In an ideal world, we would all learn to listen to our heads and our hearts. We would neither be too logical nor too poetic. I believe we (Nigerians) are naturally inclined to think very deeply. That ability deserves respect. But now, what matters more is what we feel very deeply. Murphy's Law states that “If anything can possibly go wrong, it will”. But wait a minute, 'Anything? Well, in that case, Murphy's Law itself can go wrong from time to time. If, or when, it does, anything that can work out well has to do so. Many people have been hoping for a breakthrough in this country of ours, for a very long time now. It could be about to occur...who knows. Weirdly, that feels worrying rather than reassuring. It won't feel that way to someone like I, though, once it actually happens. The future of our country now, is not subject to Murphy's Law unless we want to
make it so by worrying to the point where our judgment becomes skewed.

There is no law that says Nigerians can't be optimistic. And there is no reason to think that, if we expect the best, we won't get it. If we are floundering in the ocean of uncertainty, any piece of driftwood is a boon. An idea or opinion, no matter how ill-founded, can help keep that horrible sinking feeling at bay. It's not so helpful, though, if we continue to cling to it, even when a luxury liner comes into view. 'I don't trust that ship, so I'm going to ignore it and stick with my existing support system.' Before we can
find the right sort of certainty in this country of ours, we might first have to entertain even deeper doubts. Let’s not be afraid of these. Our government can achieve most things if they really try and listen enough to intelligent Nigerians. It helps enormously though, to know what it is that they are trying to achieve. Can they stop and think, for a moment, about their current goal? If they are really trying to accomplish the objective that they claim to be interested in, why are they going about it in one particular way? Might they have mixed motives? Could they be even telling themselves one thing, whilst inwardly trying to fulfill a different need entirely? Are they going round in circles? It may seem that way - but actually, they are spiraling. There is a subtle but crucial difference. Circles take them right back round to where they started. Spirals appear to be doing much the same but with each rotation, they end up getting a little higher - or going a little deeper. There is something very constructive about the situation our government now find themselves in. Even if they feel confused or they fear that they are just repeating some old and overly familiar exercise, I strongly believe, they are making real progress. However, is confusion preferable to delusion in Nigeria now? Only time will tell, but I still believe in that dream of a better, stronger and successful Nigeria.

WHY WE NEED TO HAVE FAITH IN THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY

It never hurts to be prepared for any circumstance, but it's even more helpful to have the genuine expectation that things will work out for the best. With that kind of winning attitude, how can we go wrong? Stories never begin with, “... and, they all lived happily ever after.” If they did, in our country (Nigeria), we wouldn't want to hear them. The pay-off means nothing until the scene has been set, the challenge has been defined and the difficult objective has been attained. Our tale is only just starting to be told. All the exciting twists and turns lie ahead. Once they take place, we will feel much happier about the circumstances we now face in our beloved country. These are merely the problems that we are eventually going to solve
with the help of the Most High in a satisfying way. They ay, 'There's no gain without pain.' What people like my humble self want to know is, who are the 'they' who say this? And why do they say it? I reckon they are a bunch of masochists, running an insidious campaign to infiltrate mainstream society by creating catchy little phrases like this. Not every gain has to involve pain. Nor must it be followed by a loss. The universe doesn't always give on one hand and take away with the other. Sometimes, good things happen, and they just carry on happening. We must have faith in the future of our country now. Sometimes, when we can't agree, we have to agree to differ. And when we can't do that? We just have to differ, whether it's agreeable or not. Some of us would very much like to restore harmony in our
country where there has lately been far too much tension.

If we offer an olive branch, do we look foolish if it is thrown back in our face? Perhaps, but we would be a lot more foolish to let pride stand in the way of a possible reconciliation. The very best solution is to make a generous gesture now. Clean sheets don't just give us a better night's sleep; they give us a better start to a new life! 2006 may not be quite as fresh and new as it was a sometime ago but, like a recently stained top, its grime has not yet become ingrained. There's still time to remove the sticky psychological residue of yesteryear and give Nigerians the best possible start. It is not
too late to successfully bring about the change we (Nigerians) most desire. Whatsoever on earth we're worried about, it will all come out in the wash. So far though, the year is doing its best to give the impression of being just another, ordinary year. Let’s not be fooled. Though the old routine is keen to clasp us in its overly familiar embrace, but trust me, our nation has a very different destiny in store, and the year itself will soon show us another face before we finally enter the mother of them all….2007. Happily we will both change in a compatible fashion at a mutually convenient time! Meanwhile, if we need information, let’s stop guessing, assuming or
fabricating. Let’s learn to ask someone who is not a character assassin, blackmailer and or parasite. Let’s ask some persons who knows. If we don't ask a question, how can we possibly get an answer? We may not feel able to ask it because we are not sure how it will be received. In that case, let’s try asking around the question. Let’s try dropping hints and making suggestions. It's not what we say. Nor, necessarily, is it how we neither say it, nor even who we say it to. Often, what really makes a difference is when we say it. We can hold the same conversation a hundred times and exchange little by way of new information. The same old words will fall on the same old half-deaf ears. Then, one day, someone will be in the mood to really listen, properly. The right moment will have come. I believe that,
somewhere within a seemingly unsolvable problem, there is always a real way to move everything forward especially in our beloved nation. However, I surely believe what my heart is telling me. 2007 will be a year of restoration for the most beloved nation, Nigeria.

OUR LEADERS USE A LOT OF WORDS, BUT THEY OFTEN SAY VERY LITTLE

People who hold passionate beliefs find it hard to talk to folk who see the world differently. Or rather, they find it easy to talk to them, but hard to listen to them. If we want to hold a constructive conversation now, we need to put our own beliefs aside for a while. This will help in two ways. It will enable us to hear what's being said to us and, even if it doesn't inspire the other participants to go beyond their own preconceptions, it will at least ensure that they tell us everything we need to know. We all like to know where we stand, especially when it seems likely that we will have to stand there for a considerable length of time. We want and like to be able to get comfortable and make plans. That's why the possibility of change, even if it is positive and much needed, can be more disturbing than the notion of perpetual stalemate. It isn't easy to talk when our mouth is full. Sadly, though, there is no similar physical impediment to speaking when our ears are blocked. Most people speak without listening to themselves or anyone else.

That's why, despite the fact that we hold so many conversations, we experience so little by way of real communication. Our leaders use a lot of words, they often say very little. Our non-verbal communications often, work the other way round. We only have to raise an eyebrow by a millimeter in order to express a vast amount of enthusiasm or disapproval. We must start paying close attention, now, to what some persons, groups and nations are trying to tell us. Let’s not respond until the information has been properly understood and carefully digested. Then, we will surely end up with real power. We need to watch someone or some people's body language now. We need to listen to their tone of voice. These are being carefully crafted to convey a rather different meaning. We need to detect some people's true motives and their real interests. Nigeria belongs to this and future generations, we must do all we can to protect our nation,
our government and the poor souls. Let’s make Nigeria a nation no longer deserted, for that’s what our country deserves.

WHY ARE WE INTERESTED ONLY IN THE PART OF THE FUTURE WE THINK WE CAN
FORESEE?

Something, very soon I believe, will remind us of how much more there is to life than a particular topic which has lately been absorbing so much of our energy in this country. We'll then see life from a higher perspective. For now, we should be grateful for small mercies. Large ones don't require our gratitude. They are the gifts that the world bestows on us, regardless of whether or not we feel thankful. The smaller blessings tend to involve matters of personal preference. They may mean a lot to us but that isn't always obvious to the world. When then, it inadvertently graces us. We should let it know as loudly as possible in the hope that it will keep repeating the trick. Sometimes, life gives us what we like. Then, it is easy to appreciate our circumstances and surroundings. What are we supposed to do, though, when it presents us with something we are not so fond of? We can put a lot of energy, right now, into resenting or trying to change a situation that seems less than ideal in our country. If, we set about trying to find something within it that we can admire and respect, we will surely have a lot more peace and happiness and we won't compromise our eventual ability to bring about a change that we yearn for. I believe none of us really knows where we are going, because we don't know where we have been.

We arrive in this world with our memories wiped, like reconditioned
computers, fresh from the workshop. We can relate only to what we can
remember. We are interested only in the part of the future we think we can foresee. The universe never gives us more than we can cope with, but it sometimes gives us as much as we can cope with. When we are being tested in this way - or taken to our limits - or required to wrestle with an intense dilemma, we must have faith. Really, faith is all we need in this country now. Let’s do our best. Let’s trust that, as long as we do this, everything will eventually take care of itself. We might not yet be able to see a solution to our nation’s biggest problem. But I believe, it is nearer than we might think. They say, 'Where there is life, there is hope'. This is planet earth. It is teeming with life. Surely then, it must also be bursting
at the seams with hope. Is all that hope in vain? I believe NO is the
answer. It's just that, sometimes, we forget we are entitled to allow
ourselves an experience of hope. Then, effectively, we deny ourselves a worthwhile experience of life, too. Let’s hang on to our greatest hope of a better Nigeria today. It might yet spring delightfully into life.

In addition, let’s remember to keep our thoughts positive, for our thoughts becomes our words; let’s remember to keep our words positive, for our words become our actions; let’s remember to keep our actions positive, for our actions become our habits; and last but not the least, we must remember to keep our habits positive, because our habits become our destiny. What our leaders must do is to put on their thinking hoods, find some ways or discover some ideas that will enable them to accomplish what they set out to do. I believe playing “follow the leader” gets neither you nor the leader nowhere. They must draw attention in some ways to what they are doing. They
need new ideas or maybe a purpose, something quite different that has never been done or tried before for our country and Nigerians. Whatsoever on earth they do, must be different! This might not sound like an easy task. It might sound like a tall order, and it is, so they should get their thinking hoods on NOW, to fathom out or discover some unusual ideas that will get attention and will enable them to raise the standard of living, bring peace and unity
needed in our country. God will surely bless our country and bless us with peace of mind.

D. AKINSANYA JULIUSON
Diplomacy Practitioner and Specialist Investigator