What do you do when the system wasn’t designed for you?

You learn to navigate it.

You adapt.

You find your voice.

You keep moving.

And sometimes, you change the system along the way.

In ORCHESTRATED: LIVING AGAINST THE ODDS, I share a deeply personal journey through disability, family, faith, migration, resilience and the systems that shaped my life.

From a childhood road accident in Lagos to building a new life abroad, this is more than a story about overcoming adversity.

It is a story about learning how to navigate systems that weren’t designed for you — and refusing to let them define your future.

Want to know how the story unfolds?

🎥 Watch the book introduction here, and subscribe while at it:

📖 Read Chapter One for free and order your copy: Orchestratedmemoir.com

Your circumstances may shape your story.

They don’t have to write the ending.

👉 WATCH. READ. ORDER.

#orchestrated #orchestratedmemoir #livingagainsttheodds #olamidefrancis

One of the most misunderstood experiences of disability is the difference between help and assumption.

Growing up, people sometimes assumed that because I had one leg, there were things I could not do.

Sometimes they tried to help without asking.

Sometimes they asked questions I didn't want to answer.

Sometimes my disability became the first thing people saw about me.

But I didn't want to be treated as incapable.

I wanted the opportunity to discover what I could do.

That distinction matters far beyond disability.

People are often limited not only by their circumstances, but by the assumptions others make about those circumstances.

A child is labelled “not academic.”

A person from a poor background is assumed to lack ambition.

A migrant is assumed to lack experience.

A disabled person is assumed to need constant assistance.

Once an assumption becomes embedded in a system, it can become very difficult to challenge.

My story taught me to question those assumptions, and to question the systems that produce them.

Orchestrated: Living Against the Odds explores that journey through lived experience.

Get your copy and discover what happens when you refuse to let other people's assumptions become your identity.

You can explore Orchestrated Memoir and order or pre-order from anywhere in the world at Orchestratedmemoir.com
[A free copy of the first chapter will be automatically sent to you]

#memoir #resilience #disability #personalgrowth #leadership #socialimpact #inspirational #overcomingadversity #faith #education #nigeria #lifestory #purpose #community #institutionalchange #hope #transformation #orchestratedmemoir #olamidefrancis

The institution may have rules. Your life has consequences.

Systems are built around rules.

But people live with the consequences of those rules.

I learned this very early.

After my childhood accident, I entered a healthcare system as a five-year-old who had no understanding of how hospitals worked. Decisions were being made around me, yet I had almost no power to influence them.

My parents had to learn how to navigate an unfamiliar institution while trying to save their child's life.

That experience changed how I think about systems.

A policy can look reasonable on paper and still produce devastating consequences for the person standing on the other side of it.

A process can be efficient for an institution and exhausting for the person navigating it.

A rule can be designed for consistency but fail to account for circumstances.

This is why we must learn to look beyond systems from the outside.

Ask the person inside them.

What does the process feel like?

Where does it break down?

Who gets left behind?

Who has the knowledge to navigate it?

These are some of the questions behind Orchestrated: Living Against the Odds.

Get your copy and see how one life became a window into the systems around us.

You can explore Orchestrated Memoir and order or pre-order from anywhere in the world at Orchestratedmemoir.com
[A free copy of the first chapter will be automatically sent to you]

#memoir #resilience #disability #personalgrowth #leadership #socialimpact #inspirational #overcomingadversity #faith #education #nigeria #lifestory #purpose #community #institutionalchange #hope #transformation #orchestratedmemoir #olamidefrancis

At one point in my childhood, I realised something uncomfortable:

If people were going to notice my disability first, I wanted them to discover that there was much more to me.

So I turned towards knowledge.

Books became more than books.

Education became more than school.

Learning became a strategy.

I began to understand that knowledge could give me something my circumstances could not easily take away: agency.

That lesson has stayed with me.

Education is often discussed in terms of grades, qualifications and employment.

But education can also teach people how systems work.

It can give someone the confidence to ask better questions.

It can help them recognise opportunities.

It can teach them how to challenge assumptions.

It can give them language for experiences they previously could not explain.

My journey through education was not perfect. I made mistakes, became distracted, and didn't apply myself as I should have.

But eventually, I understood the power of learning.

Orchestrated: Living Against the Odds explores how that realisation changed my life's trajectory.

Get your copy and discover why knowledge became one of my greatest survival tools.

You can explore Orchestrated Memoir and order or pre-order from anywhere in the world at Orchestratedmemoir.com
[A free copy of the first chapter will be automatically sent to you]

#memoir #resilience #disability #personalgrowth #leadership #socialimpact #inspirational #overcomingadversity #faith #education #nigeria #lifestory #purpose #community #institutionalchange #hope #transformation #orchestratedmemoir #olamidefrancis

Your environment is teaching you something

Before I understood systems, I understood my environment.

I grew up in Lagos, surrounded by people, institutions, expectations, culture, faith and limitations. Long before I could explain any of these things, they were already shaping me.

My parents taught me discipline. School taught me how knowledge could create opportunities.

The hospital taught me what happens when institutions fail. Disability taught me how quickly society can assume what a person can or cannot do.

Looking back, I realise that none of us develops in isolation.

The systems around us are constantly shaping us.

The family system.

The education system.

The healthcare system.

The economic system.

The social expectations we inherit.

Sometimes those systems open doors. Sometimes they put obstacles in our way. Sometimes they do both at the same time.

The challenge is learning to recognise which is which.

That is one of the reasons I wrote Orchestrated: Living Against the Odds.

It is not simply about what happened to me. It is about what my experiences taught me about the world around me.

Get your copy of Orchestrated: Living Against the Odds.

You can explore Orchestrated Memoir and order or pre-order from anywhere in the world at Orchestratedmemoir.com

[A free copy of the first chapter will be automatically sent to you]

#memoir #resilience #disability #personalgrowth #leadership #socialimpact #inspirational #overcomingadversity #faith #education #nigeria #lifestory #purpose #community #institutionalchange #hope #transformation #orchestratedmemoir #olamidefrancis

What is the book Orchestrated: Living Against the Odds about?

Think about this: what if the defining moments of your life were not random, but part of a much larger system shaping who you become?

At the age of five, I was involved in a devastating road traffic accident in Lagos, Nigeria. A series of medical failures, difficult decisions, and years of painful recovery ultimately led to the amputation of my legs when I was nine. But Orchestrated is not simply a story about surviving tragedy.

It is a deeply reflective memoir that explores how lives are shaped by the systems around us—family, healthcare, education, faith, culture, opportunity, and the institutions that quietly influence our destinies.

With honesty, warmth, and remarkable insight, I trace my journey from a curious young boy navigating the bustling streets of Lagos to a determined scholar and communications professional. Along the way, I examined not only the personal cost of adversity but also the invisible structures that can either limit or liberate human potential.

Through vivid storytelling, readers of Orchestrated will encounter the resilience of ordinary people, the consequences of institutional failure, the power of education, the strength of community, and the enduring hope that can emerge even in life’s darkest moments.

More than a memoir, Orchestrated is an invitation to see beyond individual events and recognise the systems that shape our lives—and how courage, faith, and intentional choices can transform even the most unlikely circumstances into a life of purpose.

A compelling read for anyone interested in resilience, disability, leadership, personal growth, social impact, and the extraordinary ways ordinary lives reveal profound truths.

You can explore Orchestrated and order or pre-order from anywhere in the world at Orchestratedmemoir.com

[A free copy of the first chapter will be automatically sent to you]

During the 5th century BCE, Athens flourished into a dominant and wealthy city-state. Under the leadership of Pericles (445–429 BCE), the city entered a cultural and intellectual “Golden Age.” This vibrant atmosphere attracted people from across Greece. For those skilled in understanding and interpreting the law, it proved highly lucrative.

Although Athens operated on democratic principles with a structured legal system, citizens facing court were required to argue their own cases. Professional advocates did not yet exist, but a specialised class of legal advisors quickly emerged to fill the gap. Protagoras (not the famous Pythagoras) was among the most prominent figures in this new group.

Protagoras was born in Abdera, in northeast Greece, but travelled widely as an itinerant teacher. He became the most influential figure among the Sophists (from the Greek sophia, meaning wisdom), a group of travelling teachers who specialised in law and rhetoric.

While Socrates and Plato later dismissed the Sophists as shallow rhetoricians who cared more about winning arguments than finding truth, Protagoras actually introduced a major shift in philosophy. He championed the idea that there are no absolute truths, arguing instead that all human assessments – including our moral and ethical judgements – are completely subjective.

His central argument, and the quote for which he is most widely known, is this: “Man is the measure of all things.”

The main implication of this statement is that belief is subjective and relative. This leads Protagoras to reject the existence of absolute definitions of truth, justice, or virtue. What is true for one person may be false for another. This relativism also applies to moral values – what is right and what is wrong. To Protagoras, nothing is inherently good in itself. Something is ethical, or right, only because a person or society judges it to be so.

Consider this illustration of Protagoras’s thinking: it is a spring day in London. A visitor from Norway says the weather is warm, while a visitor from Nigeria says the weather is cold. Protagoras would say both people are speaking the truth, because truth depends on perspective and is therefore relative. Man is the measure of all things.

This truth, determined by perspective, viewed through Protagoras’s lens, is what I want to communicate to you today.

In the years that followed after one of my legs was amputated, some people asked me how I had been coping, especially given the circumstances I lived in and the lofty dreams I still wanted to fulfil. At first, I had no answer. It was only later that I came to understand that what made the difference for me was perspective. I will expand on this another day.

Protagoras was right in his own way: man is truly the measure of all things. We all see things differently, and the way we measure events, circumstances, and experiences differs from person to person. What we see does not change, but how we measure it does. If we grasp this, the way we relate to people and to the events of our lives will shift in profound ways.

The same event can trigger entirely different emotional reactions depending on the meaning we assign to it. We do not see reality; we interpret it.

Consider, for example, someone you know walking past you in the street without acknowledging you.

One response might be to assume that you have offended them. You may start worrying about what you did wrong, feel anxious, and then avoid that person altogether.

Another response might be to think that they seemed distracted or preoccupied. You may wonder whether they are having a difficult day, feel concern for them, and decide to check in later.

Both responses arise from the same event, but the emotion, the feeling, and the action that follow are entirely shaped by the meaning we attach to it. This is precisely how I have coped with my limb loss all these years. I did not choose what happened to me, but I slowly learned that I could choose what it meant.

That shift did not happen overnight. There were days when grief felt like the only honest response – when the pain was loud, when watching others move effortlessly through the world stirred something bitter and hard to name. I am not suggesting that perspective is a switch you flip. It is, rather, a discipline – something you return to repeatedly, especially on the days when it feels most impossible.

I now recognise that the way I choose to respond, and the way I describe a situation to myself, genuinely involves choice. And that choice has a real impact – not only on how I feel, but on how effectively I lead, serve, and show up for others.

Protagoras’s thought is very similar to that of Charles R. Swindoll, who said, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”

These are part of the major things that have kept me going as an amputee over the years. Life is shaped less by what happens to us and more by how we respond. While pain, failure, and uncertainty are universal, people experience them differently depending on their mindset and emotional resilience. True wisdom, therefore, lies not just in trying to change circumstances, but in developing mastery over one’s inner response.

There is a word I have come to hold closely in this regard: reframing. It does not mean pretending things are fine when they are not. It means refusing to let the worst possible interpretation of an event be the only interpretation. It means asking: What else could this mean? What might this make possible? That kind of questioning is not naivety or ignorance. It is, I believe, one of the quiet forms of courage.

Therefore, to strengthen our resilience when facing life’s events – especially the unpleasant ones – we must learn to pause, examine the meaning we have instinctively given a situation, and consciously choose a more constructive response. That pause, brief as it may seem, can change everything.

Your interpretation is your reality. You may not choose what happened, but you can choose what it means.

PS: A ghastly motor accident in Lagos at the age of five led to the amputation of one of my legs at nine. My memoir, Orchestrated: Living Against the Odds, which chronicles the thirty years that followed and how I navigated systems that were not designed with me in mind, will be available for purchase on Amazon and pre-order in Nigeria starting next week

I shared a thought across my social media pages this week. It was inspired by the journey of bringing my book to life.

This isn’t the first time I’ve taken a book project from an idea to something people can hold in their hands, but this time feels different because it’s my book. The process has taught me so much, and I’m still learning every day.

For example, the UK publishing industry initially seemed incredibly difficult to break into. From the outside, it looked like a closed door. But by going through the process myself, I’ve learned how it works and what it takes to navigate it.

I also wanted to publish my book with a European publisher to ensure smooth distribution across Europe and the United States. That opportunity came. In fact, I received more than one publishing offer. The only reason I didn’t sign any of the contracts was because of some clauses I wasn’t comfortable with.

Looking back, I realise how much I’ve learned simply because I dared to do. I didn’t stand on the sidelines waiting until I knew everything. I put some skin in the game. I immersed myself in the process, asked questions, made mistakes, negotiated, and kept moving forward. Every step taught me something I couldn’t have learned by merely reading about publishing.

That’s the thing about learning: some lessons can only be learned through experience. You can study the theory, seek advice, and prepare as much as possible, but there comes a point where you have to step in and do the work. It is in the doing that your knowledge is tested, your understanding is deepened, and your wisdom begins to grow. Doing is the bridge between what you know and who you become.

Knowledge tells you what something is. Understanding tells you how and why it works. Both are essential, but neither is complete without action. Wisdom is what happens when knowledge and understanding are tested in real life. Wisdom is developed and demonstrated through doing.

You can graduate as a mechanical engineer, know a lot about engines (knowledge), understand how and why they work (understanding), yet never be able to fix your own car (wisdom) because doing is missing.

The same principle applies everywhere. Information can fill your mind, but only application transforms your life.

So don’t always run when it’s time to do. Don’t keep postponing action because you’re waiting to know everything. You never will. The person who grows isn’t the one who has all the answers before they begin; it’s the one who is willing to begin, learn, adjust, and continue.

Doing is where theory meets reality. It’s where assumptions are tested, understanding is refined, and wisdom is forged. It’s where your knowledge stops being something you possess and starts becoming something you embody.

If you want to grow, seek opportunities to apply what you already know. That’s where the real growth happens. That’s where your knowledge is tested, your understanding is validated, and your wisdom is built.

My book (a memoir), Orchestrated: Living Against the Odds, will be out this August. If you know me, you know how I love everything associated with me to be excellent. So, what we are currently doing behind the scenes is purely quality-control measures. I am cross-checking and reviewing every version that reaches your hands to ensure it’s worth your time and investment — the paperback, hardback, e-book, etc. Then we are making sure it gets to you smoothly wherever you are in the world.

I have decided to give away Chapter One for free to everyone who pre-orders in Nigeria or indicates interest from overseas.

Speak to you soon!

PS: If you dig deep online, you can actually access Orchestrated: Living Against the Odds, but please wait for the green light from me. We are still perfecting a few things towards launch date.

How have you been?

It’s been hot here, but it's gradually subsiding.

I wanted to give you a quick update on my book journey (as promised)

We’re about 95% done. There’s been a bottleneck in the past few weeks, but that is being sorted now.

The core manuscript is ready to go to print, the book website is ready, and visual illustrations are currently being finalised. Most of the heavy lifting on the backend is wrapping up, too.

The launch date will be announced soon, but one key detail in the book still needs tightening; it’s being worked on and should be resolved soon.

I’ve turned down offers from two major European publishers. The terms didn’t align with where I want this project to go right now.

I had hoped to partner with a separate European publisher for distribution in Europe, but I’ll likely explore that on a future project instead.

Again, I’m sharing this because I said I would keep you updated as things progress—and we’re getting close now.

Now, to the most important information:

Orchestrated now has social media pages. Click any of the social media pages below and follow for subsequent updates.

• INSTAGRAM

• FACEBOOK

• YOUTUBE

Follow for behind-the-scenes updates and previews.

Speak soon.

An unquestioning mind is highly vulnerable. Without the habit of critical scrutiny, a person absorbs the moral blind spots, biases, and systemic cruelties of their specific time and place without even realising it.

​Historically, some of the worst atrocities were not committed by cackling villains, but by ordinary, unquestioning people who were simply “doing their job,” following orders, or conforming to societal norms.

Adolf Eichmann, one of the chief architects of the Holocaust’s logistics, was not a frothing fanatic. He was a bureaucrat. At his 1961 trial in Jerusalem, he insisted, repeatedly, that he had only followed orders — a defence so chillingly mundane that the philosopher Hannah Arendt coined a phrase for what she observed in him: the banality of evil. The horror, she argued, was not that Eichmann was a monster. It was that he wasn’t. He had simply never developed the habit of thinking for himself.

That is the quiet danger of an unexamined life. Evil rarely announces itself. It hides in routine, in deference, in the comfort of belonging — and it finds its easiest home in a mind that has stopped asking questions.

To begin questioning is to claim your autonomy. It is the moment you transition from being a passive product of your environment to an active author of your own character.

​When you ask, “Is this law actually just?”, “Why do I hold this prejudice?”, or “What is the real human cost of my choices?”, you are doing something profoundly uncomfortable but entirely necessary. You are stripping away the comforting fog of ignorance.

This sums up one of Socrates’ popular theories: The unexamined life is not worth living. Fela Kuti’s popular song, “Zombie”, follows the same path. Perhaps if we examine ourselves and what we’re involved in, maybe the outcome will be different for us and the world at large.

PS: A ghastly motor accident in Lagos at the age of five led to the amputation of one of my legs at nine. My memoir, Orchestrated: Living Against the Odds, which chronicles the thirty years that followed and how I navigated systems that were not designed with me in mind, will soon be out. Watch out.

I have taken a long break from keeping this newsletter going - and, you, my beloved readers, deserve an explanation.

The reason is simple: I have been deep in the final stages of my upcoming book. I am telling you here first, exclusively, because I genuinely appreciate everyone who has stayed with this newsletter and followed my work.

More than a thousand people read what I write here (excluding those who visit from external sources), and I don’t take it for granted.

So...I am writing a memoir titled, “Orchestrated: Living Against The Odds.”

I have a few other books in the works, but I want to release this one first. When you eventually read what comes after it, the memoir will give you the lens through which I see the world.

What’s my memoir about?

This is the first time I am saying this publicly: when I was five years old in Lagos, I was involved in a ghastly motor accident. In the years that followed, medical negligence and the gross mismanagement of my injuries led to the amputation of one of my legs. I have been an amputee for more than twenty years.

That event - and many others - is what I have attempted to chronicle in “Orchestrated: Living Against The Odds”.

More than a personal story, I want to tell the story of systems through human experience: how systems work, how they fail, and what it costs when they do.

This may come as a surprise, especially to those who have known me personally for a long time. But now you know.

I suspect my unread messages are about to climb - and I ask for your patience. It’s a busy period for me. I will respond when I can.

I will be back soon with more updates and, of course, excerpts from the book. You will also know when I start pre-launch publicity and the pre-ordering process.

But for now, I would love your help: take a look at the three cover options below and let me know which one speaks to you.

If you don’t want to leave a comment, email your comments to: solomide@yahoo.com.

Speak soon.

I recently saw a post on X that reminded me of something I’ve always believed about relationships: our parents tend to keep theirs far longer than most Millennials and Gen Zs do.

In the post, a lady was talking about her dad’s secondary school reunion. Graduates from as far back as the 70s and 80s showed up. Decades later, they were still connected, still committed, still running a vibrant alumni community. Meanwhile, many people in my generation have forgotten classmates from just five years ago.

From what I’ve observed, many Millennials and Gen Zs make a costly mistake as they rise: we discard the very people who helped us become who we are. We drop old friends, early supporters and familiar companions, and chase brand-new connections we haven’t tested, tried or trusted. We pursue people who barely care about us, while quietly throwing those who journeyed with us aside because they no longer look glamorous enough for our current season. It’s almost as if the idea of social capital is foreign to us.

Growing up, my mum used to say, “Twenty children cannot play together for twenty years.” And she was right. People grow apart. Values evolve. Life shifts. Some relationships become unhealthy or misaligned — and that’s okay. Not every relationship should be forced.

But let’s be honest: many of today’s disconnections aren’t about growth. They’re driven by ego, pride, comparison, and that subtle mindset of “I’m better than my neighbour.” And that mindset makes us abandon relationships that could have been some of our greatest blessings later in life.

Science even makes a case for why we shouldn’t do life alone. The 85-year Harvard Study of Adult Development — the longest study on happiness ever conducted — found that close relationships are the strongest predictor of long life, good health and deep happiness. Across wealthy and poor backgrounds alike, the pattern was the same: those with the richest relationships lived longer and were happier. And “richest” had nothing to do with money.

That classmate could be the professor who writes a recommendation letter for your son in 20 years. That person you met at a training might become president one day. Life is funny like that. No one truly knows tomorrow. Everyone we meet is access — and we should treat them well.

So here’s the reminder: build relationships you won’t be ashamed to return to in 20, 30 or 40 years. Honour the people who stood by you before life became polished. Protect the connections that genuinely enrich your soul.

Because decades from now, it won’t be your status gathering in a room.

It will be the people who stayed.

I often hear people say, “Just do what’s convenient for you—there’s no manual for XYZ.”

They claim there’s no manual for parenting, marriage, financial management, love, or anything else…that you should just do what works for you.

But I beg to differ.

There is a manual for everything in life. The world runs on principles, and when those principles are violated, consequences follow. It’s like programming - what you code is what you get.

Here’s what I believe people should say: “There is a manual for everything, but our interpretation and implementation of that manual differ.”

ABC…Z is the foundation of the English language. We can all use it to write different sentences, but it would be self-deception to try writing English with the Arabic alphabet. This is how a lot of people are. They want to fly without considering the law of gravity.

I repeat: fundamentals don’t change—only interpretation/implementation changes.

To say there’s no manual implies that everyone can achieve the same results regardless of their actions. That’s not true.

“Dearest gentle reader,” there truly is a manual for everything.

Ask 100 genuine billionaires how they built wealth—you’ll hear similar patterns. Ask people who cleared huge personal debts—they’ll offer similar financial advice. Ask parents raising great children—their counsel will align. Ask couples married for decades—you’ll notice the same timeless principles at work.

You cannot stay with an unkind person and expect a great relationship—the principle is violated.

You cannot give a child unrestrained freedom at the wrong time and expect excellence—the principle of sound parenting is violated.

You cannot spend recklessly and expect financial freedom—the principle of stewardship is violated.

No matter how passionately you want to fly, the laws of gravity don’t change.

The list is endless.

People who resign themselves to “there’s no manual for life” are often just living unintentionally. Success and failure are rarely accidents. They are the outcomes of principles—obeyed or ignored.

Life rewards those who take the time to learn its laws and live by them. When you honour the principles, the principles will honour you.

“A quarrelsome person starts fights as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood” — King Solomon of Ancient Israel.

In many universities in my country, there are people we call “non-academic” students. My classmates and I used the term to describe students who were familiar with the school environment but were not actual students or had ceased to be one. They know so much about the school simply because they stay around the premises and interact with other students, so it’s always easy to mistakenly identify them as fellow students. Sometimes they are ex-students who didn’t graduate, dropped out, or were advised to withdraw by the school authorities after a poor run of CGPA.

Not to sound demeaning, but most times, these non-academic students are at the centre of campus violence — taking advantage of freshers, recruiting students into violent cults, stoking fights here and there, distributing hard drugs, and engaging in all manner of vices.

As a rule, I only engaged with a few of them whom I personally verified to be reasonable while I was on campus. I have a long list of people across campuses in my country who have also confirmed mysuspicion to me. It’s hard to deal with a non-academic student when you’re not sure of their circumstances.

One day, a thought struck me about why some of them act this way: they have little or nothing to lose.

Some of them have resigned themselves to not getting their lives back on track and will not let others enjoy theirs. Ever since then, I have decided that I must watch my back or avoid dealing with anyone I think has nothing to lose.

To get to the point in life where you have nothing to lose is a really ‘crazy’ state to be in.

Folks who have nothing to lose can burn everything and anything down because they’re not protecting anything — no reputation, no relationships, no future they care about. When someone has no stake in their own life, they definitely won’t care about the impact they have on yours.

People who have nothing to lose are unpredictable. Boundaries don’t matter to them, consequences don’t scare them, and loyalty isn’t a language they speak. Meanwhile, you — someone building, planning, and growing — have everything to lose. Your peace, your progress, your name. And trust me, protecting those is not optional.

I don’t intend to make this long.

So here’s the reminder for today: guard your space. Surround yourself with people who value their own lives enough to respect yours. Walk away early, stay away consistently, and don’t apologise for choosing stability over chaos. King Solomon of Ancient Israel once said, “A quarrelsome person starts fights as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood.”

Avoid drama and people in love with it by all means necessary. Read that again and again.

“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” – Albert Einstein

I used to live on the same street as a couple who had an argument on their way back from the hospital where their daughter was born. The mother chose a name for the baby that the father found strange. She insisted that her choice was final because she had picked that name for her future child when she was still in primary school. She refused to be open-minded in any way.

Being open-minded isn’t just a nice-to-have trait or something people say to sound enlightened. But the older I get, the more I realise it’s a survival skill.

Here’s the thing: life rarely sticks to the script you wrote in your twenties or teenage years.

You can swear you’ll marry someone from a certain community, or chase the career you’ve always known, but then reality shows up with a plot twist. If you’re rigid, you break. If you’re flexible, you bend — and bending is what keeps you moving forward.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Being open-minded doesn’t mean you accept every wild idea or compromise your values. It means you stay curious, willing to learn, and ready to pivot when the path changes. That adaptability is what separates us from every other creature on the planet. It’s part of what makes us human.

People have missed what destiny has planned for them because they’re too fixed on one way. Nothing can bend their already-made choices, even when the facts are staring them in the face.

Stay open. Stay curious. The best chapters of your life might not be in the script you wrote.

I’ve decided to keep my writing short and straightforward. No fluff, no long-winded essays — unless it’s necessary. If you would like more details on something I mentioned briefly in my writing, please ask me. Sometimes I’ll throw in action points, but the goal is simple: to make you think.

Now, before we hit reset next Friday, let me leave you with this:

Imagination is one of God’s greatest gifts. So, picture this — 2026 isn’t just another year; it’s the start of the second half of a decade. And I have a feeling the rest of this decade may decide this century to a large extent, at least to about half of it (2060).

Fast forward to 2030. What does life look like for you, your friends, your family?

What are the things you can do now that’ll affect the next five years — positively or negatively? What I write, I sometimes write to myself too. So, I am asking myself this question too.

Well, either you do something or not, something will surely ‘do’ you. So, the choice is yours.

Now zoom out even further. We’re only three rungs up the ladder of this century’s ten decades. What’s it going to be in the next decade for you? Even look further — what will the end of this century look like (2099) look like for those of us who will still be here? (Yeah, I know what I said)

Take a moment. Let your mind wander there.

Just stretch your imagination. It’s always beautiful.

See you next Friday.

What a year it has been for both of us on this platform. First, thank you for reading my thoughts here throughout the year. I hope some of what I shared was helpful.

To wrap up the year, I want to share action points for the new year on critical aspects of our lives in just a few sentences. Perhaps a light bulb, leading to significant progress, will be lit from here.

Money

Have a budget in 2026. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t stick to it — keep trying until structure comes into how you spend.

Also, no matter how small, take a part of what you earn and invest it in your future. Technology has made this much easier now. Little drops of water make a mighty ocean.

Love

Flee from unkind men and women — that’s not just a red flag, it’s a full red banner that deserves no second chances.

Never give more than you can afford to lose in a romantic relationship. Treat all expenditure as charity. Asking for refunds after a breakup is foolish.

A breakup isn’t a failed relationship — it’s a success that you realised early you can’t be with that person. Sex? Take it off the table. It erodes clarity in thinking.

Family

Hold on tight to family if you come from a good one.

Make peace with those you’re not on good terms with, even if they’re not open to it. Forgive those who might have hurt you, so it doesn’t hold you back from moving forward.

A good family is priceless.

Whatever gap your family couldn’t fill, make sure it doesn’t repeat itself in yours when you start one.

Time Management

I love the 80/20 principle. It states that approximately 80% of outcomes come from about 20% of your effort. In 2026, find your 20% in what matters and make it stronger.

Delegate what can be delegated. For instance, I used AI to proofread this for grammatical errors.

Finally, prepare for what you know will come — it saves time and helps you deal with unforeseen circumstances better.

Relationships

Personal growth can strain relationships, and not everyone wants to grow. You may not need everybody you started with — life happens; they may not need you either.

It could be that your destination no longer aligns. If you take people going a different route with you out of politeness, you’ll pay for it later.

Some relationships work best from afar. Always evaluate why people are with you.

When people do you good, take note of it. When you do good to people, no need to take note.

Sleep

I guess you’re shocked, right? Please sleep well in 2026. You need good sleep to think and meditate.

Thinking is hard work, and you can’t do it properly without enough rest.

Don’t mind those motivational speakers. Sleep well!

Philosophy

Philosophy is the lens through which we view things, and we all have one. We are all formed by a philosophy, consciously or otherwise.

Evaluate yours and see how it has shaped you. If it hasn’t produced tangible positive results, change your lens.

What’s your thought about money, women, men, marriage, life, etc? That’s a good place to start.

Personally, my philosophical lens is shaped by Jesus of Nazareth who existed in the flesh over 2000 years ago.

Parenting

You will automatically raise a child the way you were raised if you’re not conscious about making adjustments.

In 2026, find out what works and what doesn’t in raising your child. There’s always a huge difference between intentional parents and those using vibes, feelings and fake sources.

Productivity

You need less, not more. Find the less and proceed.

Prayer

What’s that one area of your life that will affect the rest if there’s divine intervention? That should be your focus this year. Your prayer should centre on that one thing so it can automatically sort the rest.

Personal Development

Make sure you learn something new every week. I won’t say every day, so you don’t feel burdened.

Stop reading or watching junk. Expose your mind to quality information. Read well-edited books, articles and publications.

Delete mobile apps that have become huge distractions. Focus on yourself and elevating your thinking.

Purpose

Purpose is a journey, not a bus stop.

Stay faithful at whatever your hands has currently found doing, give your best, and all you need for the next level will gravitate towards you.

Purpose isn’t hidden somewhere outside of you — it’s in you. Where you are and what you’re doing now (call it purpose in motion) is part of the plan to get you to that grand thing people call purpose.

I don’t want to make this longer. But you can tell me if there’s any aspect I should have touched on.

Let me know if there’s anything you’d like me to write about in 2026.

I apologise for not writing all this while. Life happened. Then, while dealing with life, I wanted to stay away from social media so I could focus on completing my book (a memoir). I am not done with it yet, so writing here may be slightly irregular for a while.

One evening in the first week of October, I found one of the best African yams I have ever seen in the United Kingdom, so I decided that today na today—I must cook this yam, not tomorrow. Then I peered the soft yam with a dangerous fried egg. Dinner was set.

My family was against me eating such a delicacy for dinner because they felt it was too late for such a ‘hard’ meal, but as the head of the family, I bullied all of them into silence. I proceeded to devour the food, and that was the start of my problem.

I could barely sleep. Barely keh? I couldn’t sleep. I tried to pray, walk, jump, but my stomach wouldn’t let me. I was feeling the sharpest abdominal pain I have ever felt in my life. I only realised it was abdominal pain later. I thought it was constipation from the food I ate.

“And they warned me ooo…” I started to berate myself for eating the food everyone in my household had warned me about.

I couldn’t wake any of them to lament about my situation, so I endured through the night. I tried to sleep–monkey style, dog style, kung fu style, snake-in-the-monkey-shadow style, and all other sleeping styles whose names I am still looking for till now—none of them worked.

I managed to go to work in pain the next day, but by afternoon, the pain had increased. No way was I going to last till closing time with that level of pain, so I signed out for the day. I rushed to the pharmacy to get something for constipation and headed home to try to rest.

After overdosing on the drug at home, the pain grew worse. I couldn’t even get five minutes of rest. It was like my village people were driving spears through my intestines. It was at that point I began to doubt if I really had constipation.

“Constipation doesn’t happen like this.”

“I didn’t eat much of that yam nah.”

“Wait, constipation should come with foul belching smell, but I am not even belching…”

My scientist mind started to put two plus two together.

I summoned courage to inform my wife, who was on her way home from work. When she arrived, Lady Bishop Francis laid hands on my stomach and prayed for me. Two minutes into the prayer, madam said, “You have appendicitis. Let’s go to the hospital.”

I could have argued it was false with all my breath, but I couldn’t even speak much because the pain had somehow affected the volume of my voice. Also, I thought I had had enough of hospitals while growing up, and life would be unfair to ever let me lie on a hospital bed again.

We got the London ambulance and travelled straight to the hospital.

To cut a long story short (which included a ridiculous waiting time in A/E), tests and X-ray revealed that my appendix was severely infected and almost rupturing. If I hadn’t shown up at the hospital when I did, I might not have gotten the chance for a keyhole surgery.

Almost two days after I arrived at the hospital, I was prepped for surgery and wheeled to the theatre—fifteen years after my last surgery—to get my appendix removed, including the surrounding areas cleaned and infection-free.

I woke up to an extra level of pain when the anaesthetic wore off, asking for two things: “Get me a pain reliever, please,” and “Call my wife to tell her the surgery was successful” (my people had been waiting to hear from me since morning).

If you’d like to watch, this is the kind of surgery I did:

Now at the ward, just like when I was in the emergency department, one IV fluid followed another. Painkillers too.

The question I kept asking was, “What causes appendicitis?” Well, no one could give me a straight answer, and I still haven’t gotten one till now, but maybe Mayo Clinic in the USA can help us.

On their website, they said: “Appendicitis is caused by a blockage in the lining of the appendix, called the lumen… This blockage can cause an infection… The bacteria then multiply quickly, causing the appendix to become inflamed, swollen, and filled with pus. If not treated right away, the appendix may burst or break open.”

Notice the word “likely”—even they are not sure too. I have now handed it over to Master Jesus and concluded that appendicitis can happen suddenly and really has no clear cause.
Mayo Clinic has more to say about it anyway: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/appendicitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20369543

I was eventually discharged and asked to continue my recovery at home. For the first two weeks, I could barely tilt my body as before. Walking straight and bending at any angle was out of the question, let alone doing any abdomen-involved activity. I was in pain upon pain. Thank God for painkillers.

When I was eventually free to stop the painkillers, I began to experience symptoms that looked like my body wanted me to keep taking the drugs (opiods). After three days of terrible headaches and fever symptoms in the morning and evening, I drove them all away in Jesus’ name. I had had enough by then, and health services were not really helping.

So, ladies and gents, I am back but still in the process of completing my book and entering the post-writing stage.

I will make sure you hear about it first.

Now that you’ve heard all the gist, a little bit of the serious stuff.

My biggest takeaway from my short trip to the hospital was experiencing the clarity that silence brings. I am someone who prioritises silence and meditation (the Christian version, please!), but the version my time at the hospital brought was on another level.

Spending time waiting at the hospital, lying under machines for scans, lying on the bed, and just pausing everything to take care of myself showed me that there’s a higher level of silence that I needed to embrace—and indeed everyone needs to.

During those times, I got clarity about many things I had always thought about. My future became clearer, and I could hear the tiniest whisper of the voice within. All because everything else in my life came to a halt.

Now, I am not asking you to get sick and make the hospital your home. I am only challenging you to prioritise silence in your life as much as you can.

Our modern lives are filled with constant stimulation—notifications, conversations, background noise, and endless to-do lists. Some people are even permanently married to their mobile devices. But silence, on the other hand, invites us to slow down and observe rather than react. It creates room for perspective, creativity, and emotional balance.

When we deliberately pause, we notice more; we feel more grounded; we reconnect with what really matters. This was what happened to me at the hospital.

As a disciple of Jesus Christ, regular moments of quiet time are a priority for me. Even neuroscientists have found that silence helps reduce stress, improve concentration, and strengthen emotional regulation. Silence isn’t empty—it’s full of possibility. It’s the space where new ideas form and decisions become clearer.

So, here are some action points I put together after I was discharged, to build on my usually quiet time—since it appears I wasn’t getting enough. You too can weave them into your daily routine in simple ways:

• Take regular walks: I did this before, but I will do more now. Walking clears the head and sometimes inspires us in unexpected ways.

• Start your mornings calmly: Before checking messages, take about five minutes to sit quietly, breathe slowly, and gather your thoughts. Personally, I rarely sleep with my device within reach.

Let me sound slightly extreme: if your circumstances permit, don’t pick up your phone until you have done what you planned to do that day to a good extent.

• Regularly practice letting your mind wander freely.

• Take mindful breaks: Step outside without your phone, notice sounds, textures, and sensations, and simply be present. I mostly drop my phone at home when I go for a walk. On long journeys, I mostly go offline (also for the children’s sake). Try as much as possible to detach yourself from this 21st-century addiction so that more thoughts that will move your life forward can come in.

• Please add yours in the comment section.

Silence is one of the most underrated luxuries of modern life. It costs nothing yet offers immense rewards: clearer thinking, deeper calm, and a renewed sense of purpose. So, I use God beg you—pause, breathe, and make space for silence. Your mind will thank you for it.

Some years ago, I engaged someone to take pictures of me (and my family) at an event that was important to me. I won’t give a clue to save the person’s dignity. This person begged me to give him the job despite being an apprentice then. He even went ahead to charge me as if he were already a professional. I didn’t know about all these until later.

But I kept wondering… why? He could have just charged me at his level, and I wouldn’t be upset. But asking for a TY Bello fee and delivering below expectation was a NO for me. I have forgiven him, but I can’t engage him for any photography job again because that event still leaves a mark. He has since improved on his craft, but that memory still lingers.

A lot of people (especially younger people) have missed life-changing opportunities because of things like this. They put themselves forward for tasks they have no capacity for, and when they failed to deliver, clients permanently see them as incompetent. Most times. they got better at the task in the future, but it’s too late to change the wrong impression they already created.

Sometimes, the wisest thing is to keep training instead of making demands you have no capacity to fulfil. Before you start hunting for your next big break, ask yourself: if the door opened today, am I ready to walk through and thrive, or would it reveal I still have work to do? If you fail to ask yourself this question, what you think is a chance or opportunity can become a setback.

I’ve seen this happen before. Someone gets an important opportunity before they’re ready for it. Instead of helping them grow, it just shows everyone they’re not prepared. Once people lose confidence in them, it can take years to regain that trust.

Opportunity isn’t always a gift when it comes too soon. Sometimes it reveals your lack of readiness so clearly that it closes doors for the future. People don’t forget. A poor showing today can cost you the recommendation you’d need tomorrow.

Focus on learning before earning, because your obsession with earning can limit your learning and shut some doors permanently.

#SelfDevelopment #PersonalTransformation #Preparation

The concept of time, money, energy, and attention as core personal resources has evolved over time. Still, its modern framing as a set of “currencies” we must manage intentionally is largely popularised by thinkers in the productivity and personal development space.

One notable figure among such thinkers is Paul Jolicoeur, who opined that the idea of managing these resources (money, energy, attention and time) — especially time — with the same care we give to money. He encourages asking questions like: Is it worth it? Is there something better to do? Am I consuming or producing?

The broader framing of time, money, and energy as the “three pillar resources” is a core principle in some Eastern religions like Hinduism and Buddhism. Followers of those religions argue that time, energy and money are the foundational elements of a balanced and impactful life. Time is finite, money is infinite but often misused, and energy is the fuel that drives our ability to act. When these are out of balance, we lose clarity and effectiveness — so they believe.

While attention is sometimes added as a fourth resource — especially in discussions around digital wellbeing and focus — it’s often treated as a subset of energy or time. The idea is that where your attention goes, your energy flows, and that determines your outcomes.

I adopted each of the four resources as a separate resource. While meditating on them many months ago, I began to see how they all link directly to personal effectiveness, wealth creation, and productivity. To make the concept easier to remember and apply, I prefer to describe them in an acronym: MEAT or, if you prefer, TEAM — Money, Energy, Attention, and Time. These are four currencies humans possess, whether we realise it or not.

My focus today is the average person’s obsession with the “M” — money. They budget it, track it, and worry about it. But they leave the rest of the MEAT — energy, attention, and time — unattended. This imbalance is costly. You can’t build a meaningful life (or even sustainable wealth) if you’re constantly leaking energy, scattering your attention, and wasting your time.

Think about it: we often know exactly where our money goes, but we rarely track where our energy is spent. We budget our finances, but not our focus. We guard our bank accounts, but not our calendars. Yet, energy, attention, and time are the very resources that determine how much money we can earn, how well we can perform, and how fulfilled we feel.

All of us may not be born into wealth, but our best shot at creating it lies in how we manage our TEA. Time, energy, and attention are the raw materials of productivity. When channelled intentionally, they can produce value, open doors, and generate income. But if you neglect them, you’ll spend your life chasing money without ever catching up — because the real engine that drives wealth creation (energy, attention and time) is broken.

So ask yourself: Where does most of my energy go? Is it spent on things that build you up or wear you down? What takes most of my attention? Is it social media, gossip, or distractions that add no value? What do I give my time to? Is it aligned with your goals, or are you just reacting to life?

Some people sleep and wake on gossip blogs, trending gist and other unnecessary things. Unfortunately, they’re not conscious that those unfruitful engagements may not have taken money from their bank account, but it is taking attention, time and even energy from them; all of which are resources as important as money.

Start treating your energy, attention, and time with the same seriousness you give to your money. Audit them. Budget them. Protect them. Because in the end, TEAM isn’t just a clever acronym — it’s the foundation of a productive, purposeful, and prosperous life.

If you find this useful, let me know in the comment section or leave a reaction.