Fr. Daniel Evbotokhai
Life is often about development and modification. You can always learn new things and improve regardless of your age. But improving in any area of life is not always simple. Instead, it demands training and hard work. Sadly, the society occasionally perceives victory as happening abruptly. Most persons hardly acknowledge the prior planning, laborious efforts, physical and mental training that lead to achievements. In the current day, this paranormal has taken on a status quo quality; breeding minds that habitually rest before they are tired, destroying the true worth of time, excusing their way to success and ruining innovative chances.
One must not undervalue the statistical superiority of training. Most critical analysis about training shows that training aims at improving one’s capability, capacity, productivity and performance. Without training, structures, firms, organizations and establishments would collapse like a house of cards. The handiness displayed by most influential and successful CEOs in the world has come to show the significance of training. In truth, most of the superstars we celebrate did not attain such heights by prophecies but by ardent training and practice. Men like David Adedeji Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, Lionel Messi, Timothy Donald Cook of Apple Company, Satya Nadella of Mircosoft company, Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder and even Ebenezer Onyeagwu of Zenith Bank all had their days of training and learning.
Jeff Bezos for instance is known for his leadership principle of embracing failure. He once said; “I believe we are the best place in the world to fail (we have plenty of practice!), and failure and invention are inseparable twins.” Jeff values failure so much, that he found failure as the reason for his prowess and competence. Fear of failure is one major impediment against the potential of many in this generation. Some regard themselves as winners and wouldn’t want to reckon with failure in any way. A lady once said to me “Fr. my enemy has failed her interview” and I responded “Thank God” then, she exclaimed, “No! No! Fr.” Then I realized that she was trying to let me know that she had failed. If you don’t accept your failure, you cannot get it right for the future. If you don’t know what is wrong, you cannot know what is right. Go and tell your ministers that “positive confessions are necessary but not at the detriment of truth and reality.”
The irrational and persistent fear of failure called “Atychiphobia” has been observed as one of the basic reasons many young minds are confined to their rooms today. As a result of this, promising stars, avoid experimenting their worth or trying new things. They see themselves as good MCs but are never willing to climb the stage; they know they are hilarious but wouldn’t try it out before a crowd; they sing so well but only in their bathrooms and especially when the water is quite warm or when there is a little coin for an outing. Blossom out, grow, develop and spread your wings. Why are you afraid to use your hands? What makes you think that your retail store cannot grow into a big mall? Within our neighborhood, GT Fast foods started as a roadside restaurant at Ujeme, Ekpoma, Edo state; similarly, many renowned eateries today started as roadside restaurants. Come out of your shell, believe in yourself and be consistent about your steps.
The 50 years old Gabriel Ifeanyi Ogbechie, founder of Rainoil told his story how he started his oil business with just N300,000; it took him two years to gather such an amount of money. He reported how he was turned down severally when he appealed for assistance. Today he is waxing strong in business and has become an employer of many. A young lady will go buy an iPhone or hair if you offer her such an amount of money today. Countless number of adults ceaselessly regret the days they never invested their resources. You may run after white and gold collar jobs but investment is a “no collar job” with such a free spirit you build a future worthy of admiration.
The broad range of social, emotional and psychological problems we go through in this country today is first of all a function of our mindset. I know you will say that the government is bad, you can script the terrible nature of the economy; you can also statically prove the affiliated debt caused by recession; but beyond that account; if your mentality is in recession, you cannot come out from poverty. Amit Ray says; “Mind is a flexible mirror, adjust it, to see a better world.” Find something you can do with your hands as you moan about the high unemployment rate in the nation.
Many young people want to reign and trend but they are not ready to go through the rigors of training. Even as Christians, if we must reign with Christ eternally, we must train ourselves for it. Truth be told, if you like receive all the prophecies in the world; if you are not trained, you cannot reign. And if you do, your reign will be detrimental and injurious. If you detest or despise training and you happen to find yourself in a position of leadership, instead of reigning you will be ruining firms and establishments. There are many instances in this regard; some leaders showed up all of a sudden yet they couldn’t steer the ship of the state. Nigeria is collapsing by the day simply because incompetent hands and incredible hearts are piloting the affairs.
Similarly, so many youths today want to bear tittles like Engineer, Captain, President, Chairman, Prophet, Doctor, Professor; some want to be famous and be known as the best Cake and Decoration Expert, Makeup Artist; but are not ready to undergo scrupulous training. Friends, there are no shortcuts to the top of the palm tree. A lady recently graduated from one of the catering schools in my area and said; “Fr, I am done with my training now, please when there is need for meat pie or fish roll kindly patronize me.” And so, on this particular day, we were to have take snacks for a meeting in the parish and I reached out to her to prepare meat pie for over fifty persons and to my greatest dismay, the meat pie she made looked like boiled yam. It is not enough to graduate from a training school, can you cook? Can you even make simple meals? Oftentimes, we are in a hurry to leave formation houses and jump into the field. A true student would learn and even after graduation, serve before going into the field. In the course of service you learn more. It is expected that after graduating from a catering school you make out time to serve your mistress or master in order for you to improve on what you have learnt during training.
In fact, irrespective of your vocation or profession, we are expected to improve on ourselves through constant reading, research, further studies, seminars, conferences and workshops. Ruth Clark, in her book on Building Expertise (2008) recounted four types of training, they are; receptive, directive, guided discovery, and exploratory. Whatever type of training one employs the essence is to improve on the trainee so that he or she can work more efficiently and effectively. There are many public and private training centers in Nigeria today that capture this initiative and tend to ease the challenges and anxieties of inefficiency in industries or labour. The web space has become a school for many; so, while lounging in the comfort of our homes we are expected to engage in explorative, directive, receptive or guided training. Learn more about your skills or pick up new skills.
However, the sad reality has fallen on us with the dawn of “Yahoo Money”. Young minds now cease the web space for crimes. You hardly get trainees in many centers of learning today. If you go to any nearby Carpentry shop, Mechanic site or Fashion homes you will barely find young people who are determined to learn and grow. Today, getting a gardener, a class room teacher, a private tutor or an apprentice has become an almost impossible undertaking like the Hercules labour of defeating Hydra and retrieving Cerberus from the underworld without dying. So, with “Yahoo Money” there has been a displacement of responsible labour for street hustle. Most youths are enticed by this street hustle based on the riches, fame and power that is celebrated in luxuries; especially in hostels, club houses and bars. So, we are in a hype world – where many are being hyped into making the money quickly regardless of the consequences.
A sonic revolution is currently taking place within cushioned clubs and on the dance floors of many bars. A hypeman-led dominance of sound, reinforced by DJs, is progressively engulfing young people who are entering the millionaire club for the first time. These flu-like infectious buzz songs are transcending club houses into viral sensations in homes and schools. Their motivations capitalize on the reckless and competitive spending. Many youths are restless; they want to vibe along these sounds and for that reason they are ready to kill flies with elephant guns. Consequently, many young boys and girls are being recruited into “Hustlers’ kingdom” popularly called HK, a place where they are taught how to cheat, steal and practice money rituals. For them, the best training is one that yields quick money. They want to be the next happening man in the club; ordering drinks in caskets with the “dorime sounds” and songs; exchanging women and flaunting cars.
This revolution is actually the devolution of the young as it tends to exchange their worthy potentials and damage their vibrant charisms with hard drugs and drinks. Great men of old with outstanding performances prepared themselves through training programmes and genuine labour. They celebrated less and laboured more quickly. But today; we are quick to celebrate and rest; labour is seen as stress; training is considered as punishment; if it is not yielding urgent income, we despite it. Training centers are becoming empty because of the triumph of the “dorime sounds” and these chants are fast instilling vices than virtues.
Let us rise from this hysteria absurdity and irresponsibility. Do not despise training and legitimate labour. The period of training is a period of mistakes and corrections. Even the disciples of Jesus made terrible mistakes. But with such men Jesus founded Christianity. You have a purpose to fulfill do not be discouraged. Desire to be trained, persevere in it and you shall be outstanding with time. When there are adversities, see the opportunity to improve on yourself. The rough state of the nation is the more reason we should be creative because even the best cooking pot will not produce food on its own.
