Yes! How? Because learning isn't enough.

I know it sounds horrible. Well, it's nothing but the truth.

You can know exactly how to write and never write.

You can know how to build a business and never build one.

You can know how to manage your money and still spend everything you earn.

You can know how to study and still procrastinate until the night before your exam.

And like many of us do, you can know what you need to do and still not do it.

That's the problem.

We've somehow made learning feel like progress. Sometimes it is, but sometimes… you're just collecting information because it makes you feel better than not having anything up there.

You watch another video because you don't feel ready to start.

You buy another book because you haven't applied the lessons from the last one.

You take another course because the first one made you realise how much you don't know.

You make another plan because starting the plan you already made would require you to actually do something.

And before you know it, you've become very knowledgeable about becoming the person you want to be without actually becoming them.

There's a difference between knowing and knowing how, and there's an even bigger difference between knowing how and actually doing.

You can know that writing every day will make you a better writer. But you only become a better writer by sitting down and writing.

Badly, at first. Have this at the back of your mind. It isn't even “bad,” really. But since that's what we can all relate to, let's call it bad.

You can know that speaking more will make you more confident. But confidence doesn't come from understanding confidence.

It comes from opening your mouth while your voice is shaking and doing it anyway. Early this year, I had the opportunity to host an event held in my school. Was I ready? NO! Did I do it anyway? YES! Did my voice shake? Yes squared!

You can know that you need to exercise. You can know exactly what workout to do. You can know what to eat. You can know how many hours of sleep you need.

At some point, you have to put the phone down and move.

Knowledge is nothing but a map. It was never the journey.

And I think this is where a lot of ambitious people get stuck.

We love learning because learning makes us feel like we're progressing.

There's something satisfying about finishing a book. Taking notes. Understanding a new concept. Watching yourself become more knowledgeable. Trust me, I know the satisfaction that comes with all of them. But knowledge has a very sneaky way of making you feel like you're productive without actually changing anything in you. Because changing is harder.

Learning can happen in your comfort zone. Implementation usually can't. Learning is reading about how to swim. Implementation is getting in the water. And you are going to swallow some water, you are going to panic, you are going to do things badly.

You are going to realise that understanding something intellectually and being able to execute it are two completely different things.

That's okay.

And it's definitely worth it because it's the point.

The first time you write, it might be terrible.

Write again.

The first time you speak, you might stumble.

Speak again.

The first business idea might fail.

Build again.

The first post might get 12 likes.

Post again.

You don't implement what you've learnt perfectly.

You implement it badly.

Then you learn from the bad implementation.

Then you try again.

And slowly, the gap between what you know and what you can actually do starts to disappear.

That's where growth happens.

Not when you know more.

When what you know starts changing what you do.

Because information doesn't transform you.

Application does.

And this is why I don't want to just be someone who knows a lot.

I want to be someone who can do.

I don't want to read fifty books about writing and still be afraid of publishing.

I want to write.

I don't want to learn everything about public speaking and still hide when it's time to speak.

I want to speak.

I don't want to consume endless information about building things.

I want to build.

Because at some point, you have to stop asking,

“What else do I need to learn?” and start asking, “What am I going to do with what I already know?”

I remember having a conversation, earlier this year, with one of the people whose art I admire about how I have a lot to learn to start. He told me he understood the fact that I have to learn, but there's so much I know already.

I didn't really think about it, but now that I have, I get it.

Maybe you don't need another book.

Maybe you need to finish the one you're reading.

Maybe you don't need another course.

Maybe you need to actually practise what the last one taught you.

Maybe you don't need a better plan.

Maybe you just need to execute the imperfect one sitting in front of you.

Learn.

Then do.

Then fail.

Then learn from the failure.

Then do it better.

That's the loop.

Learn → Implement → Learn → Implement.

And if you stay in that loop long enough, something interesting happens.

You don't just know more.

You become more capable.

And eventually, the things that once required enormous effort start becoming things you can do almost naturally.

That's the real reward of learning.

Not having more information in your head, but having more ability in your hands.

So yes, read the book.

Take the course.

Listen to the podcast.

Learn everything you can.

But then close the book.

Put the notes away.

And go do something with it.

Because you cannot think your way into becoming.

At some point, you have to practise.

And practise.

And practise.

Until the person you imagined becoming starts showing up in what you actually do.

That's when learning becomes becoming.

I'll see you in the next one!

You can't send a book to AI to summarise for you, guy, you gats read it. 😭

Because sometimes, the point isn't just knowing what the book says.

The point is sitting with the ideas. It is getting confused. It is rereading a paragraph, underlining something, stopping because one sentence just hits so hard you can't unsee it. Thinking about it later, or connecting it to something you've experienced.

That's where the becoming happens. And it's all that really matters.

And I think we have become so obsessed with getting the result that we forget about the process that produces the result.

We want to start at A and somehow wake up at Z.

But what happened to B? What happened to C?

D?

E?…

Y?

What happened to all the tiny, boring, seemingly insignificant steps between where you are and where you want to be?

We want to be excellent, but we don't want to be beginners.

We want to write beautifully, but we don't want to write badly first.

We want to speak confidently, but we don't want to stumble over our words in small rooms before we're standing on big stages.

We want to build something successful, but we don't want to spend months building something nobody notices.

We want the body, but not the workouts.

The grades, but not the studying.

The money, but not the learning.

The audience, but not the years of posting to 47 people.

We want Z.

But Z is the result of everything that happened between A and Z.

And sometimes, the things you're trying so hard to skip are the exact things you need to become the person capable of handling the thing you want.

If you've never written consistently, how do you expect to wake up one morning and write a book?

If you've never read deeply, how do you expect to suddenly have depth in your thinking?

If you've never practised speaking, how do you expect to become a great speaker because someone suddenly handed you a microphone?

If you've never learnt how to manage ₦10,000, what makes you think you'll suddenly know what to do with ₦10 million?

You have to go through B.

And C.

And D.

You have to learn. Then implement what you've learnt. Then make mistakes. Then learn again. Then implement again. Then get better.

Then, eventually, you look back and realise you've become the person you were trying to become.

It's a process.

You have to put in the work.

There is no overnight success.

Even when it looks overnight.

Because we only see the moment someone arrives. We don't see the years they spent becoming.

We see the published book but we don't see the terrible first drafts.

We see the successful business but we don't see the failed ideas.

We see the confident speaker but we don't see the shaky voice.

We see the person who knows so much but we don't see the hundreds of hours they spent learning.

We see Z.

We don't see B to Y.

And that's why we get frustrated with ourselves.

We're comparing our B to somebody else's Z.

You're still learning the alphabet and you're angry that you haven't reached Z yet? Guyyyyyy! Relax.

Read the book. Do the work. Make the mistakes. Ask the stupid questions. Write the terrible first draft. Post the thing that gets 12 likes. Study the topic you don't understand.

Practise again.

And again.

And again.

Because the goal isn't just to get somewhere. It's to become someone, and you cannot outsource becoming.

You can't cheat the process.

You can only go through it.

So if you're at B right now, be at B.

Learn what B has to teach you.

Then move to C.

Then D.

Then E.

One day, you'll look up and realise you're much closer to Z than you thought.

And when you finally get there, you'll understand why you couldn't skip the journey.

You needed every letter.

Follow my WhatsApp channel here.

In the next one I'll tell you why learning isn't enough.

It said:

Exceptionalism is a journey.

Virtuosity is a voyage.

Rome wasn't built in a day.

And underneath it, I wrote:

You can't cheat the process.

I said I'd explain better in my newsletter today.

So, here we are.

I've been thinking a lot about what it actually means to become exceptional.

Because we all like the idea of being exceptional.

We want to be really good at what we do. We want to have something that distinguishes us. We want to look back one day and know that we didn't just exist, we became.

But we often want the destination without wanting the journey.

We want mastery without the years of practice.

We want the audience without the years of creating when nobody was watching.

We want to be knowledgeable without spending years learning.

We want to be excellent before we've given ourselves enough time to become excellent.

And I think that's one of the biggest problems with the way we understand success today.

We're constantly shown the finished product.

The bestselling book.

The successful company.

The championship.

The millions of followers.

The awards.

The money.

But we're rarely shown the thousands of ordinary days that came before them.

Look at J.K. Rowling.

The Harry Potter idea came to Rowling on a delayed train in 1990.

But an idea isn't a finished product.

It took her five years to write Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. During those years, her mother died, she moved countries, became a mother herself, and eventually moved to Edinburgh with her daughter and the first three chapters of the manuscript in a suitcase.

She continued writing whenever she could, often in cafés while her daughter slept in her pram.

After she finished the manuscript, it still wasn't an immediate success.

Her agent spent a year looking for a publisher.

Several publishers turned the book down.

Bloomsbury eventually published it in 1997.

And even then, the story wasn't over. The next six books took nearly another decade to write and publish.

From the moment the idea came to her to the completion of the seventh book, Rowling had lived with Harry Potter for seventeen years. Seventeen years.

We see Harry Potter.

What we don't see is the lived the process.

Then there's James Dyson.

In 1978, Dyson became frustrated with the performance of his vacuum cleaner.

So he experimented. He built a prototype based on cyclone technology.

It worked but that wasn't the end.

It was the beginning.

It took five years and 5,127 prototypes before he created the bagless vacuum cleaner that eventually became the Dyson DC01.

And even after all that work, manufacturers rejected his designs.

Imagine being on prototype number 4,000-something.

Imagine knowing you're nowhere near the finished product.

Imagine having to make another version. Then another. Then another.

That is what exceptionalism looks like when nobody has turned it into a success story yet.

Just iteration.

Again. And again. And again.

Michael Jordan had his own version of the journey.

As a sophomore at Laney High School, Jordan was assigned to the junior varsity team rather than varsity.

The popular story is that he was simply "cut" from the team, but the reality is more nuanced. The varsity team had limited spots and needed size, while Jordan was still under six feet tall.

What matters is what happened next.

He kept playing. He got more playing time, and he worked on his game.

He improved.

By his junior year, he had developed into a standout player and eventually became one of the most highly recruited players in the country.

The Michael Jordan we know didn't appear overnight.

There was a version of him that wasn't ready yet.

And instead of treating "not yet" as "never," he kept working.

That distinction matters a lot.

Not being exceptional yet does not mean you are incapable of becoming exceptional.

It might simply mean you're still on the journey. Remember, exceptionalism is a journey.

This is why I keep coming back to depth.

We live in a world that rewards speed.

Everything is faster now.

We can learn something in ten minutes.

Build an audience in a few months.

Start a business from our phones.

Consume hundreds of books without remembering what we read.

And there is nothing inherently wrong with speed. The problem begins when speed becomes the standard by which we measure depth.

Because some things cannot be rushed.

You can read about writing for years, but at some point, you have to sit down and write.

You can study psychology, but eventually you have to learn how to think like a psychologist.

You can watch videos about public speaking, but eventually you have to stand in front of people with your voice shaking and speak anyway.

You can collect information forever.

But becoming good at something requires practice, application, feedback, failure, adjustment and time.

That is the journey.

And I think we need to become more comfortable with being beginners.

More comfortable with being bad at something before we're good at it.

More comfortable with doing the work before there is applause for it.

Because exceptionalism isn't one giant decision you make one morning.

It's a thousand small decisions.

To read another page.

To practise again.

To revise the thing.

To ask the question.

To try another approach.

To stay curious.

To keep going when the excitement has worn off.

And eventually, those small decisions compound.

That's how depth is built.

That's how mastery is built.

That's how you become someone who can do something exceptionally well.

So the question shouldn't be:

"How quickly can I become exceptional?"

It should be:

"How deeply am I willing to go?"

Because if you're willing to go deep enough, long enough, you will eventually become very different from the person who only skimmed the surface.

And as someone who has a sense of what she could become, that is the part I'm interested in.

Not overnight success.

Not shortcuts.

Not appearing exceptional.

Becoming exceptional.

There is a difference.

And becoming takes time.

Rome wasn't built in a day.

Neither is a great writer.

Neither is a great thinker.

Neither is a great leader.

Neither is a great business.

Neither are you.

So breathe. Learn. Practise. Build. Stay.

Let yourself take the time it takes.

Exceptionalism is a journey.

And you can't cheat the process.

I'll see you in the next one!

Join my WhatsApp community here.

It's a phrase I saw in Amor Fati's newsletter today, and I'll break it down for you.

You know most times when we start something, it's exciting.

Even if we're scared or uncomfortable, we imagine what could be. We want to be called that person. We see the possibilities, because we're motivated, and of course we want to be consistent.

Then suddenly, it's tiring.

Someone says, post everyday post everyday, "Oh, I don't feel like posting today," because you think this is about you.

Someone says, you have to train everyday to become a great sport person...and you go "Oh, I don't feel like training today," because you think it's about you!

If only you knew that it's not just about you; it's to give other people permission too.

We all have dreams, goals, and aspirations. It's exciting at first, but it gets tiring at some point; it's not easy.

It's never been easy and it won't start now.

And all those people that have done amazing and extraordinary things that you see now didn't do it only because they felt like.

It's always what you leave. The books I read today were written by people who don't even know I exist, but most times they're the things that keep me going.

The videos I watch to practice public speaking were posted by people who don't know me, but without them, it's harder.

They don't know how much they've impacted my life, but imagine if they didn't post the video that day because they didn't feel like it.

Someone won't reach where they're supposed to reach if you don't reach where you're supposed to reach.

So, keep going.

Even when you don't feel like it.

Even when you think you'll fail.

We're becoming new versions of ourselves and it's what it is.

We'll stumble, fumble, struggle, and even get humbled.

It's always the breadcrumbs we leave. You never know what you have that someone needs so keep going.

Like a Nigerian Artist said, “something must go before something comes."

Let's go back to May 17, 2026.

My channel had just turned two years old.

I can remember vividly how tired I was because that day I attended classes, worked, but I still had to stay up reading Stories Sell by Matthew Dicks just to know more about storytelling.

I was about to drop my phone when I looked at the time.

It was 2:30 AM.

I decided to pray Tahajjud before sleeping.

My roommates were already asleep.

Then something crossed my mind.

"Record this."

The thought came, and I honoured it.

Because five years from now, I won't be where I am today.

And I know people will have the confidence to say,

"She's just lucky."

So I recorded a podcast I won't be posting anytime soon because it's not for now, it's for later.

For the day people mistake the outcome for the process.

Because no one will see the prayers. No one will see the nights that I cried because I was tired of not moving.

No one will see the books I stayed up to read. No one will see the work, the effort that went into it.

They'll only see the result, and they'll call it luck.

That word irritates me.

It irritates me because it erases everything that came before the moment you're finally seen.

The prayers, the preparation, the doubts!!

The days you almost gave up. The days you fell and got back up even though it took you a while.

Go and scroll back.

Look at the people whose art you admire.

Be it Grant Cardone, Steve Jobs, Moh Sheriff, Victory Ashaka, Korty, Ibquake, Femi Otedola… whoever it is that you look up to. They didn't start from where they became known. They constantly put in the work.

Go down to their pages. Read their biographies.

Start from where they began. You'll find evidence.

Because if you keep explaining other people's success with the word luck, you'll never put in the work or grind needed to do the things you need to succeed.

Keep telling yourself you're unlucky.

You're not just ready!

This is a conversation space exclusively for subscribers--kind of like a group chat or live hangout. I’ll post questions and updates that come my way, and you can jump into the discussion.

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In case you forgot, God is watching you.

“Life is God's gift to us. What we do with it is our gift to God." ~A. R. Bernard

Think about what it actually means to be human. Not just to be alive, human.

He could have made you an animal. With no reasoning, no consciousness, no ability to look at your life and decide you want it to mean something. Animals don't dream. They don't set goals. They don't wake up and choose to be better than they were yesterday.

But you? You got the full package.

A brain that can think through complex problems.

A heart that can feel. The ability to discern, to create, to love intentionally, to look at the world and say, "Oh, I want to leave this place better than I found it."

You are breathing. You are whole. You woke up this morning with another chance.

It is a big deal. But I don't think most of us are grateful enough.

What else do you want?

That is everything you need to become whatever you want to.

And yet, if we are being honest with ourselves a lot of us are not living like we know that.

Some of us are spending hours every day consuming content that adds nothing to our lives. Scrolling through the same feeds, watching the same drama unfold, memorising the details of other people's lives while our own life is nothing to write home about. Some even go as far as joking with God's words.

You must be joking.

Some of us are using our voices to tear people down. Pointing out flaws. Making people feel small. As if that is a worthy use of the breath God put in our bodies.

Some of us are playing small. Hiding. Telling ourselves we will start when the time is right, when we feel ready, when things calm down. When the economy gets better, and the days keep passing.

And God is watching all of this!

But I imagine with a kind of grief. The way a parent feels when they give their child something precious and watch them treat it carelessly.

This is what Leo Buscaglia said, "Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God."

You have something. Every single person reading this has something. A skill, a voice, a perspective, a way of making people feel seen. Something that is uniquely yours. Something God specifically put in you, not in anyone else, in you, and the world needs it.

Not a watered down version of it. Not the version that only comes out when conditions are perfect. The full, unapologetic, intentional version of it.

That is what it means to live in a way that makes God glad He created you. Not perfection. Not having it all figured out. But intentionality. Showing up. Using what you have been given on purpose.

I want you to ask yourself, honestly.

"Am I living like my life is a gift worth giving?"

"Am I using what God put in me, or am I playing with it?"

“And most importantly, "How do I give God the best Gift ever?"

Cheers to living, being, and becoming!

Love,

Anifah.

The word obsession comes from the Latin obsidere, which means "to sit opposite" or "to besiege."

If you think about it, obsession in its original sense, wasn't something inside of you; it was camped outside you refusing to leave until you surrendered.

When you are obsessed, you are under siege by an idea. You aren't just thinking about it. It is sitting across from you, staring you down, demanding your full attention. It’s not a choice; it’s a takeover.

We'll talk about obsession when I get to 100 subscribers.

I'm tired of everything.

I’m tired of the effort not matching the view. I know what I’m capable of. I know the level I can play at. I am putting in the hours, the strategy, the words, and the energy... and yet, it still feels like I’m standing in the same place I was weeks ago (not in all areas of my life, though).

It’s infuriating to look at a mountain of work you’ve done and the results seems like a molehill.

When you’re wired to push, enough is never enough. But when you’re pushing this hard and it still looks like nothing to everyone else, it makes you want to just stop.

I'm not doing what I am doing for the world, but there are some things I'm doing for the world.

Being the only one who knows how much it took to get here is tiring.

I’m not looking for motivation. I’m just admitting that the gap between my potential and my current reality is a lot.

It's a phase, I know.

But have you ever been in this phase?

Could this be burnout?

Oh, no I love what I do... And I learnt that no one gets burnt out by doing what they love, they only do so because they're doing the wrong thing or they're unclear.

I'll stop here.

I'll write to you tomorrow, I promise.

That was the comment someone said to my face.

I read a newsletter by with the title “Every mean comment is a confession in disguise" a few hours ago, and I was inspired by it.

Her newsletter and a book I just finished changed how I view some people and react to certain things.

It was about a girl she called "Bella,” who dropped a mean comment on her Tiktok post and her stance on it.

She mentioned a German Philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, who said that what people hate in others is usually just a reflection of what they hate in themselves. So, when someone gets mean, it’s less of a review of you and more of a confession about themselves.

I had a "Bella" moment of my own recently.

I’m a 100-level student, it’s my first semester, and I’m just trying to document my growth. I posted on my status: "I believe in myself dieee." Just me being me, a personal development enthusiast.

One of my roommate’s response? "You'll be acting like you’re the only one God created."

At first, I really wanted to fire back. But then I remembered what I read in the last book I read, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey, in his first chapter, be proactive.

Oyin Osikoya also mentioned that "harsh criticism is more of a confession," what was my roommate actually confessing?

1. Insecurity (The Classic)

Happy, secure people don't see someone's self-confidence and try to tear it down. She probably felt small in that moment, so she tried to make me feel small too. As they say, misery loves company.

2. Fear of Judgment

Maybe she wants to be confident too, but she's terrified of what people will say. It’s safer for her to dismiss my confidence than to try and build her own and potentially fail at it.

3. Conditioning

Most of people were raised with "Don't talk too much" or "Don't draw attention to yourself." Seeing me speak boldly probably didn’t just look unfamiliar to her. It probably looked wrong because it contradicted her internal programming.

4. The Need to Feel Superior

By reducing me to "acting like I'm the only one God created," she was trying to elevate herself. If she can make me look "proud," she gets to feel "humble" and superior.

(Spoiler: It doesn't work like that).

5. Bitterness from Past Experiences

Maybe she tried to stand out before and got shut down. Now, seeing me do it successfully doesn't inspire her, it irritates her. I’m a walking reminder of something she gave up on.

I can go on and on… but you've gotten the point, haven't you?

I chose to be proactive instead of reactive. I didn't respond the way I would have if I hadn't read the book.

Constructive feedback like "You didn't punctuate properly?" I'll take that.

But emotionally charged "confessions"? No wayyyy!

I realized that comment had absolutely nothing to do with me. It was about her mindset, her lens, and her internal world. The worst thing I could’ve done was shrink myself just to make her feel comfortable.

Pause before you internalize the harsh things people say. 99.9% of the time... it really isn’t about you.

In all you do, read books and and be proactive.

People who don’t know, don’t know they don’t know, and are perfectly okay with it.

People who don’t know, know they don’t know, try to learn, but then do absolutely nothing with what they know.

People who know, and actually change lives with what they know.

I’m tired of just being in the second category, and that’s why I’m writing this.

To be honest: I stole this.

I spent so much time today staring at a blank screen, trying to be "original." I wanted to post something profound, something groundbreaking or perfectly articulate. But I was stuck.

I was so attached to being the person with the "new" idea that I couldn't write anything at all.

Then I went back to one of my previous write-ups from Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon.

It reminded me that nobody is truly original. Every "new" idea is just a remix of things that came before it.

The secret isn't if you steal, it’s how you do it.

There’s a massive difference between just copying someone and actually growing. Copying (imitation) is shallow. It’s just "copy-pasting" a look or a style without understanding the "why."

But emulation? It's looking at someone you admire and asking: "How can I use their blueprint to build something that is actually mine?"

You take their "input," run it through your own life, and it comes out looking like you.

I felt guilty for not having "original" thoughts until I found a quote by André Gide that says: "Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no one was listening, everything must be said again."

Just what I needed at the moment.

I don’t have to invent a new philosophy to be helpful. My job isn’t to be the first person to speak; it’s just to say the truth in my own voice for the people who need to hear it right now.

Maybe you’ve heard this before, and maybe today, you’re finally ready to listen and move into that third category.

Stop waiting to be "original" before you start. Just start. Practice. Emulate. Somewhere in the middle of all that "stealing," you’ll eventually find yourself.

You think you’re an independent thinker, but you’re actually just a mirror of your algorithm.

Funny? Dey with me.

There’s a psychological concept called Emotional Contagion. It proves that we don't just "see" the moods and habits of the people around us, we actually catch them. Studies show that if your closest friends are cynical, your brain begins to physically re-wire itself to find the negative in every situation.

The same applies to your digital environment. Research on "Algorithm-Induced Bias" shows that within just 30 minutes of scrolling, your brain starts to adopt the values and the vocabulary of the content you're consuming. You aren't "just watching" a video; you are letting a stranger’s priorities become your own.

Note: Do not get me wrong, it's not just from the first video you watch; it's the constant exposure to that particular content that'll stick.

If your feed is full of "low-effort" humor and constant complaining, your brain will eventually treat "low-effort" as your default setting. You aren't failing because you lack talent; you’re failing because your environment is designed to keep you average, and you have the power to design your own environment.

The hard truth is that you are the sum of what you consume.

Your vibe, your vocabulary, and your very sense of what is possible are all byproducts of your environment. They are products of what you let into your life. You aren't just "watching" a show or "listening" to a friend; you are downloading a blueprint. If you don't like the person you're becoming, start looking at your menu.

Excellence isn't an act of will; it's an act of filtration.

Take a look at your last 24 hours of "consumption." If you became exactly like the content and people you interacted with today, would you be proud of that person?

Reply to this email with the one influence you’re "unsubscribing" from this week.

P.S. If you’re looking for a better "menu" to start with, I’m currently listening to a podcast. The Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett. It’s been a massive level-up for my headspace this week. Check it out if you’re tired of the noise.

It's been a long while since I last wrote to you, I've been caught up with “adulthood," if that's what being in uni means.

This new newsletter would be written in series. Every Thursday, expect me.

They'll be series of my input as I try to put my life together again.

Subscribe to get them directly in your mail.

Till I write to you again,

Through thick and thin,

Anifah.

I am your constant companion. I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden. I will push you onward or drag you down to failure. I am completely at your command. Half the things you do you might just as well turn over to me and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed—you must merely be firm with me. Show me exactly how you want something done and after a few lessons I will do it automatically. I am the servant of all great individuals and, alas, of all failures, as well. Those who are great, I have made great. Those who are failures, I have made failures.

I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision of a machine plus the intelligence of a human. You may run me for a profit or run me for ruin—it makes no difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet. Be easy with me and I will destroy you.

Who am I?

I am habit.

And that’s how The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens opens.

Earlier today, I went to collect this book from a friend. I was actually expecting The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Instead, I was handed this one.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, innit?

The former was written by Stephen Covey.

This one, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, was written by his son, Sean Covey.

Funny how life works. You think you’re picking up one version of growth, and you’re given the one you actually need.

This is only the first page, and I’m already seated for the experience.

This is why I am here today:

I won’t remain the Haneefah you knew when I finish this book.

You can read it with me and grow alongside me.

Or you can watch me grow.

Either way, the habits are forming.

Till I write to you again,

Haneefah.

In a world where information is everywhere, ignorance is no longer a disadvantage. It's now a choice.

Today, many young people can list every influencer, every inside joke, and every trending storyline.

They know Peller and Jarvis.

They can narrate the entire Safeera and Ahmad saga in full detail.

They know the trendy songs and dance challenges.

They quote every line from Gehgeh University.

But ask about the chairman of their local government? Silence.

Ask about the Speaker of their House of Assembly? Blank.

Ask about Gaza or Sudan? “I didn’t hear about it.”

Entertainment is not the problem. The problem is when entertainment becomes the only thing a person knows.

Some of the loudest voices in conversations about Nigeria are often the least informed. People complain about bad roads but often don’t know who is responsible. They criticise “the government” but cannot point to who represents them, what bills are being debated, or how policies shape their daily realities.

Most of what shapes their understanding comes from skits, short clips, and Twitter threads. Rarely from research, curiosity, or intentional learning.

Yet somehow, they firmly believe they know how the country should be run.

This is the danger of selective ignorance. When citizens don’t understand how systems work, those systems continue to exploit them. When people refuse to learn, they hand over their future to those who benefit from their silence.

How can change happen if we refuse to understand the very systems that shape our lives?

Martin Luther King Jr. said,

“Until the people who love peace learn to organise as effectively as the people who love war, society will never progress.”

And he was right.

If we want a better society, we must first become informed citizens, not passive spectators.

So, where do we start?

Follow credible local news sources.

Learn who represents you and what decisions they make.

Attend community forums or online town halls.

Read beyond the headlines. Ask questions. Seek understanding.

Choose knowledge. Choose awareness. Choose intentional learning.

Because one day, the ignorance we defend will cost far more than the entertainment we enjoy.

And as queeens and kings who want to dominate the world, we have to master the art of selecting what we want to know and what not.

Till I write to you again.

Love,

Queen Anifah

I didn’t plan to disappear. But life has a way of teaching in seasons, not schedules or how you planned. And somehow, between January and November, I learned more than I could ever write.

So this is my humble attempt to wrap everything together and start afresh: the growth, the pauses, the unexpected lessons, and the small wins that didn’t make it to the internet.

This year started with clarity. Or at least, the illusion of it. January felt like a blank page I was finally ready to write on. Then February came with pressure and the strong believe that if I just add one more night, or hour to my study hours day by day, I could get my desired results. March tested my routines. A lot of projects to work on. April stretched me. May demanded strength I wasn’t sure I had... and somewhere between June and August, life reminded me that rest is also part of progress. I think it was the burnout season.

September forced honesty. October humbled me. Now it’s November, I have realised that I’m only 18, and i’m still becoming.

Maybe that’s the best summary of my year or maybe not, but it's all I can put together at the moment.

 If I’m being sincere, 2025 hasn’t been a straight line, it's not meant to be, is it? It has been a series of pauses, resets, small breakthroughs, and uncomfortable growth. I struggled with consistency. I combatted with self-doubt. I tried to balance school, health, work, writing, ambition, and a strong connection with my creator.

But I’m grateful. For the set backs and the glorious comebacks. Because even in the struggle, stumbles, and fumbles, I was learning. I was paying attention, and most importantly, I was becoming.

This is my January to November wrapped:

A year I can never forget.

And now, as December begins, I’m stepping back into this space with more intention, more clarity, and the courage to write again, speak again, listen again, feel again, win again, cry again, and bounce right back - consistently, honestly, and without the pressure to perform.

Thank you for still being here.

Let’s finish the year well.

Before I go...

While I was away, I learned a lot, and I can't possibly share all, but one thing I want you to know is that when you're trying to bring out a better version of you, you'll most likely fail, you'll feel lost, and it's fineee.

It's normal.

It's part of the rules of being human, but it doesn't make you a failure. As long as you keep doing the work, sincerely.

Everything go align.

Till I write to you again,

Haneefah.

You probably regret some steps you’ve taken.

You’ve probably failed so many times you’re beginning to doubt whether you can do anything right.

Murphy said it best: “If there’s a way to do something wrong, someone will.” That’s how we got Murphy’s Law: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”

Know this: You will not succeed unless you’re willing to fail. It’s part of the process. So do your work, show up, and leave the rest to your Creator.

I know it hurts.

I know what it’s like to feel neglected.

I know what it feels like to wonder if you’re wasting your life away.

You’re second-guessing your choices.

You don’t know if you’re doing the right thing.

You’re in a space where you can’t share your thoughts with anyone.

You wonder if you’re even doing anything at all.

He is where you can always find Him.

Where? Everywhere. When you eat, drink, work, walk, close your eyes, think, write… He has been there from the very start, and He will be there till your last breath. Even after you.

He has everything you want.

Ask, and it shall be given.

Search where you might be wrong.

Fix it... and if you’ve sinned, pray about it. Meet Him, ask for forgiveness, and repent.

Everything you’re going through is building you.

Pray for clarity, walk the path He sets before you, and your well will flow again.

Your tap will rush again.

You'll be whole again.

I'm rooting for you, always! 🥺

God's got our backs.

With love,

Haneefah.

I think the only thing missing in that proverb is your name. Yes, you!

Yesterday ended last night, so why are you still dragging the past behind you?

We all learn in this world. It's part of the rules for being human.

There are no mistakes - only lessons.

A lesson is repeated until it is learned.

If you don't learn the easy lessons, they'll get harder.

And the only way you'll know you've learned a lesson is when your actions change.

It's until you either bend and learn… or break.

That’s why people say, “Experience is the best teacher.” But I think that’s only half true. Experience is only the best teacher if you’re willing to pay attention.

Because life doesn’t grade you by how many times you fall. It grades you by how your actions change after the fall.

How many nights are you going to replay the same scene in your head, wishing you did it differently?

You've made several mistakes? Okay. So what?

How can I get you to see what I'm seeing?

Maybe you don't even see things.

The only good you can do for yourself is to change.

Stop regretting.

Stop apologising endlessly.

Stop daydreaming about how you “should have done better.”

This cannot be any longer.

Just moveeee on.

You know how we do it now…. If not, check my newsletter “Read, pray, and think.”

See you when I see you.

Thank youuu! The muse.

https://substack.com/@mohsheriff?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=43std8

So this is me, writing a letter I’ll never send. Not to a stranger. Not to someone I once loved. But to myself. My little self. The girl I used to be.

Dear little Hanee,

Guess what? You're having a presentation in two weeks time! You're preparing for Post-UTME to get into UNILAG, the university of first choice! The same university that everyone is scared to apply for. They'll go, "LASU is the best, come to LASU." Don't mind them, they're just scared of rejection but there you are, taking the bold step. Well done, Hanee. I am so proud of you.

But really! How are you? You're still 15, about to have your sweet 16. Do you remember how you used to be a shy baby lad? Beauty with brains, but yo! You still won the school spelling be competition. You outdid your seniors and peers and became the principal for the day. Girlll!!! The honour! You made everyone proud of you, especially mum.

Right from childhood you knew you were going to be a great kid but you didn't know what to do, how to to them, you didn't have the gadgets, you didn't have the right environment, even now. But even though regardless upon still, girl, you represented your school in the little ways you could, and for that, I am more than proud of you.

Now? You're speaking already! You have a WhatsApp channel with more than 350 young minds like you following organically. Big flexxx! It's this same you everyone wants her hands in their projects, girl! You read booksssss!

You were the best speaker at last year's get together. Recently, you were appointed as the General Secretary for NYDS 2025 COHORT. You did an impromptu manifesto, yo! Even though you fidgeted, at 15, you couldn't.

Remember how you used to think you know everything? Lol, reality has struck you. Now you know that the more you know, the more you know you don't know.

That's a great realization actually, well done! And your dream to become a public speaker? It'll come to pass very soon. You'll speak on stages across the globe.

You're watering your garden already. Butterflies will come.

Be a good girl. Try your best and try the rest. Then trust Allah to crown your endeavours.

Enjoy your low-key days, you'll miss it! I swear you'll miss it!

Until next time,

Your 17 year old version,

Big Hanee.

I want to write moreeee, but thennnnn.

A reply from the future…

Dear 17-year-old me,

Calm down. You’re trying so hard to figure it all out » grades, speeches, writing, life. But trust me, the path unfolds in its own time. You’ll fall and rise, stumble and recover. You’ll cry over failures that won’t even matter in the bigger picture. You’ll laugh at fears that used to paralyze you.

I won’t spoil the surprises, but here’s what I can tell you: keep writing, keep speaking, keep being bold enough to dream. Don’t let doubt or fear of failure silence you. One day, you’ll look back at this season and realize it was the soil where everything else grew.

So breathe. You’re becoming.

With love,

Your future self.

Maybe we should all write to our younger selves sometimes. Maybe that’s how we remember how far we’ve come, and how much more we can still grow.

Because the truth is, our little selves are still with us. Watching. Hoping. Cheering… and we owe them the courage to keep going.

The 18 year old me has a lott to say today, so she'll write to you soon.

She'll start her podcast on Spotify on October 9 - her 18th birthday.

Watch this spaceeee!

Your favorite curious human,

Haneefah. 💗✨️