
What we should mean when we say “In the next ten years”
The truth about prophecies…
I was part of a conversation today where people discussed about how Nigeria would boast of global brands in the next ten years. (High sounding right?, but achievable)
This made me remember some hangouts and birthday parties I attended in my early teens. One typical question they ask is where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? I remember saying on one occasion that I see myself getting a scholarship for my bachelor’s degree in England. Its over eight years since I made that statement and I am glad to you that I did not study in England talk less of getting a scholarship. (Looooooool). I forgive myself perhaps I just said it because it was a sweet thing to say in that gathering at that time.
I believe I am not alone here.
So when we say in the next five, ten and fifteen years, I think we should really sit down to understand what it means.
When you say in the next X years, you mean you have a picture in your mind and a conviction that you will get certain outcomes in your life. Don’t just say it because it is the sweet thing to say at that time. The truth is that as you grow, people will hold you accountable to your words and will go as far as going to find out what you said last five years that you will do or happen that has not happened today. Not good for your credibility except you made the audience know that you were just speculating.
The statement in the next X years is not just a declaration of hope. It is a declaration of conviction and deep belief.
When you say in the next X years, you mean you are going to give your best to making sure that whatever you have said happens. The truth about prophecies is that they are rarely self- fulfilling as people say, prophecies need you to be fulfilled. Prophecies need men to facilitate its fulfillment. If prophecies were self-fulfilling Nigerians would be among the richest people in the world seeing the percentage of our population who receive prophetic utterances from various spiritual altars on a daily basis.
So when we say the next five years, maybe we really don’t need to go that far. We just need to ask ourselves what we are doing right NOW to create the future we are talking about? After all we still end up saying no one knows tomorrow, so why not let’s just focus on the present. At this points, the words of Peter Drucker comes to mind; the best way to predict the future is to create it.
The statement in the next X years is not just a declaration of hope. It is a call to work and action!
I believe in hope, it keeps us alive but it’s time we moved from just hoping to have a great future to sitting down and giving it what it takes, the level of hard work, the level of consistent meditation on our dreams, the level of grit and toughness we need to get results and not just seek to get more promises and prophecies.
So when next someone says in the next five years or ten years… Ask them what are you doing now to make it happen? What are you willing to do to make it happen? Where do you have it written down? How much of your time do you spend thinking about it and working it out? Even if that someone is you.
So don’t tell us what will happen in the next ten years to give us hope, tell us what you are doing now to make it happen!!!
Mamora Olaoluwa
pharmlaolu@gmail.com