I’ve been away from blogging for a while now not for lack of thoughts but for lack of time to put together organised knowledge to make the thoughts ‘more worthwhile’. I guess combining that with work is quite challenging these days

An epicentre is a path in an earthquake where there is seen to have been the largest impact (It’s said to be above the hypocentre - where the main action is). If you need more impressive definitions and all about earthquakes, ‘Wiki It!’ …or google it. This is not a geology class

Like I signalled earlier, I’m doing this post now even though I feel I should get some more knowledge before putting it together (maybe it’ll happen in part two). Let me just get this thought out for now. Forgive any irregularity in my flow…let me just do it!

At times when we look at society (Nigeria in particular), hoping for a brighter day may feel a little (ok, very) insane! The tide seems to be moving in the opposite direction of a peaceful, orderly nation. You look to the left, look to the right and all you seem to see are things discouraging you from seeing the future you desire. In other more specific aspects of your life this may also be true. But I’ve come to see that in the same way that a leaven can leaven the whole lump, one positive act can cause ripples of other positive acts.

I have a few friends and ‘mentors-from-afar’, some I never met in person but have had quite some influence on the way I perceive many things. Their words, actions and lives have left indellible marks and impressions on who I am today. Their positive acts have produced several other positive acts (I’m sure in several others it’s the same).

So when I want to do a good act and the ‘tide is against me’, if I recall the ripples that act can cause, and I realise if other pockets of individuals copy my good deed the impact will be substantial, then I’ll not be discouraged; I’ll get the positive act done anyway.

Wherever we find ourselves, there will be a handful of people with glorious desires (to donate to an orphanage, to empower others, to lend a helping hand, to influence the better running of things, to push for better performance of office holders, to ensure that the quality of a service or good doesn’t drop, to be a blessing…), but when a drop feels like it’s irrelevant in the midst of a mighty ocean, then the ocean’s size may eventually be ‘compromised’.

What we need to do is to constantly see the results of what can happen if we do a good deed and others do likewise. We also need to encourage others by word of mouth and other means to join us in our noble paths. I remember a project to empower some secondary school students with Information Technology knowledge and skills that was planned during my service year but never (not yet actually) carried out but I equally remember one or two friends that planned and did the same in their own places. I can imagine if about 20 to 30 groups carried out such an excercise, over 50 schools would have been empowered.

There are several areas where a single good actions will encourage others to follow you lead. And once there are several people (epicentres) doing good, making impact, the impact will gradually be undeniable. I remember the topic “Fracture Mechanics” (or something of the sort) where a material with several cracks will quickly get to the point where it fails. So if we all (or even a few) begin and continue to do the good laid in our hearts for the progress of our country, environment, organisation…., we’ll soon see the great value that our joint, seemingly disjointed efforts are producing. Like an earthquake with several epicentres (I don’t think that exist o), we’ll get seemingly impossible tasks done…all these can happen because one person decided to take action.

So don’t hold back. Go do that thing in your heart, encourage or create an avenue for others to join you and we’ll see the impact our ‘little positive acts’ will result in.

All the best