Few
years back while in school, I was having a conversation with a very good friend
who was also a course mate, he told me that if at all we must achieve anything
in this our time and generation, we must be men and women of like-minds and
like passion. This is simply because history had left conspicuous lessons for
us that nothing great and record breaking was ever achieved in isolation.
Forwarding this conversation to present day, this statement kept burning in my
heart about the need to reach out and surround myself with men and women of
like-minds and like passion in order to create a favourable platform to do
exploits and great things in our time. Thus, I am sharing this with you to
bring to fore the necessity and crucially of having men and women of like
passion in this our “Change” era.
I
am not too good in history, neither am I so vast and skilled in storytelling,
but the little I have read and studied about how our beloved and betrothed
country came to be and other countries around the world has given me much to
think about. I observed and learned that the thread that linked and joined many
great men and women who in their many different ways left mark on the sand of
time and legacies for us to learn from, was the thread of having like-minded
company around them. Browsing through the time and space, you will realize
that, it is consistent of them to be encircled by men and women of like
passion.
Over
the years, change whether positive or negative, secular or sacred, formal or
informal, was pioneered and championed by ordinary men and women of like
passion. These were men and women that though they carried within them the
feebleness and weaknesses common to all people; but in their bosom they nursed,
nurtured and brooded uncommon, extra-ordinary and life changing burdens and visions. Change is the only permanent thing in life; this
axiom is common in our society. However, the processes and pathways that lead
to change are never common to all men. Change don’t just come to be overnight,
it is not an accidental incident neither is it a coincidental occurrence; Change
or transformation is the brainchild and product of hatched burdens, brooded
visions and incubated dreams.
Emphatically,
history has proven true that change doesn’t come on the platter of gold,
neither has it ever been brought to fore by a single person, but through the
collective and collaborative efforts of like-minded men and women whom over
time have identified a burden, agreed upon it, work on it and have taken the
necessary steps to bring it to fruition. Yes, the whole idea might be conceived
by a single person, but when it comes to making it real and tangible, he/she
needs men and women of like passion to achieve that. These men and women of
like passion know the sacrifices and commitments needed and are ready to pay
the corresponding cost to see that it is a reality. Running down memory lane,
one will realize that numerous sacrifices and commitments were made for any
meaningful change and transformation to happen. Thus we can talk of our
founding fathers that were sacrificial and so committed to bring about the birth
of our nation; they were so selfless to the point that they don’t even love
their lives.
If
you are to take a cursory look at the way things are especially in the
political or business world, you will see the power of having like-minded
people working together. Nothing promises great result and productivity like
having and working with men and women of like passion, proving true what the
Holy Writ said that two cannot walk together unless they agree. It is quite
unfortunate and lamentable that we have allowed many things that divide us and
few things that unite us, whereas we are in a generation that we have veritable
and suitable platforms that will enable us to flow in congruency of purpose and
harmony of reason.
I
believe in this 21st century, we have a lot in common that it won’t
take us anything much to align our purposes to birth something great and big.
Civilization has freed and unites us, education has enlightened and unites us,
and religion has liberated and unites us. All these are ground breaking
foundations for us to be men and women of like passion, working together for
the greater good of humanity. If only we can do so, we can lay aside our
differences, bring our different yet equally important potentials to fore,
explore and refine them together and move for something big in our time and
generation.
More
practically now, how can we achieve this seeing that we live in a generation
that everything that is good and noble is being opposed by day with utter
disdain? This reminds me of Nehemiah who carried the burden of rebuilding the
broken down wall of Jerusalem. He was conscious of opposition; hence he
surrounded himself with courageous men of like passion which finally ensured
his subsequent success. You see if your burden is business, surround yourself
with business-minded people that can fan into flame your little fire. If you
desire to be a teacher, you need men of like passion to set you on course.
Succinctly, no one can be surrounded by men and women that their passion are not
congruent and expect to arrive at his or her destination; it will be like
waiting for the ship at the airport.
Applicably
to the youths now, we have all it takes to work together especially in 2019 to
change a lot of things in Nigeria. This is because if there had ever been any
tangible and lasting change and revolution, it was done by men and women of
like passion particularly youths, and our time must not be an exception. As
youths, if we must leave a mark on the sand of time, we must be like-minds and of
like passion in everything that is true, right, fair, just, honourable,
excellent, and beneficial. We must be men and women of like passion at
confronting evil and exposing same, we must be like minds in calling a spade a
spade.
The
bottom line of it all is the fact that, if we can align ourselves and
potentials to be men and women of like minds and passion, we can be a force to
reckon with in our generation, nothing can conquer our resolutions to bring
about revolution. It is time to reach out in that your little street and
community, look out for men and women of like minds and passion, harness your
potentials and I tell you, you will do great exploits and the world will come
to the light of your glory. With men and women of like passion, everything is possible;
they cannot only bring about a CHANGE, but a REVOLUTION.
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Good piece
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