An open mind is a
theatre of opportunities. A man with an open mind listens with rapt attention,
observes with an eagle eye and asks the right questions at the right time. He
is not afraid of change. Rather, he responds to change and exploits it to his
advantage. A man with a closed mind, on the other hand, tends to see
difficulties, not opportunities. He becomes transmogrified to a “Pharisee” or a
“Sadducee”, who only becomes enamoured by what is beyond his reach or only sees
sad situations around him.
In 2005, shortly after
the birth of my second child, we had some financial challenges as a family. We
were living in Lagos, the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria. The situation was
so challenging that we had to move out of a three bedroom flat to a room and a
parlour. It was as if the end had come as everything we touched was not working
out. At this point we sought the face of God through prayer. We had a strong
conviction after the prayer to relocate outside Lagos. To where? We were not
sure. To prove to us that God is not a man that would lie, an offer came my way
from a far, but a remote town called Ede in Osun State, Nigeria. When I told my
siblings and in-laws about it, they were like “never!” How could you leave
Lagos for Ede? Impossible! They tried to talk my wife and I out of our
relocation plans. But when we stood our ground that location is not limitation,
they concluded that we were embarking on a journey to nowhere. They saw us as
crazy people! Although the pressure from friends, kith and kin almost got to us
at a point, we ended up leaving Lagos for Ede with a mattress, few clothes and
some kitchen utensils. Most importantly, we left Lagos with hope of a better
tomorrow.
We were in Ede as
secondary school teachers only for seven months. But with an open mind we were
able to learn some tips about farming from our neighbour. Above all, with a
salary of less than $100 a month we were able to procure a plot of land before we
left the town. From Ede we moved to Ile-Ife also as teachers. After a while in
Ile-Ife, I joined a Federal Government establishment. At the moment we are on a
mission of turning a jungle into a beehive of business activities. We believe
strongly in God that this environment deserted as a result of internecine war
shall be turned to a paradise sooner than expected. We have consistently
maintained an open mind to everything since we left Lagos. No doubt, the result
has been phenomenally rewarding.
The remarkable thing
about our relocation from Lagos to Osun State, an agrarian region in Nigeria is
that we are no longer strugglers, but achievers. We left Lagos with just a
single mattress, but today we live in our own house and also an employer of
labour. Those who thought we were mad then now see sanity in our activities.
Trials, challenges and difficulties are part and parcel of life. It is thus not
how many times we fall that matters but how many times we are able to rise
above challenges. To turn challenges to chances one needs to be open-minded. To
see opportunities in difficulties, one needs an open mind that is not afraid of
taking calculated risks.
God will continue to bless your efforts.
ReplyDelete