What’s In Your Soil?
The Agriculturists make us aware that there are different types of soil but not all are good for planting. Different soil types are good for different things. Like the Parable of the Sower told by Jesus about a farmer who scatters seeds, with different results depending on the soil: some are eaten by birds, some wither in rocky ground, some are choked by thorns, and some fall on good soil and yield a large harvest. Jesus explained that the seed represents the “message about the Kingdom,” and the different soils represent different ways people receive and react to it, with only the “good soil” allowing the message to take root and bear fruit. The parable serves as a lesson on understanding the word of God and the importance of spiritual readiness.
Let’s break it down:
The Sower: Represents You!
The Seed: Represents Your Projects!
The Soil: Represents People You Attract!
However, the focus of this piece is not about preaching the Word. Rather, it’s about what you are doing. Like they say, “time and chance favours the prepared.” In essence, you must have planted something in the soil awaiting God’s rain to cause it to germinate, grow, and be ready to harvest. If by the time the rain drops your ground does not have any seed in it, the earth will suck up the water from the rain……life goes on. Allow me to quote once again from the Bible, 2 Corinthians 9:6 “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully”. This is exactly where we are going! When you balance the time and chance quote with this Bible passage, you begin to see what I am saying. Most of us sow sparingly in the sense that we lack capacity, and we make no efforts to build our capacity but expect opportunities to drop on our laps……ko possible na. We often complain about not being helped when we have not identified our purpose nor built the right capacity that will attract the kind of help required.
The first assignment for success is being ready. Inventors seek investors. I have not seen nor heard of where an investor is the one seeking out an inventor……you need to have something to pitch. I know of certain people who have great projects that Nigeria and Nigerians as a whole will benefit from if they have access to people of means in government. I have taken time to reflect more deeply on our agitations as APC supporters desirous of help, support, and patronage from the party nay the government. The question is, what’s your value proposition? What are you offering that’s unique? What’s that “whao” factor about you? It will only amount to entitlement if you have nothing to offer. Let’s get it clear, the opposition will continue to steal the grounds from under our feet simply because they do their homework and offer things of interest. Ask yourself, beyond media gigs, what else can you do? Media gigs are not career-oriented if you are not a media consultant.
Let it not be taken that I am being insensitive. Far from it! Obidients are pushing things of interest with the Lagos State Government. They’re also engaging ST meaningfully and by extension the FG. I want us to step back, take a deep breath, and take a hard look at ourselves. Are we projecting the right things? I am aware of one of our aburos that ST gave a fully funded scholarship to go do his Master’s degree in the UK last year……time and chance favoured him because he was prepared. How well are we maximizing our potential? What projects are you working on that you need help with? Giving appointments to people should not be our only focus, but securing lives beyond the eventual 8 years of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.
Bear with me for this long epistle….. I felt we needed to tell ourselves some hard truths.
Writer: Bayo Adedosu Eru O’Bodo
