Today, I want to temporarily take our minds off Nigeria’s evolving multifarious issues and x-ray something that has not only become a ritual but also a social norm and has been accepted as a normal thing to believe especially by those of us who are struggling to survive – and that is the concept of Village People.
One thing many of us are very good at is “shifting blame” on others who may or may not be responsible for our ill luck. Even if Nigerians are known for performing poorly in other areas, I can beat my chest to say we are professionals in attributing blames to others. And this expertise cut across all spheres of life as very much evident in our political terrain. Many of us don’t want to believe that it is normal for one to experience “bad luck”. We don’t want to accept any tough time as a process of getting to our destination; some of us just believe that any upheaval, hapless situation, failure is being masterminded by those termed “village people”.
“Village People” according to Nigerians are those who are responsible for one`s failure; those who are seen as witches and wizards whose sole aim is to wreck other people`s lives and they are perceived to be living in the village. It has become a common belief that such people witch hunt those who are trying to make wave in life. It is perceived that “village people” operate from the village and they follow their target to anywhere the person is, be such person in Nigeria or outside the country just as anybody can follow another on social networks.
In as much as I am not disputing the notion that “village people” are operational in the lives of people, I still want to aver that the road to success is not without failure, ill luck, challenges. It is often said that nothing good comes easy and what that connotes is that one is bound to experience upheavals in the ladder of success. No one is bigger than challenges and trials. Even Jesus Christ experienced challenges in the course of His sojourn on earth and He would have out rightly failed if He had attributed those challenges to “village people” and did nothing about his situation.
It must be made clear that no one is indispensable when it comes to challenges and as such, seeing every pitfall as the handiwork of “village people” is the apex of ignorance. Understanding the basic principles of life will help us to see most of the obstacles that besiege us as sine qua non to our success story.
Life they say is not a bed of roses. It`s an embodiment of surprises; both positive and otherwise. Every stage in life comes with its challenges. It must also be made clear that there is time for everything. Just as there is time to rejoice so also there is time to face challenges and as a matter of fact, there is no promotion without examination. That is, challenges are what make your story intriguing! Ask those who have “rightly” made it big today; they will shock you with the challenges they had to go through and they refused to be brainwashed and deterred by the Nigerian mentality of “village people”.
A number of factors are responsible for your present situation. So, using the theory of syllogism to x-ray your case is but an open arm to backwardness. Those who are wealthy today didn’t just wake up into it or they were just lucky. They paid the necessary sacrifices to get them where they are, they endured and overcame challenges that besieged them.
When a farmer continues to cultivate a particular land without getting the expected results, it is either the land is not fertile or he is using the wrong seeds to cultivate the land. That you keep failing in what you`re doing may not necessary be the handiwork of “village people”. It may be that you`re adopting the wrong approach, doing the wrong thing or that it`s not just your time. It may also be that it`s an examination to determine if you can pursue your vision no matter the number of times you fail.
In a nutshell, not every ill fate you suffer is being masterminded by “village people”. That you`re not there yet may not be the handwork of “village people”. That you keep failing in your task, that your challenges seem to be insurmountable, that the world seem to be crumbling on your head, that your family is going through tough time may not necessary be the handwork of “village people”.
You can`t separate obstacles from a success story. There is no promotion without examination. Those who attribute their failure to “village people” and are deterred by their evil tendencies will have themselves to blame when others are reaping during the time of harvest.
Even when it is glaring that “village people” are operational in your life, it is not a death sentence. Village people are not indispensable; they are humans who are only using the powers of darkness to wreck the destinies of people. You can as well overcome them if you key into the weapon of prayer and take charge.
If only you will endure the challenges, if only you will stand the trials, if only you will make the necessary sacrifices, if only you will not see every obstacle as the handiwork of village people, if only you will not attribute your family’s tough time to village people and give up, if only the principle of syllogism will not have effect in your life, you`re unstoppable.
