Wisdom lessons from the ravens

IT behooves me start by saying that wealth can never be transferred to those who are not creating products or rendering services. I know many people are just sleeping and waking up in this part of the world waiting for one day that wealth is going to be transferred to them. But the truth is; it is not going to happen. I hope the African man understands this stark-naked truth before it is too late for all of us.

Again, for wealth to be transferred to you, you will need to birth either excellence-driven service(s) or product(s). And to do this, you will need to have an access to creative and intuitive knowledge. It is this kind of knowledge that will set you apart in your field of business. It makes you unique in whatever sphere of influence you are planted, found and located. This is non-negotiable.

I do know that we are so religious in this part of the world. In fact, most of our people believe that wealth will be transferred to them—only because they go to “churches and mosques.” They believe that one day, some people’s money and what money can buy—will be given to them—while they are just sleeping and folding their arms. This is not going to happen, till we all step out of time into time without end.

To completely break free from the clench and grip of dearth in Nigeria and on this continent as a whole, our people will need to start learning how to run successful businesses in this day and time. Poverty continues in Nigeria and on this continent as a whole as long as most of our people are mere consumers, depending on other people’s brainchildren. It is either we learn to create matchless-value or we are crushed as a people!

Not long ago, I did a study on the ravens and I was able to dig out some life-changing principles and I do believe that what I was able to find out is going to help you a great deal. The ravens are said to be highly intelligent, brainy and gifted birds. It is their intelligence that makes them block their nests with rocks, so that human beings can find it hard as diamond to access them.

Also, they are called hunters. They hunt for game; they do not wait in their nests for food to be dropped into their laps. Also, to hunt for game that is beyond what one bird can handle, they are smart enough to collaborate, instead of compete vainly with one another. They do not fight one another; they collaborate in order to get results that are more than what a bird can get!

As leaders and would be leaders, we do have a lot to learn from the ravens. To start with, my research reveals that the ravens are highly gifted and intelligent birds. Those are birds, but we are more valuable than they. In other words, we are supposed to be more gifted and intelligent than they, but the question is; where is our intelligence as either leaders or would be leaders? Where is our giftedness as a people?

Where is the place of intelligence in how we have been leading ourselves since every country on the continent of Africa got their independence? Also, where is the place of intelligence in how we have been leading ourselves since 1960 that the Union Jack was lowered at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos? I hope the ravens are not more intelligent than us in this part of the world.

Also, the ravens do not sit back in their nests, suspending their brains, waiting for loans and grants like our leaders have been doing since the birth of our beloved and illustrious country. Now, we are financing our debts with almost everything we are making as a nation. To truly break-free from the claws of poverty and under-development, we need to put on our thinking cap and start placing an appropriate value on our think-tanks. On the condition that we are not going to do this, then there is no hope for us as a people.

The ravens are so intelligent that it reflects in the way they hunt for game. Instead of fighting themselves thoughtlessly, they always form an alliance, hunting for game that one bird cannot handle! This helps them to get more results than what a bird can get. They know the power behind collaboration. They understand synergy and they are practicing it. They do not behave like most of us.

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Instead of us to collaborate as human beings, we are fighting ourselves. Only God knows the number of our people who are daily being killed today as an effect of our people not wanting to work and walk together. We see ourselves only as enemies and competitors, not as collaborators. And this has been impeding our growth and advancement from time immemorial.

To get results that each of us cannot get, the time has come for us in Nigeria and on this continent as a whole to start collaborating like the ravens. There is so much strength in our coming together. A lack of unity weakens us as a people. We are missing out on a lot of things that ordinary birds are enjoying because we detest walking and working together. There is so much we can achieve when we come together.

Lastly, it is said that human beings are more valuable than the ravens (birds), but the truth be told; the way we live proves otherwise. It is high time we started to live more intelligently, and collaborate more than the ravens. We need to humble ourselves enough to learn from the ravens. This will impact positively on the way we relate with ourselves in Nigeria and on this continent. And it will impact positively on our productivity as a people. Till I come your way again next week, see you where intelligent leaders and would be leaders are found.