Dear Youth,

I want you to love success, I want you to run after success, I want you to be crazy about succeeding.

Dear youth, you just have to succeed, it is no longer about you. It is beyond you, it is beyond your decision… You cannot choose to be average.

Your mom needs to retire soon from that menial job; you need to send her huge money. You don’t want her looking haggard by 55; she will retire soon, she needs plenty money to stay healthy.

Your dad will retire soon; pension will never be enough. Yes, he will need help – so such. Your 13 years old sister will become 18 soon. Don’t let her be pushed to the point of believing sex is the only way to get money.

Your 19 year old brother shouldn’t go into cyber crime because he couldn’t buy himself handouts. This isn’t about you, it is beyond you.

Your uncle paid your WASC fees 8 years ago, it has helped your life. Now his small kids are in SS2; don’t you think you can pay back his act of kindness.

Would you complain about being broke next 3 years when he says there isn’t no money to send them to the University. You must love success, you cannot afford to waste time.

Cousins search for uncles that will help send them money for handouts. They have called you a hundred times, you cannot help once. Remember that pastor that led you to Christ, his family needs help financially now.

The ministry is dying, he treks with his 4 children a mile to get to his church where he groomed you in Christ. You cannot give poverty a chance… No excuses

You cannot keep up with juvenile delinquency.. A lot is at stake.

Four years from now, if you meet with your secondary school teacher, would you stare at her kids and not drop a thousand naira?

This is not about you, it is beyond you.

Party, gist, WhatsApp all your life… It’s fine

Well, probably if you put in the real work now, you might be able to save your neighbor’s son in 4 years time. They may need just N50,000 to pay his hospital bills

But that might still be your salary in 4 years time, if you don’t put in the work. It’s not just about you.

You cannot afford to sleep every night; get up and grind. Grind hard, go through the pains, go through the hustle.

Remember you will get married soon, your sons shouldn’t make the same complaints you made; “if my father was rich, I would have accomplished this project a long time ago”.

So before you become really complacent and waste unnecessary time, I have pushed wisdom to you.

I hope you use it. Yes, I hope

Well, if you love mediocrity, remember people are standing on your shoulder now.

All Together

The simple fact is that the older we grow, we will have expanding futures and dreams to depend on our success.  This piece is not to pressure anyone into going into dubious means to get successful. I have never supported it and I will never support it. My main point is that you have to work hard, within the legal nexus, to be a blessing to others.

Nonetheless, I will recommend that you always remember that lives count on yours and that time doesn’t wait for anyone. So, whichever action you deem fit to take, do not procrastinate; do not be juvenile about it .

At this stage, you should have no excuses for taking action seeing we are so blessed with the internet. Seeing that access to relevant information is as easy  and  also seamless as it is.

We have a world to build. We have a continent to build. We have Africa to build. Do it legally and build your continent.

Over the weekend I was in a discussion forum with some people and shared some personal stories and life tips with them. I feel compelled to share two of the lessons here hoping that someone out there might benefit from my message and experience.

The First Lesson. Make Every Contact with you Count

Impact. Make it a matter of personal agenda to make impact wherever you find yourself. No matter how short your stay at a place (be it workplace, camp, school, social gatherings, meetings, religious events etc.) is, make it memorable, not just for yourself, but for those you ever come across. Make every contact or experience with you an impactful one.

At meetings or conferences, make inputs. Reasonable contributions, I mean. At work, be the one that makes things happen. While other colleagues are holding back on a project, you be the reactivator. If you’re not an ‘operational’ person, then be the idea box that thinks up solutions.

No, this is not just about visibility or let-them-see-me thing. Impact is about leaving a mark on the sand of time. A simple courtesy, smile, a firm handshake, or opening the door for someone you meet for the first time, petty as it might seem, could just be the game changer in your future relationship with that person.

Impact. Be nice to people. Being tough-talking is no synonymous to being cold. Don’t be unduly cantankerous and rude to people. Help colleagues out at work. Refer clients to friends, associates, and even to strangers, without expecting ‘a cut’. If you’re able to give out contract; give it out without expecting commission (kickbacks). That same contractor or vendor might become your helper tomorrow.

Focus more on your character and creating impacts; your personal brand will take care of itself. If you’re hired for a role even for just a month or few weeks, make it worth the while. Do something beautiful worth being remembered for. How poorly paid the job is, or unfriendly work environment is, doesn’t matter. As a student, make your stay in school a memorable one. Let your fellow students remember you for something beautiful. Make every day of your life count.

Impact Making isn’t about who you’re helping, but your person and your future. You’re the ultimate beneficiary of your impacts in the world. Living an impact-driven life is deeply empowering. Trust me, it is.

The second lesson. Don’t burn bridges. Be the bridge builder.

I dread controversies, but heck! Your mother’s ‘enemies’ from father’s side or vice versa aren’t necessarily your enemies. Your family’s ‘enemy’ isn’t necessarily your enemy. Be wary of taking side in a family dispute whose origin predates your birth.

Remember, you have many personal battles ahead of you. Don’t add to them. Life is just funny and complicated sometimes. These are the realities my personal life stories have proven. I don’t know if they make sense to you. But that’s what life stories and trajectories have proven.

I say it again, don’t burn bridges. No matter how horrible your boss or project supervisor is, don’t bad-mouth (speak ill of) him/her anywhere. If you’re leaving a job, by all means, leave on a good note. Obviously, there are employers that would rather have you sacked than have you hand them your resignation letter. Wisdom is everything. No matter how unfriendly your boss or employer is, leave him/her on a friendly note. Keep your conscience clean. I’m not asking you to forgive the terrible things said or done to you. Forgiving is your prerogative. But the sad reality is, with the way the string of life is wired, we’d always need each other at some point in time. Your worst enemy could just become a helper at some desperate moment. If you’re fortunate to have good past bosses, keep in touch. I sometimes consult for some of my past bosses. Thanks to my mastery of this principle.

Finally, sorry to say this, if I’m interviewing you for a role, and in the course of discussions you say terrible things about your boss or employer, I will mostly not hire you. No, I’m not being wicked. Talent is not enough.

Just a recap.

• Develop an Impact driven mindset and live up to it.
• Don’t burn bridges. Be the bridge builder