Fikeveni

We are encouraged to dream big from an early age. Unfortunately, this leaves us unable to make the first step because we either don’t know what that step is, or it is not as glamorous as where we would like to end up. In some cases, the dream is so big it results in paralysis. Another challenge nowadays is that a lot of the world is obsessed with global matters, i.e. politics, the news, big corporations, non-governmental organizations, social media, etc. Although the state of the world and our participation in it is important, we seem to have forgotten that change starts in our  hearts, households, and that it starts small. We have dreams of being CEOs, board members, or wealthy, without the realization that everything worth doing starts small, starts close, and requires us to start at the bottom.  We have to start small because most of us do not have the capital, both human and monetary, to afford something big. We need to build the network and contacts that will eventually l...

The church has failed us when it comes to helping us understand what serving God looks like from a practical standpoint. We have been led to believe that when the Bible speaks of worship, it is speaking of ritual, but when we study the root words or original text of what worship, service, and work have in common, we find the same word. Work, ministry, employment, deputyship, service, worship can all mean the exact same thing. So why have we not been enlightened about the fact that we are supposed to work or serve for six days then rest on the seventh? Why have we been led to believe that the work that we do for the customer, either through an employer when employed or directly when an entrepreneur, is not ministry or service? Many of us are falsely under the impression that worship does not include work during the week and that worship is music, when clearly it is not limited to music. Worship can include music, but it is not limited to it. We are supposed to serve God everyday with si...

Although there are many ways to think of what makes up society, it is helpful to think of society being divided into two sections - the mainland and the islands. The mainland is the more cautious part that takes longer to adopt ideas or change their mind on issues, and the islands are the radical, liberal-minded parts that tend to be quick to embrace new ideas. People with mainland-values have a proclivity for order, rules, and traditions, while islanders, the creatives of a society, have an affinity for adventure, radical ideas, and a rejection of the status quo. For societal cohesion or progress, we have to embrace both parts of society. The mainland helps us to stay grounded in the lessons of our past, while the islands lead us into a bright and prosperous future.  As society, we cannot have one without the other, nor live in a world of extremist propagation of one over the other. There is a need to embrace radical ideas because they will eventually be widely accepted, if and wh...

When we look around, we see what has been built by those who came before us. Everything around us is a consequence of the actions, intentional or not, of people in the past. We, living in the present, can build for the future. We can create the world that our children can be proud of. It is easy to destroy; a whole ship can be sunk by one sailor. We have a duty to ourselves, those around us, and those soon to follow. Foundations for the future, that we desire, have to be laid today. We have to build bridges, not burn them. The future can be bright as long as we start generating power now. Future generations need to find the necessary infrastructure already in place, in order to create the type of society that they will need in their present and future.  We have to grow through evolution, not resets. We need evolution because we cannot be sure about how systems affect each other. Too many times, those with the ability to bring change, shutdown a program and introduce another, only t...

When we get on social media or turn on the news, we are bombarded with all that is wrong with the world. Most of what we have come to understand as news, is bad news. There is a tremendous amount of polarization and accentuation of our differences. Nowadays, we do not get on social media to learn about others and to find common ground, but we get on to tear each other down. We have moved from the truly liberal mindset of embracing differences and celebrating similarities to a culture of taking sides. If we were to believe the news or social media, then we would think that the world is in the worst possible state. As humankind, we have to move past the echo chambers to find unity. We need to embrace the truth, which is, that we are more the same than we are different. We have to shut out the noise of social media and the news, and go out to experience real life. When you visit the outside world, you will find that we have a society filled with good people.  We all have needs and wan...

At the core of any life or enterprise is decision-making. We are our decisions. Anyone who finds themselves in the clutches of a disastrous life got there through bad decisions made by either themselves, their kin, or complete strangers. The “system,” as we know it, is a result of the many decisions made by those around us and those who have come before us. A piece of equipment is only as effective or as beneficial as the operator. Decisions are the difference! Life and business are driven by decisions. The monetary system is merely a framework to facilitate trade, but people are the ones who have to initiate the trade or program the algorithms that do. The secret to having a decent life is centered on knowing that decisions matter more than any system or framework. One should focus on making better decisions every day, and surrounding themselves with those who make good decisions, too. You should not let the need to belong and the culture around you determine your decisions; be the ca...

Many, especially in Africa, are under the impression that business values and good-person life values do not go together. We have been raised to believe that one cannot be a good Christian and be successful at anything business related. This could not be further from the truth! All the things that make a person a good Christian, also make one a good business person. To reach the upper echelons of any hierarchy, we have to contribute to the largest number of people. Having more friends is of more value than having more money. This is not to say that all rich people contribute to society in a positive way,  but it is to say that most of them have followed principles that are designed for having a better life. A better business is simply a pleasant byproduct.  Valuing other people’s time is critical to succeeding in life and in business. If you are on time, people feel respected, and you can start your meeting in light of that respect. When we are late for meetings, the people we...

Relationships are at the core of our civilization! We cannot build anything without relationships. Whether for business or pleasure, we always need to cultivate relationships in order to achieve intended goals. Those with tumultuous lives, more often than not, have tumultuous relationships. They do not possess the ability to manage expectations within appropriate frameworks; they do not have proper boundaries! Eastern cultures struggle with boundaries, because the demands made by family, friends, and strangers on an individual are not made within mutually beneficial relationship ecosystems. Plus, eastern cultures form relationships around social activities centered on consumption, instead of activities centered on production. How we manage our relationships can be one of the main ways that we can best manage our time: our most important resource.  One of the best ways to think about relationships is to use visual devices. One such device is to think of relationships, and the bounda...

Africa is a land that has the most raw materials, arable land, and future business opportunities. The things that plague Africa, are things that plague the people and not nature. The richest parts of the continent have the most strife, and the common people, who just want to enjoy their God-given rights, pay the heaviest price. Geopolitical unrest and the improper use of natural resources has caused starvation, disease, and lost generations. We need to look at the values and beliefs that have enabled the outside: colonialists, religious extremists, and corporate interests, to destabilize an otherwise promising continent. This is not to say that there were never any problems originating from within Africa, but it is to say that those problems, and all others, have been accentuated or weaponized by those who want the resources for close to nothing.  We need to start believing in the power of competence over the power of corruption. Many Africans believe, wrongly, that prosperity come...

One of the biggest moments to occur on the Oscars’ stage came at the Oscars of 2022. Will Smith slapped Chris Rock for a joke Chris told about Will’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith. At first, it seemed like a stunt, but after Will Smith took his seat and started yelling at Chris, everyone knew that it was real. How could such an episode happen at the Oscars, an event filled with regal class? The answer is simple, and it is not because the two people involved were men or that they were black. This has nothing to do with race, but everything to do with emotionally driven impulse. This is about not being able to wait until you can use your words at the right time, on the right platform.  Most people have been talking about what’s wrong with Hollywood, the Smith’s, black people, masculinity, comedians, and the world, instead of talking about how best to respond to the incident. The reasons why this public display of violence took place are not complex and they come to light when we explore p...

Death is a serious subject that humanity has been obsessed with for generations. Its significance is undeniable, but in my opinion, it gets too much attention, especially from African, Middle Eastern, and Asian societies. The death obsession is crippling and keeping us in an infinite loop of birth and death; neglecting the important in-between. There are far too many festivals and events surrounding death.  This is not to say that funerals aren’t essential, but to say that they should play second fiddle to celebrations where the people are alive. People live their lives in service to those who have died and those who have reverence for the dead. This also leaves room for those who control society through the use of death as an instrument of oppression, to have free reign.  An obsession with death makes a society focused on the past, and not the future. Most resources, emotional and financial, go towards serving the dead. This then translates to holding on to terrible ideas onc...

The marriage custom of lobola is still practiced in Eswatini and South Africa. Some may be against it, because of what they think it says about the value of women or the patriarchal nature of African society, but I am not going to give a prescription as to whether or not it should be practiced today. I think that each family needs to figure out what it thinks is beneficial. I firmly believe that the decision to practice lobola lies in the hands of the couple. They need to decide how they merge the past with the future.  In pre-colonial times, lobola might have made a lot more sense. The economy was built on cattle and families were a lot more close-knit. The father of the groom was actually the one who had to part with the cattle. His son benefited from the trade of the family’s wealth which was in their kraal (bank account). The bride’s family and the groom’s family negotiated the value of the full exchange, but never fully settled there and then. After the negotiations, the groom...