DAY 20: APPLYING THE LAW OF 5 I was privileged to teach this in a seminar to a group of youngsters recently in Nigeria. When I asked the person with the biggest dream in the room to step forward, a brilliant architecture graduate stepped out. He wanted to become the president of Nigeria. The distance from where he was (as a graduate waiting for Youth Service) and the Aso Rock Presidential edifice seemed just too big. He was obviously just putting me to the test – to show practically that what I was teaching was theory. I loved the challenge. Noting that he was an architect, I asked him if he was ready to build a bridge to tomorrow. That struck a cord. I asked him the realistic time frame for his dream. Putting his age into consideration and the statutory age for the office of the president I told him his earliest shot at the presidency can only be in the next twenty years. The year was 2010. 2011 was going to be an election year. At the top right corner of the white board, I wrote His Excellency, President Desmond(that’s his name so please put yours) Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. Then I asked him the simple question – how would you know that you have achieved this dream? His reply was clear – when I get sworn in at the Eagle Square. What will have to happen for you to be at the Eagle Square? The 2027 presidential election would have taken place. That became the first step written just under his name but slightly to the left. But before you can become the presidential candidate of a party you have to win the party presidential primaries. That became the next step slightly underneath. Of course to become the presidential contestant you have to signify interest and pick the presidential nomination form. The party at that level will be looking at a track record. So my friend realized that before 2027 he must contest other elections that will provide not just visibility but experience. To contest any election that will give him that visibility he needs to have some good money. So there is a strong business objective now. It may seem unrelated but that is the path the dream must follow. As we worked our way down from the top breaking the dream into bits and setting time frames, we got to the bottom where I asked him if he was a member of any political party. I asked him on which party platform he’d love to run. Did he know any of the top shots in the party? His answer was no. Did he know anybody at all that’s a member of the party? I handed over my phone and asked him to make a call there and then requesting information on how to become a member. That was the step he needed to take today to become the president of Nigeria in 20 years. The next day he obtained the membership form. It was not such a challenging thing to do for a young 22 year old graduate. But it is a step crucial in his bridge to tomorrow. By 2011 he was actively campaigning as a Neighbour To Neighbour volunteer in the massive grassroots effort that won the election for President Goodluck Jonathan. It was not back breaking, maybe others where doing it for short term benefits, but I believe my friend now has a long term vision of what he is working towards. The law of five has taken over. If he refuses to be derailed, I have no doubts that come 2027, he will be contesting for a national political position in the country. © THE law of 5 Part 1 of the Intentional Impact Series DeepWords Devotional 2015
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 07:15:17 +0000
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