23 — a beautiful end to an amazing story

Hello there! It’s a beautiful end to yet another year of my life, but this one is peculiar. I learnt a lot about myself. I learnt about love, hate, friendships, the power of an unhealthy attachment, the power of my mind when it comes to being creative and the fact that I will be a force to reckon with, Mark this day! Sit back and relax as I walk you through my lessons in hopes that you learn from them too!

Before you proceed, log in to your favourite music player and play “23 by Burna Boy”, a great song from his 6th studio album titled “Twice As Tall”. Make sure it is on repeat as you read through this story. Anyone who knows me well knows that I love Burna Boy so much. Why? why do I love the guy who is proud/arrogant? who believes he is the greatest person to ever do it? who released an album in 2019 titled “African Giant” just to remind Coachella that he is the biggest in Africa and should not be reduced to a 3-inch slot on the official banner? Because in many ways he is a reflection of what I want to be and how I think.

The song title “23” was coined from the jersey number of Michael Jordan, the all-time basketball legend when he played with the Chicago Bulls. He changed the way the game was perceived forever and is also responsible for pulling a lot more fans to the sport back in the day. The point is he was the greatest to ever do it. I see Burna Boy as the man who will soon be the greatest to ever do it. He will change the music scene. He will be the real GOAT. Just a matter of time.

What does this have to do with me? I’ll indulge you!

I read this book for the first time 2 months ago. It’s a beautiful book that talks about how ego can be the reason we don’t achieve the greatness we hope to achieve. I definitely do recommend it to everyone reading this. It redefined what ego meant to me in many subtle ways. Many people are quick to mistake pride/arrogance with ego and although they can overlap they can also be very mutually exclusive in many ways. Now although this could allegedly be my ego speaking, the book makes certain wrong conclusions about ego and tends to paint it entirely as terrible. I think that is a reductionist view and the book doesn’t do well to explain the importance of ego in certain contexts. The ego is what makes us achieve but can also be what makes us not achieve. It can make us choose to love and also make us choose not to love. The ego can be our liberator and can also be our captor. Depends on how you decide to use it. I like to see the ego as a weapon/tool.

I’ll use the ego to explain the ordeals of my year 23 and I hope you learn the same lessons I learnt from it. Firstly, let me lay it out clearly, I am a person who has a lot of ego. I love how my ego pushes me to do great things. I never think for a second that “I can’t”. If I can imagine it, I chase it down and I get it. Of course, this puts me in a bad place sometimes which I cannot deny. Before we proceed I want to ask a question that I want you to think deeply about.

“Who the hell do you think you are and what do you think you are capable of?”

I have been asked the same question hundreds of times by people I have encountered over the years. To them, it’s supposed to undermine me and make me realize I am not that relevant but they never understand that it fuels me. It drives me. My quest to find an answer to that question keeps me going. I definitely don’t think there’s some grand purpose set out for my life since before I was born although my mum thinks so and her reasons make a lot of sense but I have chosen to not accept that my fate/purpose is pre-destined. I choose to believe that I make my own fate and I craft my own path in the sand. So back to that question? Do you have an answer? If you do then you are just like me. If you don’t then let’s walk through the question properly.

Who the hell do you think you are?

Well, you are you but what does it mean to be you? You are a build-up of all your experiences, everything you have ever learned, seen, listened to, done, created. Your passions, your dislikes, your choice of interaction and how you think all define who you are. Everyone is born with a blank slate but as we grow we develop our sense of self. Anyone you respect in the world today, you respect because of what they have done and not because of who they are. Your first mistake is thinking that you have no power. You have all the power you need welling inside of you. It’s a matter of choice to unleash that power on the world. Your second mistake is assuming that you don’t have a role to play in changing the world because boy you’re so wrong! If you set your lamp under a bushel it will not shine bright! It doesn’t have to remain a dream. It deserves to come to reality and everyone deserves to benefit from your beautiful dream. So yes, who do you think you are?
You are powerful, you are smart, you are useful and you are a force to be reckoned with but you can’t bring your dreams to fruition if you don’t set your mind on them. I like to quote Jordan B. Peterson:

A man without a goal will be fazed by any insignificant obstacle but a man with his eyes set on a goal will surmount even the heaviest obstacles to get to his goal

What are you capable of?

You are capable of everything you have ever dreamt of doing, every single thing! I don’t believe anyone is born with more light than the other. I just believe some people learn how to open their lights better than others. As much as you are capable of all of that it will never come easy. Nothing good has ever come easy. You must be prepared to work hard! Really hard! Work like it is an obsession! Work like your life depends on it because your life will depend on it. Fight for what you deserve, aim for the highest points and watch how you ascend to the very top! And the next time someone asks you what you are capable of, smile and answer just like me: “Just watch and see!”

I’d like to celebrate myself today by rereading the book “Ego is the Enemy”. Each time I read it I learn something new and that’s the best birthday gift I want to give to myself as this new year begins.

End Credits

I hope you’re still playing 23 because it’s time for the end credits!

A list of people who unconsciously inspire me to use my ego for good:

David Goggins — my fitness motivation. People hate him for his audacity but that’s the exact reason I love him.

Andrew Tate — his intelligence, grit and his opinions inspire me.

Nuelcee — never afraid to state his opinion regardless of the consequences.

Nuelsoft — For teaching me that one can be strong and still be patient.

Kceemarzz — For being the first Top G I experienced. It’s been 6 happy years bro. More to come.

Verydarkblackman — His madness and arrogance excite me.

Thank you for getting to this point, I hope you use this for good! Go and be a legend. I can’t wait to see your light shine all over the world! We will meet at the top!