cheerful! What say ye??

Granted, the way my beloved Naija entered this New Year is unprecedented to say the least! For the last several years, I can remember us entering a new year amidst pop and pageantry, shouts of excitement, laughter,  fireworks..music, parties....but the bombings on Christmas day and the threat to do more at Crossover services all over the country had some churches cancelling (outright) their services, for the safety of their members, others moved their service up by a few hours, while many others went ahead with ogboju! (boldness), and alll in all, we all crossed safely! Welcome into 2012, and if you would oblige me, I dub it the 'Year of Surprises!!!' *Straight face*

A few days ago, I landed on radio station talking about 'New Year Resolutions' I guess they were also overtaken by the events in the country because this topic usually comes in the first week of a new year....you know, to set the tone for the year...) I rolled my eyes at the station, thinking, please! Not this again. Does it even work??

For me: not really, so I dont do them anymore. I hardly ever succeed at them; they confound me. And then I am disillusioned at the start of another year! I mean, here I come into each new year armed with all sorts of plans: drink a lot more water, (I hate drinking water), eat a lot more fruits and vegetables, read (yet) more, take this class, get back into my French language, make a conscious effort to speak it more, and, check this, get on the drums!! (I have always, for as long as I can remember, learn to play drums)...etc etc...but no sooner am I in the new year than I am falling, and falling and spiraling! I am sure many will identify with me here, abi am I alone in this??. These resolutions (or whatever we choose to call them),  written down (which even makes it even more 'official') or in the head always get the better of me! I eventually realised that I come into the year, already 'afeared' that I will not be able to achieve my desires because, I mean, it didn't work last year, nor the year before! Is it any wonder I fail at them?

So, I stopped making any conscious effort. Dunno if that is a good or bad thing. But it dawned on me (duh, is it Rocket Science??) that whether you consciously, or unconsciouly make NYRs, you make them nonetheless! No one comes into a new year, or indeed wake up every day without some sort of plan, a desire to do something new/different or make a change. It is safe to say I do have a few NYRs:  take an etiquette class, drink more water!!....mais, how do I get to succeed in this quest??

I know people who thrive on this and do make it. So, pray, share with us mortals, how have you been able to, year in and out, get past this horror of not meeting with you resolutions! How did you do it? In fact, do you believe in it?  Do you write them down? Are they in your head?? Do you 'SMART' them? (*eyelashes*). Are you sort of accountable to someone who would spur you on? Have I answered my own questions??

Lets hear your thoughts on this...this...you know what I mean!! Lol.

And do not forget to look forward to me reporting at the end of this year that I have taken my etitquette class, and I do drink much more water!!!

Be free oh!

PS/I tried to come up with a catchier title...catchier...how else do you say (New Year) Resolutions, abeg?

Brace for Impact

Remember the good old 'Our Daily Bread' devotional? The one for Sunday Jan 15 2012 made an impact (pardon the pun) on me.

I remember watching the news on CNN in 2009 about the 'near crash' of the US Airways Flight 1549, in which the entire 155 passengers and crew survived. A miracle indeed!

The plane had hit a flock of geese upon take off, causing both engines to disable. Just before the plane landed where it did, the pilot had announced to the passengers, and I am sure this is standard protocol in a crisis; 'brace for impact.'....get ready, do whatever you have to do, hold on to whatever/whomever, say your (possibly last) prayer...anything at all, just get ready!

It seem to me that the entire situation in Nigeria right now is much like the scenario of that US flight! The 'plane' taking us to our destination have hit (dare I say) a 'flock of geese,' crippling both engines and the pilot, who, unlike in the situation above, was put there through a deliberate process of election by the people,  seem unable to maneuver in order to land as safely as he possibly can.

This is day 6 of the strike protesting the (unceremonious and impromptu) removal of the oil subsidy, so much have come to light since then concerning the state of governance of our country; more, Nigerians have risen up as one man to protest this 'unilateral' decision by taking to the streets, everyone is expressing their views through every means. Unfortunately, the  pilot and his government have refused to be swayed. The news that hit Nigerians (as of this morning) is that this supposedly democratically elected 'pilot' has announced the pump price of fuel to be N97 going forward, he has also flooded the streets with armed soldiers, policemen and security agents to stall the protests...what picture does this singular action depict? That things are about to take a turn for the worse, because Nigerians (note I didn't say NLC) are bent on fighting to the finish.

But we have prayed! And still are! Our eyes are on God to save and deliver and take control. However, having said and done all that, I say to you, 'brace for impact' because we have no idea where and how this plane is going to land! More, as one of the passengers of the US Flight said, would we be given 'a second chance in life?' In order words, are we going to come off the plane to see the birth of a new (better) nation? Would we, like those survivors, have boats and ferries waiting to 'rescue' us when we finally land God-knows-where? Who knows? God does, but on our part, as we pray and take the necessary practical steps to make our voices heard, BRACE FOR IMPACT!

...And...be free oh.



Nigeria

It seemed criminal and petty, if not even insensitive to post the blogs I had waiting on my draft....I cannot even heartily welcome you to 2012, how can I, when my beloved Naija is (still) under siege...a situation so unbelievable, things are going from bad to worse, how is this possible??

Wasn't it only yesterday we were grappling with kidnapping (of expatriates first o) in the Niger-Delta, then that degenerated into kidnapping of just anyone anywhere in the entire states of the Federation, then we had the Jos Crisis, the painful, brutal killing of the innocent, that rendered the once peaceful City to a ghost of its former self, then we had to grapple with the confusion that ensued with illness and absence of a President who did not handover the nation which remained without a leader for ages, then we went through the election and its own brand of bloodshed, then some evil thing called 'Boko Haram' (loosely translated 'against Western Education', and yes, I will forgive you if you snickered!) that began to first steadily kill (in Maiduguri) Policemen and bomb Police Stations, then graduated to the gruesome murder of innocent citizens, then began a battle against the Christians, and this degenerated into other Northern states in the Federation, then came the Christmas morning bombing of churches, and threats to Southern Christians to relocate back to their States....did I get it all?? What did I miss?? The strangest thing is that in all of this, the government seem clueless on how to proceed!

One devastation on the heel of another, I doubt this country has had a respite from violence, pain and mayhem in a while. As if that is not enough, the President presented the populace with a New Year gift: sorry, but we are removing subsidy oh...and oh yes! Nigeria once again became the focus of attention of the world as protest and violence erupted immediately and  that does not seem to be abating anytime soon.

It is so appalling, so painful and so disheartening that a country that is known to pray so much would be embroiled in this never-ending devastation; where is God? I wonder? I don't even want to talk about the Government, and the President, and the House of Representatives, and all other people in Government! I want to understand what goes on in the mind of God right now, why does He allow this?? Why is it its the innocent that  takes the brunt of any 'change?' Will we get out of this? How? When? 

Many a people will say prayer obviously have not done much, but where else can we turn,  seeing as violence in not doing much, if not back to the known God?

Heavy heart or not, I speak peace to Naija. Nigeria is God's. And we have hope. oh yes, we do.

Be free oh.