So I was at the Live Your Dreams Conference at Terra Kulture over the weekend.While everyone was going there for a million reasons, I went there for just one reason: to be inspired and learn from the best. And oh, I was hoping to see Linda Ikeji too. She was shortlisted as a panellist. I wanted to see those smooth straight legs live and direct see her for the first time and maybe chat her up during recess. And oh, one more thing; I wanted to meet new Treps (a swaggerlicious word for entrepreneurs). At the end of the day, only two of the three wishes were fulfilled. I heard and learnt from the best and I met some really interesting treps. Linda didn’t show up as at the time I left. Her loss. She could have had my autograph by now.
The magnitude of the turn up was very impressive. The hall was actually filled to capacity.MC AK47 was sick. Really really funny dude and his co-anchor, Aderonke Adebanjo was ever sweet. The speakers, Idoreyen Enang, OC Ukeje, Ibrahim Suleiman, Steve Harris, Jimmy, Lanre Olusola etc were the perfect blend. They shared a whole lot of stuff you could never learn in school, not even in Harvard. Before you ask if I’ve ever been to Harvard, errmm…..wait…….
As I left the event, I had a new sense of direction. I mean, boys are BALLING things in this life by using their heads and I have been here dulling away my very big head. For example, Steve Harris revealed how he turned from N20,000 ‘poor’ to N450,000.00 rich ‘overnight’ by using just his smartphone. He sounded really believable and the method he adopted sounded genuine, so I have no reason to doubt him. Aha! You want to know how he did it, right? Get the video tape of the event. Ask Mr Bankole Williams or visit www.liveyourdreamsafrica.com .
Mehn, I left with a new sense of ginger. I was determined to make that cheddah by all means. It was quite a rewarding experience.
While I was in the bus on my way home, something wicked happened: I was pressed. In Albert Einstein’s voice, “shit catch me.” Better shit.
Forgive me if you find the language awful. My experience in the bus was pretty much more awful.
I mean, this had never happened to me in a very long while. I think the last time I was that pressed away from home and in a place without a convenience was about fifty years ago when I wrote my common entrance exams. Being pressed in transit? I don’t wish it for anyone. To worsen my case, we met SERIOUS traffic just after descending the 3rd mainland bridge. I covered my head on the head rest before me and prayed to God for a miracle. I wished the vehicles could part ways like the red sea so my bus could gain free passage. In that moment, a message came to my mind. All what I heard at the event that day was summarised in a line: “if you have been pressed for so long, it’s time to release that sh*t!”
One very peculiar thing about every speaker’s story was that the defining moment in each of their careers was when they decided to pursue their individual dreams, at the risk of everything. Emphasis on the phrase ‘at the risk of everything.’ Steve Harris resigned from his job even when he had only N20,000 in his account and a pregnant wife, just to follow his dream. Mr Idorenyen Enang, the MD of L’Oreal West Africa had left his job at Samsung Electronics to focus on his own mentoring outfit Corporate Shepherds Limited; O.C Ukeje had set his mind on learning at the New York Film Academy, and against all odds, he pulled it; Suleiman Ibrahim has a degree in architecture and everyone in the family was looking up to him, but he decided to instead focus on choreography which had always been his passion etc.
I visited the bookshop at Terra Kulture
Every panellist on the day had a very tough decision to make at some point in their life and they decided to do the ‘crazy.’ Now, you may ask how is this relevant to me being pressed in traffic. My dear, I was so pressed that I considered alighting from the bus and helping myself in a near-by bush taking a bike to the closest restaurant just to use their convenience, wherever they may be. Just picture it: you’re in traffic, a long way from home, you’re very pressed, you can’t see any public toilet around or even any eatery….yet, you consider taking a bike to wherever. You must really be that desperate. I was that desperate. But umm, no, I didn’t have the courage to pull this off.
Our panellists on the day had the courage to take very tough decisions that would affect their lives forever. Do you remember this my post about wanting something so badly and getting yourself to get it? Yup, that’s my take-home summary of the Live Your Dreams Conference.
Here are a couple of wise quotes I recorded from our panellists:
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Idorenyen Enang, MD L’oreal:
“Your best dreams come when you’re awake.”
“When you’re casual, you can become a casualty.”
“You have to protect the things you need.”
“You can be a rascal, but don’t lose focus. Once you lose your focus, you are gone.”
“Every little gift God has given to you is for a time and season.”
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Ibrahim suleiman:
“Your purpose on earth is not a destination, but a process.”
“Everyone keeps wondering why we do the things we do. I think the answer is really simple. It is the things that we are that make us do the things that what we do.”
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OC Ukeje:
“Not everyone would be extraordinary. Some people are going to live normal and ordinary lives.”
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Aderonke Adebanjo:
“You’re the average of the 5 people that you spend the most of your time with. –
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Jimmy:
“Some people know how to “tell” their idea, but don’t know how to sell it.”
“God has positioned people around you to help you, but let your demands be reasonable.”
“As am author, your 1st book is not usually THÈ book. Sometimes, it is your 10th book. Your first book should usually be given free. It helps lay the platform for you in the future.”
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Steve Harris:
“If your smart phone can’t pay for itself, you should be slapped.”
“My greatest challenge is bridging the gap between my potential and my performance.”
“I don’t have a CV,but I have a profile.”
“Some people have Plan A, Plan B, Plan C etc and that’s the reason why they don’t live their dreams. Having too many fall back options could stall you.”
“You need to have a mentor.”
“Look at your environment and try to fill their needs. Everyone has a need.”
“Get your mentors attention, and with your result he’ll keep you.”
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Funmike Olayera:
“Don’t think you don’t have anybody. You have God and God has everybody.”
“If you think you are too small to change the world, try staying in a dark room with a mosquito.”
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Bankole Williams
“Make sure you live life intentionally. Some people live life accidentally. I don’t believe that should be the case.”
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Lanre Olusola:
“A person with two dreams can never achieve anything.”
Nice one Harold. Really inspiring.