by Oge Okonkwo

– Summary of Mr. Rick Little’s speech at the launch of the Social Innovators Programme and Awards which took place at the Shell Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan Lagos on Monday November 11, 2013.

Little is the founder of the International Youth Foundation. He addressed the audience on the key principles for actualization; stressing the need to live in the gap – providing innovative solutions to social problems- adopt a learning approach and persevere through challenges.

Read below:

Regardless of the diversity in this room (age, level of education, wealth, connection or status  in life), some of the desires we share in common are: to be successful, for the world to be a  better place, to find purpose, to live a meaningful and significant life. There is a deep calling  within our souls that propels us to achieve great things. Everyone has some level of dreams  they want to pursue, it might be an idea that is yet to be implemented, an organisation or business yet to be started, the urge to make a difference in a particular location, a need to  fulfil, a relationship to establish.

Some people actively pursue their dreams, others wait for the right connection, clarity from God, a change in their financial status, another set of people put their dreams on hold when  they experience difficulties and others have no clarity or lose sight of the vision in their heart.

 

There is a gap between our hopes, our dreams, our vision that burns and actualization. Four key points to actualizing your dreams are:

1. Living in the gap – The gap is the space between the problem (present state of  things) and our dream i.e what we like to create, how we like our world or country to  be different. It is the place where innovative solutions to social problems are  actualised. The people who live and spend their time in the gap are called gap  dwellers. The gap dwellers are social innovators, entrepreneurs, change agents, to mention a few and these set of people know this space is rarely a straight line. The  gap is messy, ugly, hard, complicated and a place of slow progression but that’s  where action takes place. In the pursuit of your dreams, it’s not about looking up but  down and taking steps of progression to avoid stumbling. Your dream acts as an inspiration for perseverance during the journey. Being in the gap is unnatural, it takes  constant encouragement and motivation because of layers that act as a hinderance;  fear of failure, fear of embarrassment, fear of rejection, family, friends, colleagues or  bosses who cannot comprehend your dream, fear of taking risks and fear of losing  your status. Fear prevents people from pursuing their dreams. My fear is overcome by my faith in God (it propels me), staying connected to my dream and roots, being  intentional about living in the gap, taking action everyday and looking down as steps

of progression are made. Aristotle once said, “It is far more likely that a person will act their way into new ways of thinking than they will think their way into new ways of acting”. People spend more time thinking and dreaming than acting. Living in the gap is about taking action.

2.  Be a learner – “In time of change, learners inherit the earth while the learned find  themselves equipped in a world that no longer exists.” Knowledgeable people might feel they have arrived in a learned state because they have acquired a number of  educational qualifications but this is not the case. I disagree with the phrase  “Knowledge is Power”, from my experience I have discovered that the “application of  knowledge is power”. The essence of knowledge is defeated unless it is applied to our  daily lives, marriage, jobs and the pursuit of vision. Unapplied knowledge can be likened to the usefulness of gasoline when not poured into an engine. In of itself,  knowledge does not change behaviour. Otherwise, there would not be millions of  people who continue to smoke despite their awareness of the health risks involved with their action. It is not the lack of knowledge but its application that prevents  people from taking action steps. It is important to be a learner, especially in this era of  globalization. “In 35 years, there will be more people of working age in Africa than  China or India.” Africa has a vast amount of human and other resources that must be  brought to the global stage.

3. Know you stand on the shoulders of those who have gone ahead of you and those running with you – Very few people live a successful life without support from other people. Our journey in life is a collective race, we need each other. We need people to  act as a cushion when we are unlovable, financially unstable, give up on ourselves and the pursuit of our dreams. There are also people (parents for example) who cheer us from the grand stands of our lives in complete silence because they are aware of the  moment we need to stand alone. Know you are not running this race alone.

4. Never give up (perseverance) – I was involved in a car accident that caused  paralysis on the lower part of my body, my mother attempted suicide a couple of  times and had to be placed in long term care, I was behind closed doors and locked windows were unspeakable things occurred. Most children do not choose the environment they are brought up. I committed my life to assisting young people to find light in the midst of darkness, how to get to the other side (actualise their dreams), become social innovators and entrepreneurs.

The four things to remember:
1. Live in the gap
2.  Be a learner
3. Know you are not in the race alone
4. Never ever, ever, ever give up

 

– To place an advertorial, email [email protected]