It’s always a good idea to have any one of Paulo Coelho’s book within easy reach. It’s an even better idea to start the year reading one of them.
Quite by chance Paulo Coelho’s writings came up in a conversation I was having with an old friend in Dubai via BlackBerry messenger. Wisdom at last – we had learnt to use the free service of instant messaging from our BlackBerry as opposed to making those unfairly priced voice calls.
We marvelled at how our circle of friendships from two decades or so ago, had quite suddenly remerged and we were literally finding each other again. No, not on Facebook, but via the traditional phone call, the unexpected email, the longing and nostalgia to reconnect – “the universe is working its magic,” my friend told me. Hmm, that sounded like a Coelho phrase. So I asked my friend if she was a fan.
Of course, was the reply. We discussed our favourite book from the Coelho collection and my friend recommended The Fifth Mountain and Eleven Minutes as the next Coelho books to read. So, a dash to the bookshop ensued. Well, it was actually a dash to an Accra bookshop because good bookshops are few and far between here, but that is another story for another day.
The Fifth Mountain
So I am reading The Fifth Mountain. As I am reading the Fifth Mountain, I am constantly reminded of Nelson Mandela’s great speech: “Our Deepest Fear.” Why so? Well, here it is – all credits et al, of course, to Madiba:
'Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.'
Nelson Mandela
I don’t want to ruin your enjoyment of the book by giving the plot away – I just want to whet your appetite for the core of the book’s message.
Elijah, the prophet. You, the prophet. Me, the prophet
So, the main character, a ‘prophet’ called Elijah, is called by God. God uses him to perform significant miracles and to commune with His people. God also wants to use him to draw His people towards Himself. As a young prophet, Elijah does this with great zeal but as time goes by he realises that this destiny of his also puts him in ever present danger and he wonders if he is a prophet at all, if indeed he has been delirious when he thought he communed with angels, and wonders also what this path, filled with disappointments and challenges, was really worth the trade off he chose, i.e. leaving his work as a successful carpenter to answer to God’s call.
Frustrated and at the end of his tether, Elijah wrestles with God. He pours out his frustrations, reminds God that he has lost love and suffered tremendously as a result of following Him, and although perhaps he admitted that he had sinned one too many times, he challenges God that God Himself has sinned against him by making him go through such difficult times even as a prophet. He would confess and repent of his sin to God, if the Almighty God did the same to him. Quid quo pro. We call it equals and move on
Blasphemy. Abomination.
No. Coelho demonstrates to his readers that it is exactly at this point of wrestling with God that we win. For if you don’t ever question your quest and your faith you in fact claim to be God for it is only Him, the All Knowing, All Seeing God Who knows today, yesterday and tomorrow at the same time can have the confidence and surety that ‘everything is going to be alright’ ALL the time.
Coelho’s call is to yet still pursue dreams and destiny, accepting the joy and the pain of the journey.
Then I thought of Madiba’s speech – our deepest fear is that we are inadequate.
The trials and the tribulations, the seemingly fleeting joy and the seemingly ever present pain and challenges.
Our deepest fear is that we are inadequate.
Better to just give up on your dream. Better to just forget that hope. Better to lose the thought that there is a potentially a glorious destiny for each individual .
Madiba’s cry, and I guess Coelho’s cry, is this:
Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
Thursday 22 January 2009
Tuesday 20 January 2009
Lessons in living... and loving
This popped up in my inbox this morning - I am blessed!
As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love.
So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.
Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.
As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love.
So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.
Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.
Thursday 8 January 2009
2009
2009 – the year of possibilities
Possibilities in amidst the downturn.
Possibilities in amidst the price of oil coming tumbling down
Possibilities in amidst our currency losing value
Possibilities in amidst securities losing value
Possibilities in amidst Obama’s imminent inauguration
Possibilities in amidst Ghana showing the world that an African nation is serious about governance and democracy
Possibilities in amidst billionaires committing suicide and the world crying out for help.
These are interesting times, but remember ye that He that keepeth Israel never slumbers nor sleeps. God is still on the throne.
It was only this morning that someone reminded me that it was during The Great Depression when billionaires then were also committing suicide that some millionaires and billionaires were created – like the man in Idaho who ‘invented’ French fries. Oh yes. We’ll need to pray to The Creator of The Universe to open our eyes to see and take hold of the opportunities around us in this New Year.
Business Unusual
It’s not business as usual in 2009, but business unusual.
That business idea must not wait for another moment in your head. Forget sending out your CV to that corporation because you think they’ll see through your experience that you are the man for the job. Write them a business proposal bespoke to them with your idea and then attach your CV.
That business idea that needs funding and the banks are saying ‘sorry’. Look, forget the fact your securities have lost value. Pick one from your portfolio. Liquidate it and use that as capital. The returns, with careful business planning and management, will probably be greater in that investment as opposed to the stock remaining on the market and losing value.
That piece of land that you want to buy. Yes, right now is the time. Even if you bought it now and left it for one year unturned the investment will yield you bountiful reward in a year’s time.
2009: the year of opportunities.
Like David I am encouraging myself in The Lord even as I write. It’s going to be a great year. Alas, it’s got to be: I’ll be 39 on 09/09/09.
Here's to Him through Whom what is impossible with man becomes possible. Selah.
And to Him again through Whom ALL things are possible. Selah
My city, My Lagos
The Art of Living – Ruka readers, sincere apologies.,
Several people have reminded me that I haven’t web logged since November. Hmm. As if I needed reminding!
Well, the thing is…I’ve been zapped by Lagos living. I am not even sure that the word ‘zap’ is in the world’s lexicon, but zap is the only way that I think could describe how I began to feel physically after nine months of being in Lagos.
The thing is, I have carried on as if I was in Accra, London, or any other ‘normal’ city of this Planet Earth. The timetable and activity list remained much the same: work (including international travel), church stewardship, MBA, gym, family time and me-time. No change management plan, here.
All well and good, but this is Lagos.
The 5am latest rise. The jump into the car to the gym. The sighing on the way to the gym as a 30 min journey becomes a journey of one and half hours. The rush to thump on the treadmill for 40 minutes. The mad rush to get into the showers and freshen up for work in amidst 20/30 odd other women. The determination to get to work on time. And the determination to have 10 minutes of downtime and me-time riding to the office.
Then the office...
The demands of the deliverables. What is outstanding? Hmm. Ok, must resolve that today. The demands of the boss and bosses. The demands of the client. The demands of office business management and adminstration. The demands of….
The ride of the client site. On a good day 40 minutes. On a bad day two hours. Upon arrival at the client site the meeting that was scheduled for 2pm has now been cancelled. No one thought to call to notify. I drive back to base – praying that there won’t be traffic on the way.
Today’s a great day and there’s no traffic. Back at base. I remember that I haven’t eaten breakfast, let alone lunch. I send the driver out – literally down the road – 10 minutes at most – to buy lunch. He gets caught up in traffic. He returns at 4pm. I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at one meal.
I continue work. At 7.30pm I figure I should probably go home now. Traffic would have died down. It has – somewhat. Catch up with emails in the car. Make a few calls to friends. Read a bit in the car. I get home at 9.25pm.
There’s a power outage. There’s no fuel for the generator. Driver has to go and buy fuel. I wait for 30 minutes in candlelight (hmm, sounds romantic, no? Not when you are in your suit, sweating. Sorry, perspiring).
Driver returns. Generator fuelled and there’s power. I undress and put on my slacks and the TV. Half an hour of peace. Call my Mum (who thinks, by the way, that I am still in Accra and never came to Lagos because she probably saw more of me per annum whilst I was in Accra).
Laptop comes out. Reading for MBA comes out. Work reading comes out. The generator is pounding in my head. Never mind, this is Lagos. Grin and bear it.
It is a quarter past midnight. I must sleep. The generator is pounding in my head
Then church…
The weekly reporting. The membership database management. The people management. The meetings.
Then the MBA
“Ruka, is there anything I can help you with? You haven’t logged on for a couple of weeks now.” Need I say more. I am reading, for goodness sakes! Reading to catch up on what I am supposed to be doing so that when I do log on I can sound somehow comprehensible....!
Dearly beloved readers: do you empathise a bit?
Pretty please, do. Handsome please, do!
Here’s to the New Year 2009! A year of possibilities and great, uncommon testimonies!
Several people have reminded me that I haven’t web logged since November. Hmm. As if I needed reminding!
Well, the thing is…I’ve been zapped by Lagos living. I am not even sure that the word ‘zap’ is in the world’s lexicon, but zap is the only way that I think could describe how I began to feel physically after nine months of being in Lagos.
The thing is, I have carried on as if I was in Accra, London, or any other ‘normal’ city of this Planet Earth. The timetable and activity list remained much the same: work (including international travel), church stewardship, MBA, gym, family time and me-time. No change management plan, here.
All well and good, but this is Lagos.
The 5am latest rise. The jump into the car to the gym. The sighing on the way to the gym as a 30 min journey becomes a journey of one and half hours. The rush to thump on the treadmill for 40 minutes. The mad rush to get into the showers and freshen up for work in amidst 20/30 odd other women. The determination to get to work on time. And the determination to have 10 minutes of downtime and me-time riding to the office.
Then the office...
The demands of the deliverables. What is outstanding? Hmm. Ok, must resolve that today. The demands of the boss and bosses. The demands of the client. The demands of office business management and adminstration. The demands of….
The ride of the client site. On a good day 40 minutes. On a bad day two hours. Upon arrival at the client site the meeting that was scheduled for 2pm has now been cancelled. No one thought to call to notify. I drive back to base – praying that there won’t be traffic on the way.
Today’s a great day and there’s no traffic. Back at base. I remember that I haven’t eaten breakfast, let alone lunch. I send the driver out – literally down the road – 10 minutes at most – to buy lunch. He gets caught up in traffic. He returns at 4pm. I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at one meal.
I continue work. At 7.30pm I figure I should probably go home now. Traffic would have died down. It has – somewhat. Catch up with emails in the car. Make a few calls to friends. Read a bit in the car. I get home at 9.25pm.
There’s a power outage. There’s no fuel for the generator. Driver has to go and buy fuel. I wait for 30 minutes in candlelight (hmm, sounds romantic, no? Not when you are in your suit, sweating. Sorry, perspiring).
Driver returns. Generator fuelled and there’s power. I undress and put on my slacks and the TV. Half an hour of peace. Call my Mum (who thinks, by the way, that I am still in Accra and never came to Lagos because she probably saw more of me per annum whilst I was in Accra).
Laptop comes out. Reading for MBA comes out. Work reading comes out. The generator is pounding in my head. Never mind, this is Lagos. Grin and bear it.
It is a quarter past midnight. I must sleep. The generator is pounding in my head
Then church…
The weekly reporting. The membership database management. The people management. The meetings.
Then the MBA
“Ruka, is there anything I can help you with? You haven’t logged on for a couple of weeks now.” Need I say more. I am reading, for goodness sakes! Reading to catch up on what I am supposed to be doing so that when I do log on I can sound somehow comprehensible....!
Dearly beloved readers: do you empathise a bit?
Pretty please, do. Handsome please, do!
Here’s to the New Year 2009! A year of possibilities and great, uncommon testimonies!
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