Three days I was on the Island – Victoria Island, and I met one of the coordinators of the Future Nigeria Awards. He recognized me for having won the award before, and informed me that he and a colleague of his were talking about me lately, and wondering what I was up to now? He also asked if my friends were professionals and that I should tell them about the Future Awards and get them nominating the right people. Back then, I had won “The Professional of the Year” category of the Future Award for 2006, and in the same year, had decided to resign from paid employment and become an entrepreneur.
Nominations for the Future Nigeria Awards will be closing on the 11th of November, 2007 and this year’s edition would be organized with the authentication of the Federal Ministry of Education. The silence is the only reason why truth goes unheard, lack of expression of light is the only reason darkness goes unchecked, if you think you know someone in any of these categories that should be nominated, go ahead and nominate them, this is the only way to ensure that we are pushing forward the right people. It should get more competititive each year as better and better people compete for each of the categories. You can do so here.
I had forgotten about the awards, but today it was mentioned again while I was on air – Channels TV (Rubbing Minds with Chude and …… I’ll get her name; really pretty and talented lady). I was there in the studio with 2 other gentlemen and lady, discussing the challenges facing young people in business in nigeria. As we bounced from issues about perception, to credibility to infrastructure, to pricing and experience, it was a good time to reflect on the decision to grab the bullls by the horn and go this way – the way of the entrepreneur. I look at my life, one year plus after gainful employment, and I’m glad I’m living my dreams. I have big unrealized dreams, but in my life today, I have already, elements of what I want my future to be – Family, Relationships, Exposure, Work, Opportunities e.t.c.
The future arrives one day at a time, there is no future far away, the future is now. The best time to live your dreams is now, not later, the best time to be the best you can be is now, not 5 or 10yrs from now. Today must carry within itself the dna of how you want your future to be. Don’t postpone your future, start living it in bits now. What cannot be found in your life in it’s infancy now, will not appear there in the future. If your future will have happiness, there must be traits of happiness in your today. I’ll work hard as an employee doing what I don’t love now, so I can save up to do what I love, that’s deception at work, you need to ensure that your future is in a seed form today or it will never come.
In a few days from now, I will be announcing a project I’ll be giving my energies to, that will rock the landscape of Nigeria as we know it. I have spent the last 1 month plus thinking critically about things and seeking the alignment of the people whose thoughts are crucial to me. I have also been working with a team of commited colleagues to dot the i’s and cross the t’s. It’s a big project, a very big one at that, and it’s connected to the future of our country and better life for it’s citizens. Don’t worry, at the right time, I will brief you in full. The future is here already… make things happen, and remember take out time to nominate someone for the future nigeria awards today. The organizers are very principled and the process is fullproof.
