Sometimes we never discover the beginning until the end. Looking through the tunnel of time past; I find a continent struggling beneath a heap of actions left on the plate of irresponsibility, as shadowy figures remain in the gloom. I see blames passed like footballs, as murmurs and complains fill the air. I discover Africa, my continent, our continent, engulfed in watery stories told and retold, and at the end of the tunnel, I find a light duty-bound.
On this African soil where insurgency flourishes and violence remain on the increase, I was born. On this African soil where corruption thrives and poverty dominates the land; I developed. I grew up on a land where there are passages littered with broken promises, leaving dwellers with wounded feats, whilst the people’s trust in leaders dwindle. I have seen leaders come and go, as we still seem to be moving in circles. All these have deepened my mentality towards the phenomenon of a positive change and leadership. The burns from the general struggles have turned me into a product of a heated refinement. I have come to understand that even at the center of the flames from challenges, one can still make choices. A choice to either be burnt to ahes, going down with all one has to ‘save the day’ or a choice of refinement; going through the heat and getting freed from impurities. At the long-run, all these rest on the shoulders of one’s mentality.
We Are All Leaders!
It’s high time we discovered that we are all leaders directly or indirectly.Therefore, we all have a part to play in our quest for a positive change. Speaking about leadership. It’s time the word ‘Change’ moves from the theoretical boundaries to practicality. In a world where time is running, people would keep moving in circles until they discover; change isn’t just a theoretical phenomenon. Change isn’t a part of life. Change is life itself. So? It’s either we live it or it leaves us behind. Therefore, we have a lot of work to do on our mentality upgrade as individuals.
As a political leader for instance, I do not ONLY owe the people I serve good roads, electricity and other social amenities. These material needs have been the misconceptions to obtaining lasting peace and security in Africa, generally. I owe them truth and education. Truth? Education? Yes! In terms of truth, this begins with myself as an individual, knowing fully well that according to an African proverb, “when the roots of a tree begin to decay, it spreads death to the branches”. For instance, if my philosophy is ‘zero tolerance to corruption’ and I am dancing to the melodies of injustice, tribalism, religious and cultural constraints, definitely peace and security will remain a fairytale. I have this resolution that true leadership is a choice to fight, fighting wars inside out. The wars of self pleasures at the detriment of the people being led and the wars from existing corrupt minds.
True Leadership starts from within, this entails the ability to control my wants in granting the people’s needs. True leadership to me, is the choice of fighting these wars that bring peace. Evil, they say, grows efficaciously in the dark, this is why transparency to the people is a must. Truth and total transparency start with being true to yourself, as self deceit can be regarded as the greatest kind of dissimulation. This encompasses integrity, which must be acquired before it can be given out; you cannot give what you do not have. Responsibility, an inevitable role in the path to true leadership starts from here. This is the foundation of not just achieving but also maintaining peace and security in Africa at large. Corruption can be likened to a race which began from somewhere before it ran this deep into our system. Positive change can also be likened to a race, it has to start from somewhere to finally reach its set objectives and your lifestyle in general can be amongst the track of its starting point.
We are the saviours that we seek
We are the miracles we pray to happen
Let’s quit waiting for things to happen
Let’s start happening!
Thanks for joining us on this week’s ~ Word-Perfect Monday
Have a most fulfilling week ahead!
