THE EXCEPTION PRINCIPLE OF THRIVING IN ADVERSITY
“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward heaven, and the land of Egypt will be covered with a darkness so thick you can feel it.” So Moses lifted his hand to the sky, and a deep darkness covered the entire land of Egypt for three days. During all that time the people could not see each other, and no one moved. BUT THERE WAS LIGHT AS USUAL WHERE THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL LIVED.” Exodus 10:21-23 NLT
For the youth, a bit of wisdom: AVOID OFFENSE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CHURCH OR YOUR NATION.
As a young man, this counsel helped me in those days when it appeared as if growing up in poverty wasn’t enough, and Nigeria was conspiring to keep me down forever.
Never ever become offended with your church or nation and still remain in it. Leave if it ever becomes unbearable.
Offense will wither your receptivity to opportunities, especially those that only divine revelations reveal.
Offence will wither your receptivity to new experiences and reduce your adaptability, making sure you never thrive in an atmosphere in which you expect only pervasive adversity.
Leave as soon as you possible can to wherever you believe is greener pastures and unleash yourself. But, if you have to stay, even if it is because you have no choice and even when remaining seems like captivity, once it involves church or nation, still eschew offence.
“Promote the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because your future depends on its welfare.” Jeremiah 29:7
Instead, consciously disconnect from the general pessimism and believe in the exception principle – that you’re an exception and things MUST work for you.
Then get creative and work hard and smart. Start a business. Develop a product. Carve a niche. Try IT, media, entertainment, agriculture, consulting, anything and everything. Just don’t quit.
If one fails, start another. Consistently fail forward but never ever quit. I can count at least 5 ventures I launched and lost in this country from the time I was a student (a self-sponsoring one for that matter) and later, as a young graduate whose first order of business after NYSC was to marry his sweetheart and immediately start a family.
Recently, after doing the research for over half a decade (ask Obinna Bona Azuike), I went into cryptocurrency to augment my income. I made mad profit and built so many castles in the air. Shortly before I was to cash out the CBN struck with a ban and with no ways to legally repatriate my profits outside the Nigerian financial system, I watched my investments dwindle to a 3rd of their value. Even now I have no way of legally taking the little profit still remaining – still about 3 times the amount I invested from about a year ago. Am I quitting?No. CBN will come and meet me there with her e-Naira and other e-Money yarns. Then I will invest more. Remember, I have done the research.
If you cannot, or will not abide your nation or church with the vicissitudes thereof, just leave and look for new life elsewhere.
God has made it so that there is always a Goshen where you will have light as usual when everywhere else lies in darkness. You may need to move from one place to another within your location to find it and you may need strange destiny helpers as I have had aplenty and continue to believe God for, to get there, but with an open mind, and faith in God, you will find and dwell in it.
If you decide to stay, when men say a casting down, you will have reason to always proclaim a lifting up!
Peace.
Moses Okezie
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