On Becoming a Man: It’s a New Month. Grab some Courage!

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney

It’s a new month and I’m glad we are all here and still kicking. The last sixty-one days of the year have been awesome on many fronts. Some goals are being achieved just as planned whilst it is taking too much time to break through barriers in order to realise the others. It is too early to give up on your dreams for the New Year. But, sadly and frankly, some aspirations will eventually die a natural death. I’ll explain in a bit.

Dreams die for several reasons. We’ll discuss a few of them today. When we set our goals based on impulse, outside of genuine need and conviction, it could as well mean that we are building castles in the air. If we do not ‘own’ our goals, but out of confusion, envy and a desire to please others or simply make a statement, list lofty targets for ourselves, the fire would soon go out. There are many perfect (‘5.0’) Grade Point Average semesters you never had in the University simply because you did not quite own those dreams. Mostly, you never truly saw yourself getting all those A’s. The reasons were not cogent – perhaps just vain and plainly self-serving. On their only album, The Experience, KUSH – the Nigerian music quartet – there is a phrase in one of the tracks where the soloist repeats the phrase: “Take a turn or you burn out.” Really, why do you do the things you do? If you trace any fault in your decision-making process, take a turn, take a minute out to recalibrate, and be sincere.

In elementary Physics, we are taught about inertia, that force that tends to resist change. “It is that property of a body by which it remains at rest or continues moving in a straight line unless acted upon by a directional force,” says the Encarta Dictionary. Another word for this phenomenon in our day-to-day living is apathy – and inability or unwillingness to move or act. Many times, we are short-changed in life because we are too laid back. The Nigerian anti-fuel subsidy removal protests of January 2012 did not result in a reversal to the old pump price of 65 naira/litre, but it gave the Nigerian populace a peek into the enormous power and influence that the electorate can wield, even in the face of uncomfortable government policies and brutal forces. What if we had all gulped down that bitter pill without raising objections? What if we all suffered in silence and went about our normal activities, pretending like the petroleum products pricing regulatory agency and the government had said nothing new. It took courage to step out there and “speak the truth to power”, like Tolu Ogunlesi would say.

On becoming a man, one learns to take responsibility and defend the integrity of one’s society. Life is about making (positive) impact and it is for that reason that billions of people across the globe hit the ground running every blessed day. Time is ticking away and anything you have to do, do promptly. Of course, one should count the cost before embarking on a project. Nevertheless, there are many ideas that will not materialise if you mull over them for too long. I tell you: Over-analysis often leads to inertia, and inertia could send your lofty, achievable dreams to an early grave. Take charge today and take one more progressive step towards your destination today. Expand your thinking and leave your comfort zone. Grab some courage. Till we meet in a bit, ciao!

Photo Credits: photowallshared.blogspot.com
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Gbenga Awomodu is an Editorial Assistant at Bainstone Ltd./BellaNaija.com. When he is not reading or writing, Gbenga is listening to good music or playing the piano. Follow him on Twitter: @gbengaawomodu | Gbenga’s Notebook: www.gbengaawomodu.com | Facebook Page: Gbenga Awomodu