#values

watch me live, survive and thrive without you

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          Little Kifi, the fish, gleefully sprang up into the air, gulped some air and flipped her tail. Then dived back into the ocean.

Swimming leisurely along, she reminisced on her recent encounter with another older fish, Azu.

“Your life is tied to the Water. Outside of it, you cease to exist”

“Must be a pitiable state to live” mused Kifi as she recalled the conversation with Azu.

Although, Azu was white and bent with age with glazed over eyes, his senses of hearing and touch were still razor-sharp.

The Renegade

Meanwhile, earlier that day, Azu had noticed Kifi join a school of others who went by a funky name. They tagged themselves ‘The Wokes’.

Led by a renegade herring by the name of Eja. Recently, Eja has began to stir up discontent among the younger school. He encouraged them to become daring. Do more. Be more. Crave more. Eja sold the idea of how their lives in the ocean was boring and there was a better life out there on the shores.

Furthermore, at odd hours when he presumed no one was watching; he would swim away from the sea bed, close enough to the shore to watch the fishermen.

Also, his eyes twinkled when he saw the humans pick some of his mates out of the waters. They never returned. Eja’s mind dreamed up all colourful scenarios about life outside. And as is the nature of unsatisfied yearnings, Eja began devising a plot to follow the humans to their exotic lands.

The Caution

However, Old Azu heard about it and went in search of Eja.

“I hear you are dreaming of killing yourself and taking other naive fish along” he began

“Who have you been talking to old one? Eja chuckled

“My source is not important. I have only come to remind you that there is no life outside of these Waters.”

“Get a life old man. Your limiting mindset stinks. No wonder your life is boring. If there is no life outside why do the others who go away not return?” Eja scorned as he glided away

“I promised your father to do my best for you” Azu had gone in search of little Kifi. “This thing with Eja will only lead to trouble” cautioned Azu

“Thank you Old Azu. You have kept your promise to my parents. I can now take care of myself and know what is best for me” Kifi replied cheekily and dived up again for air.

The scapefish

Then that evening, old Azu woke up to a cacaphony.

Eja was surrounded by an angry school lashing out at him.

Turned out he had led a team towards the shore so they could feel the sand on their skin. They did not see the net until it closed. Kifi was among those captured. Her cries were the loudest as she wriggled frantically inside the net. Eja had no idea how he raced back into the safety of the water. From that vantage point, he stared helplessly as Kifi and the others finally suffocated and lay still.

As Azu approached, Eja hung his head in shame.

“I tried to rescue her” he lied

“I tried to warn her about you” Eja angrily remarked

“Constantly reminding her that there is no life outside of the waters. In it we live and move and have our being”

 

If you like this. You will also like https://amarannaji.com/navigating-anger-and-faith/

#principles #statutes #itishowitis #rulebook #deviants

 

the influencer who went viral and lost his life

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This guy I follow. The baddest of Influencers.

I call him Mr Loco. Because he is very weird.

Met him offline before online became a thing. Very vociferous. Spares no one. Bucks the trend. Delights in annoying the establishment.

“I do not care for my life. You are going to kill me anyway so I might as well say it as it is”

As he stirred up more ruckus, his following grew. His followers got into arguments and fights. Became Voltrons, the defender of his Universe.

“Stop defending me. I can take care of myself” he cautioned restraint

Mindset upgrades. Lifestyle switches were his mantra.

How to think/do/be better were all his teachings.

As his Goodwill soared. He also accrued resentment and hatred.

The competition did not like him. Like we say in Nigeria, he was pouring sand inside their garri (frustrating their schemes) and needed to be taken care of.

Therefore, the law of in the face of a common foe enemies become friend was activated.

A hit was commissioned on him. It would be an inside job.

“We would protect you afterwards” the hitman was reassured

A lie it turned out eventually. Because after he carried out the hit, they turned their backs on him. And he committed suicide.

And Mr Loco?

Of course they killed him. Then they rued the day they did. Because his Influence and following then spread like wildfire

So viral even the #covid pandemic was child’s play. Trans frontiers, transcending social strata and demographics, his fame soared.

And lives changed.

If you have guessed who this is by now, let me know.

on the road to shangisha 2

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  click here for part 1

“I always have Altars commemorating my encounters with God”

“Altars kwa?”  I responded

“Yes.  Altars like Bible times”

I knew about Altars.  I mean, both of us are Old-time religion, faith-based bible followers.  We shared similar foundational upbringing and the bible was one common area for us. 

However, when I thought physical Altars, the image which drew up was the type in my friend Esso’s Catholic home.

Howbeit now, my Pentecostal friend was talking Altars

“Tell me about it” I returned quietly across the line.

“I learnt to set up Altars.  For each major encounter I have with God I set up an altar at the location where it happened” 

And I listened to my friend go on about memorials as statutes of remembrances of God’s faithfulness. So much so that by the time I drove off, that billboard location became an altar for me.  I would eventually set up others.

Years later, after I had moved away from Magodo, that location remained an Altar. A place which held the presence of God for me strongly.  It also served as a place of Refuge for me. 

For each time I drove through that environs, I would cast a glance to that landmark and say a prayer. 

I recall during the Pandemic when I was super-stressed and floundering.  This particular day, driving to the Fruits market at Ketu; I stopped by the First bank after Caleb College to use the ATM. 

Overwhelmed, I parked and walked down to the billboard.  I stood there for quite some time seeking solace.  I felt the security which you would find when you run into a Safe House.  Then, feeling grounded, I left. 

Now, as I stand 110 metres above sea level drinking in the views, I feel so relaxed and peaceful.

I recall the first time I was up here – the week before the surgery.  Crushed and groping my way to understand what this new drama was all about, I had stood at this same spot closer to the heavens monologuing to God.

“Cancer?” 

“Surely Lord, you know I trust you enough to make this this disappear and we would not have to go through this process?”

I reasoned.  Pleaded.  Argued my case as I stood up there.  By the time we left there, I had built an altar on the clouds of the Spinnaker Tower.

God did not make the Cancer disappear. 

Yet, standing at this altar again today, I know that victory comes in shades. 

 

 

on the road to shangisha

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“I vividly recall where I was when Uzoejiagaaro spoke to me about Altars.

Pause.

“What type of name is such a mouthful?”

Please come with me.

Uzo. Eji. Aga. Aro. [The road to Aro. Where Aro is short for Arochukwu a local government in Nigeria].

Arochukwu is the third largest city in Abia state. Initially inhabited by the Ibibios. it would later become a territory for the colonial imperialists. The Ibibios, are a riverine tribe from the coasts of Akwa-Ibom – a neighbouring state to Abia. And thanks to their proximity to the Coast, they were exposed to civilization as all Coastal areas are.

Therefore, between the Ibibios and the imperialists, Arochuku boasted of Economic development which included an Ashpalt-paved road.

Back then, a tarred road was a rarity. It meant a smooth and easy journey for you if you were travelling to and fro Aro -no speed-breakers, potholes, bumps or delay.

Thus, names like Uzoejiagaaro, *Uzoejiabaliaga, **Uzodinma and other forms of Uzo became popular names which connotated a prayer for an easier ride through Life.

Subsequently, the next time you hear Uzoaru, Uzoma, Uzodi etcetera, you now get the picture.

*Uzo. Eji. Abali. Aga. = the road you travel at night because it is so smooth you have no worries

**Uzo. Di. Nma. = A good road.

Now, back to where I was when Uzoaru called.

I was on my way home from Banana Island to Magodo after a full day’s job.

I had crossed Alapere and veered in to buy fuel at that Service Station just before the Apostolic Faith Campground at Ojota.  As I drove out of the Station, my phone rang. 

By the Anglican Church at Ikosi Junction, I turned in. 

and parked in front of the Zenith billboard. Yes, the conversation was that captivating. Besides, with police presence only few metres ahead, I felt safe from the dangers of the infamous robbers on that Ojota bridge…..click here

 

 

Facing Challenges: Valuable Lessons from Kayaking for Life and Business

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This is a post from my Facebook archives. I shared it with my social media family during the summer of 2017. 

 

I am resharing as one of those days during Chemotherapy a friend called me up and reminded me of how inspiring I have always been.  Then shared this link.   I  represent it here six years later for 2 reasons:

  • As I read through, It hit me that even in a battle with the monstrous cancer, these lessons remain timeless.

 

  • And to see if my writing style has evolved over the years.



I spent last Saturday on the Lagos Lagoon during a Kayaking session.  You probably know that already if you follow me on Social Media.


It was a fun afternoon spent crossing another item off my list.

 

Oh, sure, I do have a list.  A list made up of fun things I want to do. Some of them I should have done earlier but I was shackled under the What-If fear.  You can call it a handbag instead of a bucket list afterall you can tote a bag around easily. 

 

Yeah, I was talking about my Kayaking venture.  

 

Dear reader, it was such an awesome experience.  I had so much fun.  Such unquantifiable fun and so many lessons kept popping up during that period that I marvelled at how I could glean such lessons while stuck in no man’s water.

Well, you know by now that whenever something pops in my head, I think of you to share. And because of that, I have made this list of these 10 lessons which you could apply to your life or business:

 

  • Face that fear: when the news about going on the deep waters broke in my Fitness Group, more people backed down from Aquaphobia than Moneyphobia.  It was good to see that people who could fly on air, put their bodies through all sorts of contortions, and run a self-imposed range of 5km to a full marathon could shy away from merely going to exercise on water.  [Honestly, after my surgery in the weeks preceeding chemo, I caught the fear bug]

 

  • Listen to an experienced hand: before we went on the water, we had a debriefing session.  The old man worked on our minds and prepared us for the adventure.  I asked the most questions of all and at a stage, one of the team members had to shush me that my questions were too much and fear-inducing.  But all I was doing was empowering myself with a SWOT analysis. He enunciated the things to look out for and how to behave at each circumstance.  He reinforced the reason why people topple over into the water and how to act if you do fall in. How to behave and sir it out when a bigger vessel roughens up the water and your boat is being tossed to and fro. [The hospital organised a course titled demystifying chemo. All through treatment, her head kept ringing in my head each time something new occurred]

  • When your Boat topples, stay afloat:   One of the fears most of us expressed was what to do in such an eventuality.  He said a simple thing – your body will be in the water but your head will keep bobbing thanks to the life jacket.  So all you had to do was assume the prayer position until help came.  We saw that play out when a guy toppled and had to remain like that until help got to him. Can your logical mind imagine a simple thing like palms together with face up will save your life?  So it also is in life where you  realize your boat will flip over once or twice on this journey. [During treatment, some days I fell into the water, other days I remained afloat]

 

  • Your response while inside the waters determines your survival.  Read the rest here
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Letting The Cancer Fester 2

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You can click here if you missed part one…….. and if they were active in church, temporarily relieved of any duties until they served out the suspension period.  If you refused the discipline, you were ex-communicated. Nevertheless, before that suspension stage, you would have had warnings. Warnings given privately at those face-saving meetings held with you. … Read more