LIFE IS A DIFFERENTIATOR

I was thinking this morning… Late last year, I had reason to visit an old classmate, and I rode with another classmate for the trip. As we sat in his SUV catching up, my mind drifted back to our school days.

We were three close friends—hardworking, studious, and intentional. We attended lectures together, studied together, and usually sat in the top quartile of the class. We all had big dreams of excelling and making our mark in our chosen careers. Interestingly, we earned the same first degree and M.Sc., and our drive looked very similar.

But life had different scripts for each of us. Two started strong. One joined a multinational as a management trainee. Another began a promising career in a major bank. The third started more modestly as contract staff in an oil company. Then life began unveiling its package. Decades later, our outcomes are very different.

My friend who went into banking suffered a terrible motor accident a few years into his career. That single event changed his life forever—his career was cut short, his marriage didn’t survive it, and he never fully regained his physical fitness. My second friend rose quickly through the ranks, became a senior manager, but was forced to retire before age 50. He later went into business and is doing fairly well today. The third friend remained a contract staff for 10 years before securing a permanent role—where he still works today.

All three gave their best. All three worked hard. But life was the differentiator. And every time I speak with the friend who received the toughest blows, I do so with deep admiration. Life showed him pepper—and he made pepper soup from it. Despite the setbacks, he embraced resilience, reinvented himself repeatedly, and survived. Today, he has set up a consultancy to help others—drawing from what I can only describe as a rainbow of life experiences. He may not be the most financially buoyant among us, but he is truly living.

As I look into 2026, one lesson stands out: How you start may not be how you end. If you’re starting slow, keep building. If you’re starting strong, stay grounded and maintain momentum. Because what happens to you matters—but how you respond matters even more. Romans 9:16 says: “So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.”

Stay hopeful. God’s got our back.

Happy Sunday.

…Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

WHEN LITTLE EFFORTS MATTER

 

I was thinking this morning… I recently flew between two local airports and something small I noticed on the tarmac has stayed with me.

We had boarded, the doors were shut, and the aircraft was pulling away from the gate. Sitting by the window, I watched the ground movement outside. Not far from the gate, I noticed a crushed plastic water bottle lying on the airside—probably flattened by the wheels of a luggage cart. It was insignificant. Honestly, I didn’t think it could cause any harm.

Then I saw something that made me pause. The aircraft marshaller walking ahead of the aircraft noticed the bottle. He stopped, picked it up, slipped it into his pocket, and continued on his way, likely to dispose of it properly later. Keeping the airside clean wasn’t his job. But he clearly understood something deeper—that one person’s neglect, however small, can affect everyone. That moment stayed with me.

I recalled how similar scenarios occur all the time back at the office. Chairs left out in walkways, blocking clear paths in the open office. Sometimes, as I walk past, I push them back under the desks. Other times, I just walk on, and do nothing.

And that’s when it hits me. Leadership isn’t really about titles or what we do when people are watching. It shows up in the small, quiet choices we make—especially when no one is paying attention. A good leader does what’s expected within their role. A great leader goes a step further and serves the team in ways that don’t come with recognition or applause.

As we continue to unveil 2026, I’m reminding myself of this: don’t wait for a position before you act. Don’t wait to be asked before you serve. Just do the right thing, even when it seems small. As the Nigerian proverb says, “Pikin wey go strong go strong… no be until dem name am Samson.” Don’t wait to be called a leader. Be a leader. Strength shows up long before the title does. SOS 2:15 comes to mind.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

SHOWING UP BEFORE YOU FEEL READY

 

I was thinking this morning.... A little over a year ago, I stepped into a new role with expectations that felt both exciting and intimidating. As 2025 began, I wrestled with a familiar tension many leaders know well. If I dove in fully, my shortcomings might be exposed. If I slowed down to learn the ropes, it might look like I wasn’t ready. So I chose a third option—I showed up. Fully. Consistently. Relentlessly.

I brought energy into every room. I attended every meeting. I responded to every email. I leaned into leadership for my team. One colleague summed it up in classic Nigerian parlance: “Oga, your ginger dey ginger our ginger.” And when I found myself in conversations where I knew very little? I stayed present. I listened intently and nodded vigorously, not to pretend I knew it all, but to signal commitment, curiosity, and ownership.

Something interesting happened a few months in. I stopped playing the role and started living it. The work no longer felt foreign. The expectations no longer felt overwhelming. By the close of 2025, the results spoke clearly: targets surpassed, milestones achieved, confidence earned.

As I reflect and look ahead to 2026, one lesson stands out. Just as it is said that in order to fall asleep, you have to first pretend to be asleep, sometimes, growth begins with behaviour before belief. The Gen-Zs will rather say, you fake it till you make it. This isn’t about empty posturing. It’s about disciplined action. Showing up as the person you aspire to be. Doing the work the way it should be done.

Visualization matters. Affirmations help. But progress in 2026 will demand movement. Don’t just speak about who you want to become, prepare for it. Act like it. Work towards it. Build the capacity to receive the opportunity when it comes.

There’s also a cautionary wisdom from home: “E go land, e go land, na im make butterfly take carry person enter bush.” Hope without preparation can be dangerous. Show up. Do the work. Stay grounded. That’s how you grow into the future you’re aiming for. Proverbs 14:23 highlights that hard work leads to profit, while talk alone results in poverty.

Thanks to everyone that made 2025 phenomenal and this is wishing all my beautiful colleagues and friends a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

PREPARING FOR TOMORROW

 

I was thinking this morning... As 2025 winds down in a few days, I find myself quietly reflective. It feels almost surreal that a full year has passed since our rare family reunion—grandparents, parents, and grandchildren together under one roof, celebrating life, legacy, and love. Today, my thoughts drift toward 2026 and beyond. With that reflection comes a familiar companion: concern about what the future holds.

That concern deepened recently when someone close to our family was unexpectedly retired after 20 years of service, effective January 1, 2026. Overnight, certainty gave way to questions. For anyone in that position, the fear was real: What next?

Almost in the same breath, I received a message from a senior friend announcing his 60th birthday and retirement after a long, distinguished career spanning banking and public service. As I read his words, another quiet tug at the heart followed. Life’s seasons are unmistakable. The carefree years (0–30) are behind him. The productive years (30–60) have just concluded. He has now entered what many call the final season (60–90). Again, the same question surfaced: What does the future hold?

A new year, an early exit from work, or retirement at fullness all share one thing in common—uncertainty. And uncertainty often breeds worry. Yet the older I get, the clearer one truth becomes: the best way to prepare for the future is to take responsibility for today.

What are you doing now about your health, your finances, and your career? The wisdom in pidgin says it plainly: “Who naked no dey put hand for pocket.” If you don’t clothe yourself today, there will be no pocket to reach into tomorrow. And as another saying goes, “Na ‘I go do am tomorrow’ make fowl no fit fly like other birds.”

When we focus intentionally on what we can do today, worry about tomorrow eventually dies of exhaustion. Or, as Scripture reminds us: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” The future will always be uncertain. Our responsibility is to live wisely, deliberately, and fully—today.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

THE COURAGE TO SLOW DOWN

 

I was thinking this morning… With over 50 weeks of 2025 behind us, I finally took my leave to reconnect with family and reclaim some warmth beyond work. At Port Harcourt International Airport, I ran into a colleague also headed to Lagos. Like many end-of-year conversations, ours revolved around how relentless the year had been and why slowing down must now be intentional, not accidental.

Too often, our passion for delivery makes us deaf to the signals our bodies send. The mild headaches. The persistent fatigue. The body aches. We acknowledge them briefly, then silence them with analgesics and what I jokingly call “gbogbo-loshe”—that familiar mix of garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper, lemon, and turmeric. The body whispers, slow down and rest. Our ambition shouts back, not now—there is rest after death.

As I shared how stressed I had been lately, my colleague said something that stayed with me. Since turning 50, she had consciously decided to take life easier. She reminded me of four colleagues who had suffered minor strokes in recent years. Thankfully, all recovered. Her personal rule now is simple: never push beyond what her body can handle.

The lesson deepened when we landed in Lagos. Another colleague on the same flight told me he was heading to see yet another of our peers, someone who had collapsed twice from blood clots (DVT) and narrowly escaped death. Today, he is alive, recovering, and intentionally taking life slower.

As the year winds down, many of us are making one last push to hit targets that seem just out of reach. Ambition is good. Discipline is admirable. But burning yourself out is not a badge of honour. This season offers us something valuable: space to pause, reflect, and recalibrate. The goal should be to count our blessings and not obsess over what didn’t go as planned.

As my friend and sister, Joyce Daniels (The Queen of Talk), recently reminded us: be kind to yourself as the year closes. There is still so much ahead and you will need your health to enjoy it. Productivity is meaningless without wellbeing. Cheers to a merry Christmas and a prosperous new year. 2nd Timothy 3:7 is instructive.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

WHEN A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IS WIDOWED

 

I was thinking this morning… Recently, my wife engaged a professional to review the social media performance of her business. The audit revealed clear gaps and offered practical recommendations. She shared the report with the staff responsible for digital marketing—hoping it would inspire improvement.

Instead, the staff member resigned, insisting she was not being appreciated. After attempts to persuade her failed, the role was advertised. Within weeks, a new hire stepped in—and immediately delivered superior results.

As my wife reflected on how quickly things turned around, a familiar Nigerian saying came to mind: “When a beautiful or blessed woman is widowed, the elders waste no time in burying her husband.” In other words, life moves on… quickly. The lessons from this experience echoed during my department's team bonding event days later.

First, not everyone is meant to sail with the team forever. In life and leadership, people play different roles. Some are propellers—they drive momentum, push you forward, and help you reach new horizons. Others are anchors or bollards—useful for stability, grounding, or preventing drift, but not for movement. A ship cannot sail with a bollard. Seasons change, and so do the people needed for the journey.

There are too many people who do very little to develop themselves but believe they are the best thing to have happened to the world after sliced bread. I like the account of Alexander the Great, who after returning from a fierce battle met a sleeping soldier and asked what his name was. The soldier answered 'Alexander.' Alexander the Great then said "You cannot answer Alexander and be idle. You either change your conduct or change your name". 

It's not enough to have a job, be good at it. Don't loaf around during work times. For those without a job, do something to get off the welfare list. Develop yourself because “When a beautiful or blessed woman is widowed, the elders waste no time in burying her husband.” Opportunities don’t wait. Excellence ensures you’re the one they run to. Remember Colossians 3:23.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

THE DAY 24 MADE SENSE

 

I was thinking this morning.... It's been 24 hours since I had this strange experience. I am still not sure if it was a dream, or an out-of-body encounter. It started like I was the main character in a movie shot at 24 frames per second (fps).

I saw my younger self dressed like a bling-bling American rapper adorned with a number of 24-carat gold chains. I was introduced to this damsel, who was about 24 years old.

We both walked before a podium with a man dressed in all white. Like in Revelation 4:4 there were 24 elders around the podium, all smiling at us. I was initially troubled in my subconscious, wondering if we were before the judgement seat.

While still wondering what was going on, the man raised a board with words written on them that I couldn't decode. The words had all 24 letters of the greek alphabet. At this point, it felt like I would need a Daniel for interpretation and construction. I was really confused.

Without saying a word, we were served freshly cooked rice garnished with avocado and served in clay pots. What is going on? I asked. Still no reply but another note that says rice and avocados have 24 pairs of chromosomes.

"We are not going to touch this food until I am told what's going on. Just make it make sense, please." I pleaded with a slightly raised voice. He smiled and answered in a soft tone, it's your 24th wedding anniversary also known as earthenware i.e. clay pots or glazed pottery.

Phew!!! It was a dream afterall.

And so, on this anniversary, my heart settles on this truth: Just like we each have 24 ribs protecting the heart and lungs, marriage, too, is a kind of ribcage—protecting dreams, shielding vulnerabilities, guarding the life we’re building.

After 24 years, I am grateful. Humbled. Hopeful. And ready for the chapters ahead.

Happy 24th anniversary to us.