Fikeveni

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...

We all need to make a living, and after working for “the man,” many of us start to dream of owning our own business. Often people start doing business in the form of a “side hustle” with the hopes of leaving their 8 to 5 job. Although people may start out their entrepreneurship journey because of disillusionment, the most successful entrepreneurs are those who start a business to deliver a product or service that people desperately need. After all, a company is simply a gathering of people, in order to deliver a product or a service. The success of the business is then determined by how efficiently the operation is run, and the level at which the surrounding community benefits from the activities of the enterprise. The creators of the enterprise, through their legitimate ownership of the company, earn their wealth when their  business grows. We need to teach our children about the power of ideas and their execution. We need to solidify the connection between ideas, their execution,...

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...

Some may take issue with the title of this article because of the “Easter” connection to paganism. Most publicly recognized holidays have pagan roots or connections, Easter to the god of fertility and Christmas to the god of the weather. I chose to ignore names and focus on the festivities surrounding the holidays. Names given are important, but not as important as what is done. In my opinion, a church that conducts easter egg hunts is embracing the god of fertility far more than one that calls their Sunday service, Easter. So whether it is Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday, preaching Jesus Christ crucified, buried, and raised from the dead should be central to the activities surrounding this well recognized and celebrated weekend.  Churches are packed like sporting events during Easter weekend because people who ordinarily do not go to church decide to attend. Plus, those who have friends and family visiting from out of town are more likely to invite them to tag along on Resurr...

Choosing a life partner is not an easy thing, because so much of the process feels unintentional and out of our control. I had the thought that my wife would be my wife when I first met her, but that thought left me as soon as I started contemplating its plausibility. The second time the thought that she would be my wife came along, I do not know how or why, but I felt I was ready. My pastors, mentors, family, and friends helped solidify my feelings.  Who you have around you at the time makes a huge difference. I was not sure if my wife was “the one” or my “soulmate,” however I was sure that my life needed her in it and that her life needed me in hers. Life is a journey that needs us to have companions for the voyage. We have to know who to partner with in order to accomplish our dreams, face life’s challenges, grow as people, and contribute to the world.  I chose the term “life partner” because that is how I see my wife, and that is what I was looking for. I knew that I neede...

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...