Darasimi Oshodi, Author at TalkAfrique

October 15, 2013October 15, 2013

You Have No Option… Run!

By Darasimi Oshodi

In the jungle of Africa, the lion wakes up and thinks to itself that if it must find food, it must run faster than the gazelle while the gazelle thinks to itself that to survive the day, it must outrun the lion. There is a moral to this analogy and the moral is that to succeed in life, you cannot afford to stay in the same position. The lion will starve to death if it refuses to run after its prey. The gazelle will also not survive the day, if it does not outrun its predator.

So what does this tell me? That if I must get anything out of life, I must make demands on life. Life will just hand to me whatever it likes. You don’t get what you deserve in life, you get what you demand. So make your demand. Go out there and run. The millions you desire to have, the fame you crave for, the impact you hope to make will not be possible if you stay in a spot wishing it will fall on your laps like ripe cherries.

If you must not be run over in life, just like the gazelle, you must run and even outrun your predators who are lurking around looking for the opportunity to pounce on you and devour you. Let me mention some of these predators: failure, disappointment, despondency, rejection, poverty, etc. If you don’t move from that spot you are in, then expect these predators to catch up with you and consume you. I sincerely believe that someone who is active can never be bogged down by feelings of disappointment or any other negative feeling for that matter.

Considering this analogy critically, it seems to me that everyone in life will at one time or the other find themselves in the position of either the lion or the gazelle. Whether you are a lion or gazelle, you are fighting for survival and there is only one option: to run. And you cannot just run languidly or leisurely, you must run with all seriousness and with all your might because your life depends on it. Running may mean different things to different people. It may mean looking for ways to make money; it may mean studying to pass an examination; it may mean securing a job; it may mean keeping your job; it may mean fighting to keep your marriage; it may mean just anything.

To succeed in life, you cannot be complacent. You cannot be lethargic in your approach to life. You cannot wish your desires into existence. You must work towards achieving your dream(s). You must give your all to realising your desire. So can you assess your current position/situation and honestly give an accurate evaluation of your state? And whatever position you are in at the moment, know that you have no option but to RUN!

Just run!

October 3, 2013

Celebrated or Tolerated?

By Darasimi Oshodi

Have you ever been with people who never saw anything good in you? Have you associated with people who would always tear you down with their words and actions? These people do not think you are worth anything and they try to lecture you on what you must do before they approve of you.

On the other hand, have you been with people who see in you the good that you never thought was there? People who encourage you to be the best. People who love you for you. People you do not have to impress before they accept and approve of you. People who see you as the best thing to happen to them or as the next superstar and will not stop at anything to inspire your confidence.

I want to assume that you have at one time or the other been with these two sets of people. But the sad thing I have noticed is that there is a tendency for us to stick to the crowd that tolerates us instead of staying with the crowd that celebrates us. I think the reason for this is simple. We want to feel accepted and if there are people who show us that we have not earned their acceptance, we want to do everything to earn their acceptance. But if I may ask, why do you need the acceptance of someone or those who do not accept you unconditionally before correcting you? Must you earn anyone’s acceptance before you feel good about yourself? Why don’t you bask in the fact that there is a crowd cheering you on in your journey through life. Why do you neglect and trivialise the company of those who accept you first before making suggestions on how to improve some aspects of your life?

I believe I have a great smile. In fact I believe my smile can disarm anyone. I believe my smile can melt any heart. But you will be shocked if I tell you where this belief came from – from a commercial motorcyclist! That was many years ago. I was trying to persuade him to accept a particular amount of money as the fare I had to pay him for transporting me to where I was going, when he commented on my smile. Since that day, I have always believed that I have a great smile. Recently, my inspirational boss commented on my voice and I cannot tell you how much that comment has boosted my self-confidence. A personal rule that I follow is to identify the people who celebrate me and stick with them.

Your self-portrait determines your self-confidence and those you stick with have a big part in shaping your self-portrait. Your self-portrait is the way you see yourself and what people say about you contributes to how you see yourself. Do you then see why you need to associate with those who water the seed of greatness in you? It is because your self-portrait controls your self-confidence and conduct. You will always act out what you think you are. So who is that person who speaks to the greatness in you? Identify your cheerleaders and stick with them. Who is that person who celebrates you? Don’t you think it is better to stick to such a person than to seek the favour of the one who only tolerates you?

I leave you with this question: are you being celebrated by those people you are with or are you just being tolerated?

September 21, 2013

The Thirteen Year-Old African Boy Who Found a Way to Combat Lions

By Darasimi Oshodi

This is a story one should hear directly from the horse’s mouth. It will make you appreciate the story better. Richard Turere is a 13-year old Kenyan whose family’s compound is behind the unfenced southern part of the Nairobi National Park. Richard is the one who tends his father’s herd of cattle. But for a long time, just like his neighbours’, his cows were at the mercy of marauding lions who migrate from the Nairobi National Park. After various unsuccessful attempts to curtail the invasion of these predators, Richard stumbled upon an ingenious idea, which so far, has proved successful in warding off wild animals.

He discovered that lions were afraid of coming near their cowshed if they thought someone was around. So he fitted a series of flashing LED bulbs onto poles around the livestock enclosure, facing outward. The lights were wired to a box with switches and to an old car battery powered by a solar panel. They were designed to flicker on and off intermittently. This would appear to the lions as if someone was moving around with a flashlight. Richard’s idea has been so successful that neighbours have been asking him to help install his invention on their farms. In fact, his idea is now being used all over Kenya to scare off predators. Continue reading “The Thirteen Year-Old African Boy Who Found a Way to Combat Lions”

September 17, 2013September 17, 2013

Miracle on Ice and Other Remarkable Stories of Upset

By Darasimi Oshodi

I watched a film recently, Glory Road, in which a coach led the first all-black starting line-up for a college basketball team to win the NCAA national championship in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. After watching the film, I decided to do a search of some of the greatest upsets in sports and American politics. Why American politics? I can’t really explain. It may be because I love American politics. Below are some of the stories I found. They are just few of the many stories I came across but I hope you find them enlightening.

On February 22, 1980 during the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, the United States Olympic ice hockey team, made up of amateur and collegiate players, defeated the Soviet team, which had won nearly every world championship and Olympic tournament since 1954. The Americans had gone into the third period 3-2 down but scored two goals during the period to the consternation of the Soviets. The U.S. team went on to claim the gold medal in the sport. The US victory on that day has been dubbed Miracle on Ice and movies have even been produced based on the events of that day.

In 1948, in what is widely considered the greatest upset in American presidential politics, Democratic incumbent Harry S. Truman defeated his Republican challenger Thomas Dewey. A newspaper had already published Dewey’s victory in advance.

In the 1976 United States presidential election, relatively unknown former governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter defeated the incumbent President Gerald Ford.

In 1978, Muhammad Ali lost to Leon Spinks in a match many had thought would be an easy win for Ali.

James Buttler Douglas defeats Mike Tyson in one of greatest underdog stories

In 1990, Mike Tyson was beaten with a technical knockout (TKO) by James Butler Douglas, a no-name in the world of boxing. Tyson, in his penultimate fight had knocked out his opponents in 93 seconds. Continue reading “Miracle on Ice and Other Remarkable Stories of Upset”

September 6, 2013

Amazing Comeback Stories from the Brink of Failure, By Darasimi Oshodi

Last week Friday, Chelsea was on the verge of victory against Bayern Munich in the 2013 UEFA Super Cup but with just eight seconds left, Bayern Munich equalised and were the eventual winner after a penalty shootout. The UEFA Super Cup is an annual football match organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by the reigning champions of the two main European club competitions, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.

Brazil were the favourites to win gold in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics men’s football. The team met Nigeria in one of the semi-final matches of the competition. Brazil had beaten Nigeria 1-0 in the group stage. For the greater part of the match, Brazil were leading. At a point, Brazil were three goals up against Nigeria’s one. But with 12 minutes left, Nigeria scored two goals to send the game into extra time. Nigeria won the match with a golden goal in extra time. In the final match of the competition, Nigeria again came from behind to beat their opponents, Argentina.

In 1999, during the European Champions League Final, Bayern Munich had led Manchester United by 1-0 into the stoppage time but two goals from Manchester United in the stoppage time gave victory to the Manchester club. It was a dramatic comeback.

During the 2005 Champions League Final between AC Milan and Liverpool played in the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul AC Milan were three goals up by half-time, prompting some Reds fans to leave. But in six crazy second-half minutes, Liverpool equalised and went on to eventually win the match in a penalty shoot-out.

The opening game of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations saw Angola leading Mali 4-0 till the last four minutes of the game but somehow the Malian players conjured up 4 goals in 11 minutes to end the game in a draw.

What do these stories teach me? That I should never give up early and if I have any reason to give up at all, I should ask myself these questions: Continue reading “Amazing Comeback Stories from the Brink of Failure, By Darasimi Oshodi”

August 29, 2013

The Sixteen Year-Old Girl Who Has Impacted the World

Darasimi Oshodi

She was born in 1997 in Pakistan. She is an education and women’s rights activist and was almost killed in an assassination attempt last year. She is one of the most famous teenagers on earth and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. She is also a Nobel Peace Prize nominee. Who is this 16 year-old?

Malala Yousafzai began blogging for BBC News at age 12 under a pseudonym, depicting her daily activities under Taliban rule and her views on education for girls. Her profile began to rise when she started appearing on television to publicly advocate for female education. She had earlier appeared in a documentary by New York Times. As Malala became more popular, she started receiving death threats. In fact, death threats against her were published in newspapers.

Last year at age 15, a Taliban gunman boarded Malala’s school bus in northwestern Pakistan, shot her and two other girls in an attempt to kill her. The bullet went through her head and neck, and lodged in her shoulder. The Taliban, by the incident, wanted to show what would happen to anyone who had the courage to stand up for education, freedom and self-determination, particularly for girls and women. Malala was flown to the UK for treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham and on February 2nd, 2013, she underwent a five-hour operation to reconstruct her skull and restore her hearing. The Taliban has threatened to kill her if she returns to Pakistan.

Today, a global campaign in Malala’s name, spearheaded by the United Nations (UN) Special Envoy for Global Education, Gordon Brown, a former prime minister of Britain, is already on in support of what she stands for. The main focus of the campaign is that no children will be left out of school by 2015. On her 16th birthday on July 12th 2013, she spoke at the UN to call for worldwide access to education. The UN called the event “Malala Day”. Hear this extract from her speech at the UN: Continue reading “The Sixteen Year-Old Girl Who Has Impacted the World”

August 21, 2013

The Law of Connection: Nelson Mandela’s Example

By Darasimi Oshodi

I saw a movie sometime last year. The movie was released in 2009 but I saw it for the first time last year. The title of the movie is Invictus. The movie is about Nelson Mandela’s handling of post-apartheid South Africa. He is portrayed in the movie as a leader whose major desire for his nation is to see his nation recover from the evil inflicted by apartheid. He preaches and exemplifies the need for forgiveness and reconciliation, and he is keen to keep the nascent nation from being polarised along ethnic/colour lines. The movie is also about the rise of South Africa’s Rugby Team, The Springboks, from obscurity to prominence and this is largely due to the personal efforts of Nelson Mandela. Madiba – as Nelson Mandela is fondly called in South Africa – recently celebrated his 95^th birthday. During his 94^th birthday celebration last year, his influence on sports in his country was brought to the fore.

What had the most profound effect on me in the movie was Nelson Mandela’s remarkable ability to connect with the people around him. He knows them by their first name – this is one laudable attribute of great leaders. At a point in the film, Morgan Freeman, who acted as Nelson Mandela in the film, is seen asking one of his security agents about the agent’s child who is sick. Mandela is portrayed as a thoughtful and caring leader. He is a leader who connects with the people around him. He is touched by the condition of those working with him. I do not know how you see this: a country’s president is not only aware that the child of one of his security aides (security aide not personal secretary or cabinet member!) is sick, he even has the presence of mind to inquire about the child’s condition. This for me is an extraordinary act of leadership. Continue reading “The Law of Connection: Nelson Mandela’s Example”

August 19, 2013

Barack Obama, David Beckham and the Halo Effect

By Darasimi Oshodi

Barack Obama, president of the United States of America is a man of the people. His popularity extends beyond the shores of the U.S. He is loved all over the world. I believe he is loved on the African continent mainly because of his colour. He is seen as the hero of the black race and many Africans prayed that he would win the election that brought him into power in 2009. One of the things that Obama is admired for and which helped his presidential bid in no small measure is his oratorical power. In fact, Obama rose to national prominence as a result of an electrifying keynote speech he delivered at the Democratic National Convention on July, 27, 2004 in Boston Massachusetts.

The name, David Beckham, is a name the average soccer buff is familiar with. One of the things that have made Beckham famous is the way he takes free kicks. His free kicks are simply beautiful and breathtaking. Actually, his free kicks gave rise to the slogan, Bend it like Beckham. In fact, in 2002, a movie was produced bearing the title Bend it like Beckham. And there is more to David Beckham. He is a brand, a global brand. Beckham is actually a fans’ favourite; he is loved all over the globe. Thus, it is not surprising that he has endorsement deals with many huge companies like Coca-Cola, IBM, etc.

So what makes Obama, Beckham and many other famous personalities likable? It is called the halo effect. And what is the halo effect? Continue reading “Barack Obama, David Beckham and the Halo Effect”