Isaac Oluyi, Author at TalkAfrique

February 5, 2011February 15, 2011

The Power of Taking The First Step

Each passing second, several ideas play out in one’s mind. The human mind conceives numerous ideas that are capable of turning the world around positively within a millisecond. Perhaps this was the reason Napoleon Bonaparte once asserted that “ideas rule the world”. But despite the myriad of ideas that dot our minds daily, several people, especially in Africa still live below poverty level. What could be responsible for this? What makes those that activate their ideas different from those that do not?

In my research I have come to realise that there are actually two categories of people in this world: those who make their dreams happen and those that wait for their dreams to happen. It appears more than 70% of Africans belong to the latter category. We wait more often than not for our dreams to happen. This may be why we seem complacent consuming what others produce. Instead of taking action on at least one out of the multiple ideas that come to mind everyday, we seem comfortable talking about them. But I think we need to begin to walk the talk. It is not sufficient to churn out ideas; the ideas become useful when we expedite action on them.

In 2005 when I relocated from Lagos to Ile-Ife in Nigeria, I met a young man who studied Agricultural Science in one of Nigeria’s universities. He spoke to me about the inherent opportunities in snail farming. He spoke glowingly about it that I became interested in it. I launched out immediately. With some used tyres, I bought just 17 snails to commence the business. Before I knew what was happening snail rearing became synonymous with my name in my area. It was after I launched out that I discovered that the young man who told me about it did not even have a single snail. In fact, I became his consultant later. A graduate of Literature-in-English consulting for Agricultural Science graduate on snail rearing. Today, I run a farm where I do not just rear snails, but also chickens, rabbits and a host of other animals. Such was the power of taking the first step!

I believe that if I had been waiting for the dream of rearing snails to happen without making it happen myself, it might have been a mirage! Our society can actually be a better place to live in and we can become shinning examples to others around us if only we can take action on one of the several ideas that come to our mind daily. We need to take the first step in the right direction without nursing fear and every other thing shall follow.

We must know that nothing moves until we move it.

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February 2, 2011February 3, 2011

Beyond Political Turmoil in Africa: We Are Blessed, Not Cursed

In the last couple of months, there hav been pockets of crises here and there on the African continent. From Ivory Coast to Sudan, and from Tunisia to Egypt, it has been tales of cacophony and woes. This seems worrisome in a continent blessed with abundant human and material resources. There is a tendency to regard our dear continent as cursed, given the enormity of turmoil in the land. But when viewed against the backdrop that there is no nation or continent which has not been through this phase of development in its historical evolution, we may be consoled that all is not lost.

I have read all sorts of comments on the happenings in Africa in recent times – from the cosmetic to the logical. But the funniest has been the one saying that what is happening is a sign of the end time. I consider this laughable as I see this more or less as a phase in our development. As much as one would have expected that by now Africa should have outgrown this stage, we must know that it is not what is going on that matters but how we handle it. We therefore need to tread on the side of caution, as violence cannot end violence. It will only escalate it.

In the face of the on-going adversity, one thing is obviously clear: the current generation of African leaders is bereft of ideas. The onus is now on us (the younger generation) to begin to look inwards. We must begin to light up our corners with bright ideas. After all, ideas, they say, rule the world. We must be guided by Stedman Graham’s advice that “people who let events and circumstances dictate their lives are living reactively. That means that they don’t act on life, they only react to it.” The only price we have to pay to prove to the world that Africa is blessed and not cursed is to be conscious of the fact that “leaders are not born, they are made. They are made just like anything else…through hard work” (Vince Lombardi)

January 31, 2011February 15, 2011

The Best Time to Start was Yesterday (Part 1 &2 )

Part 1

Procrastination is the thief of time. What should be done today should not be delayed till tomorrow. Today is the tomorrow spoken about yesterday. I know you have several ideas on your mind at the moment. For instance, for quite some time you have been dreaming about starting that business of yours or perhaps it is that your book which you are yet to write. Whatever it is that you have on your mind, you must know that nothing moves unless it is moved. In fact, Newton’s law of motion states that every object will remain in a position of rest unless an external force is applied to it. The external force in this sense is YOU. You need to do something about that idea of yours. You must take the first step. After all, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step in the right direction. So, start now.

Part 2

In Part 1 of this piece, I emphasized the fact that what could be done today should not be delayed till tomorrow. Should you still be at sea with the essence of this article, let me quickly share this experience with you. In January, 2010, I told a colleague about a publisher in Germany. This firm publishes academic works free of charge with royalty paid at the end of the year. While my colleague is yet to come up with a single manuscript as at the time of writing this piece because he keeps on postponing sending his work to the outfit, yours sincerely has published two books already with the firm!

The challenge with my colleague is that he is waiting for “the right time” to publish his masterpiece. My fear for him however is that he does not wait forever. I am certain that several masterpieces are wasting away at the cemeteries because they were never written! In a nutshell, you need to know that no one will celebrate you for what you would have done. You will only be celebrated for what you did. The best time to act on your idea was, indeed, yesterday.

Isaac Oluyi is a motivational writer and speaker based in Nigeria. He speaks and writes on attitude, self-discovery and wealth creation. Isaac is the Administrative Officer at the National Centre for Technology Management at Obafemi Awolowo University.