Manifesting Your Desires

As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." That's an ancient proverb which made its way into the biblical New Testament, and then in the 19th century CE partly became the title of one of the first self-help and abundance-manifestation books: 'As a Man Thinketh'. Needless to say, it goes for women, too!

But what does it mean? It means that your life is the way it is because of the streams of consciousness that you allow to flow through your mind and cut meanders into your subconscious mind (the "heart"). Yes, you are responsible for your life. Now, this fact makes some people feel overjoyed with new-found liberty when they learn of it; but for most people, at first there is incredulity or even resentment, anger, and fear. If their lives are not where they want them to be, or even presently tragic, they don't want to hear that they're basically responsible for it. They want to hear that they are victims, or they weren't fated to have what they want, or life is unfair and they got the short end of the stick from birth.

Now, this is not to be taken to mean that every single bad thing that has happened to you was "caused" by you. If someone is cruel to you, they choose to be cruel to you, and you cannot help but to feel their cruelty. This is not your fault. However, if someone is cruel to you and you allow that to wreck your self-esteem or become an obstacle to your personal journey, progress, success, and dream fulfillment, then that IS your fault--even if you never knew it before now.

It's a simple "cosmic law" called Like Attracts Like. Successful people throughout time have used this law to their advantage, even if they didn't realize they were doing so. The ways in which you habitually feel and think inevitably create your reality for you. Champion athletes are not people who never lose--they are people who NEVER IMAGINE losing, even if they just did lose. They are champions because of more than their talents and training, for the losers have that, too.

How can you make this law work for you? Well, one of the best ways is by using affirmations--these are commands passed down from your conscious mind to your subconscious mind to bring about a desired result. However, many people nowadays have heard about affirmations, tried to use them, and failed. This is because most people who try them don't use affirmations correctly, and this is because they are not taught correctly.

1) No affirmations can be lies. The subconscious mind demands evidence--it won't accept lies. If you are broke and want to be wealthy, but you state an affirmation of "I am abundantly wealthy", you can forget about having that money. It's a lie! So how could you make it so that the subconscious mind accepts the reality of you having wealth? Try this: every time you go to make a purchase, as you are preparing to pay say to yourself, "I always have more than enough money." As long as you have at least $1 left over after your purchase, you have told the truth. Once you've done this just a few times, your subconscious mind will begin reaching out into the universal energy to get you more and more money to spend.

2) All of your affirmations must be open-ended. You aren't living outside of time and place, and you cannot box in the universe. You have to let yourself be taken by surprise with how your desires and needs are met. Never demand that the universe bring you your result in such-and-such a way and don't give it a time frame (you can assume that the delivery of your desire will be timely).

3) Make some of your affirmations comparative. Say, "I am growing wealthier and wealthier." After all, you don't want any cosmically imposed ceiling on how wealthy you can get, do you?

4) All affirmations must be personal. Even if you are seeking the love of someone, an affirmation is not a magic love potion. You only have control over you; everyone else is just as free as you are. But, you can choose to affirm, "I choose to feel that Angela loves me." You can also use the phrase that you choose to do or have or feel something to avoid telling lies about what you "already have" that you don't already have.

So, these are some of the effective ways that you can make the Law of Attraction work for you and realize your dreams.

Learning from Nelson Mandela's leadership style.

Happy 94th Birthday to the Madiba of Africa.

After 27 years of incarceration on Robben Island, hard labor and mistreatment at the hands of his white prison guards, Mandela became the first black President of South Africa and abandoned apartheid.

The courage, vision and fortitude of this man are legend.  But today I would like to look at four of Nelson Mandela’s leadership skills and provide a compelling argument for why the world needs these leadership skills today.


1. Lead From the Back

As a boy, Mandela was greatly influenced by Jongintaba, the tribal king who raised him. When Jongintaba had meetings of his court, the men gathered in a circle, and only after all had spoken did the king begin to speak. The chief’s job, Mandela said, was not to tell people what to do but to form a consensus. “Don’t enter the debate too early,” he used to say.

I think that more than ever before, people now want to be recognized for the value they bring to the table.  They want to be heard.  And they want their leaders to listen!   This means that if leaders are going to move in sync with where the people are, they will need to remember Mandela’s words when reminiscing about his boyhood and herding cattle. “You know,” he would say, “you can only lead them from behind.”

2. Lead with the Knowledge that ‘Nothing is Black or White.

Mandela acted on the belief that life is never either-or; right or wrong; black or white.  He understood that decisions are complex; that there are always competing and complicating factors; that nothing is ever as straightforward as it appears; that the leader does not have all the answers or the best answer.

Think about how dramatically our worlds have changed today. What we took for granted as being our reality is no longer the same.  Everyone is loudly expressing their different needs, feelings and perceptions.  More than ever leaders need to think like Mandela – they need to be comfortable with contradiction; they must be able to listen and they must invite authentic dialogue and debate. When they do these leaders will not fall into either-or thinking and will make profoundly and fundamentally better decisions.

3. Quitting is Leading Too

Knowing how to abandon something that is not working, a failed idea, goal or relationship is often the most difficult kind of decision a leaderHolding on too tightly to outdated goals has to make. This takes enormous courage.  In the history of Africa, there have been only a handful of democratically elected leaders who willingly stood down from office and did not hold the country hostage.  Mandela was determined to set a precedent for all who followed him by choosing to set the course but not steering the ship forever.   He understood that leaders lead as much by what they choose not to do as by what they choose to do.

We are seeing leaders in business and government in Nigeria today, who are holding on tightly to outmoded goals,policies, approaches and opinions.  It is time for such leaders to catch up with how the world has changed, listen to the people, and change their perspectives accordingly – or else make way for those who can.

4. Be Humble about your strengths and honest about your flaws.

Mandela had a deep understanding of himself.  He knew that although he was a great leader, he was also a man of flesh and blood; of weaknesses and flaws.  He was willing to own up to his flaws and worked hard at triumphing over them.  He also understood his weaknesses and found ways to make sure that he compensated for them.

We don’t see a whole lot of this kind of honesty and humility in too many leaders today.  What we do see a lot of is leaders who choose not to look in the mirror and as a result are in denial about the fact that their weaknesses are getting in the way of real change and progress.

Would you agree that the world would be a better place today if the bulk of those who call themselves leaders applied Mandela’s leadership gifts? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Lead with Guiding Values.

Wise leaders create guiding values for themselves and the organizations they lead. These values form the foundation for the organization's culture and function as a guiding light for coworkers, helping them make correct decisions and work toward common goals.

These values are best reflected in time-tested principles, which are deep, fundamental truths with universal application. These truths address laws that are as firm in "human physics" as the law of gravitation is in natural physics. For example, the law of gravity says that if you drop an object from the roof of a building it will fall to the ground. We know, with absolute certainty that this will happen every time we do it and we don't question it. This law is true. It is real. In the same way these human truths are equally reliable. They are not only a set of values, but they are the foundations of human effectiveness and interaction.

When leaders align with universal principles such as trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, honesty, compassion, excellence and perseverance they create the conditions for long-lasting success, fulfillment, happiness, a meaningful life, a life of contribution.

King Solomon, a leader synonymous with wisdom, says: "A good man is guided by his honesty."

Leaders have to be clever and competent, but they must also have sound values and a powerful sense of integrity. In good times as well as bad the most effective leaders stay true to their unique set of values. They do what is right and tell the truth in all areas of life. That doesn't say they are perfect or that the struggle to be true to themselves and their values isn't a life-long journey. And it's not just in the major decisions that this quality is needed; integrity in little things is equally important. There are no degrees of integrity. You either have it or you don't.

We value honesty more than any other virtue and we appreciate people who represent a strong value system. If we are to follow someone, whether it is in business, school, or politics, we want to feel faith and confidence in that person.

Solomon says: "It is far better not to say you'll do something than to say you will and then not do it."

We expect our leaders to set a good example and act in an exemplary and positive way. Effective leaders live as they learn through acting in accordance with vision and values. As the saying goes: Our actions speak louder than words. That our words and deeds are aligned constitutes the basis for credibility of leadership.

Wise leaders set a good example by acting in accordance with higher values. Those values permeate their behavior and promote confidence. They range from creating good relations to fully completing tasks. Quality and creativity are the key words.

What the leader spends time on and pays attention to counts. Wise leaders deliberately devote time to the group's viability and development. Supporting both the group and the individual becomes the norm. When people in the group see that words and deeds are consistent, this creates credibility. And it is through being credible that a leader can encourage a long-term commitment from the group.

Solomon says:"Without wise leadership, a nation is in trouble; but with good counselors there is safety."

Wise leaders understand their role of creating the arena for their employee's success. Such an arena makes it possible for the employees to feel inspired, challenged and that they are working towards an exciting future. It makes it possible to interact in a winning way in relation to their surroundings.

We as individuals are unique and at the same time complementary. To develop fully, we need supportive leadership. Some leaders create "leadership by enthusiasm" when facing a task with themselves at the center. Others lead by providing a clear picture of the situation and opportunities available in it. Still others have a more methodical, step by step manner of leading the group. A wise leader provides a sense of continuity for the group and defines limits that all have to comply with - especially the leader him/herself - regardless of their leadership style.

Solomon says: "Whatever you do, do well."

We all possess a greater potential within us. The question is where do we find the situation and the people that can bring out this greater good. "How can I create my future" and "How can I lift those around me" will be the key questions for enhanced leadership.

Wise leaders realize that there is only one way to go. It is to deepen one's own awareness of and confidence in the future. The responsibility that lies before us as leaders is to always operate for the good, for a better future, and a better world. This is a deep understanding of and commitment to the values that possess a weight and validity beyond one's own self, and which gives life greater quality and larger dimensions.

Character Is What You Need To Be Successful

The world is filled with people who make lots of wealth in questionable ways -- drug dealers, con artists, dishonest business men, politicians on the take, and so on. If you measure success simply by how much money you make, then you must realize that people who accumulate riches in a dishonest manner lack something that is the true mark of success -- character and integrity.

No amount of wealth can compensate for a lack of character. Character equals integrity and integrity means you always do what is right -- even when no one is watching you. It means that fear and guilt are all but eliminated from your life because you have nothing to hide and nothing to hold you back from achieving success in the true definition of the word.

In a practical sense, this means you practice the "golden rule" by doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. In your daily life, there are numerous opportunities for you to make this rule a part of your routine. Think about it. Have you ever been tempted to shortcut your way to the top of the corporate ladder? Reaching this goal is a wonderful achievement, but take a look around you. Are the hallways in your office building stacked high with the bodies of people you stepped on in order to get there? If so, be prepared to get stepped on in return.

Do you routinely treat people with honesty and respect? Or do you have a short temper when it comes to dealing with people who refuse to bow down to your every wish and command? The person with character and integrity will never have to worry about this because they know that no one achieves success single-handedly. Whether it's success in the business world or sports or family life, someone was probably there to offer a helping hand somewhere along the way. The person with character and integrity will know and appreciate this and offer the same helping hand when the opportunity arises.

Celebrated portrait photographer, Yousuf Karsh, was famous for photographing celebrities and world leaders. He explained, "I have found that great people do have in common an immense belief in themselves and their mission. They also have great determination as well as an ability to work hard. At the crucial moment of decision, they draw upon their accumulated wisdom. Above all, they have integrity."

It is important that you take a good look at your attitude regarding what success means to you. Albert Einstein said, "Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character."

Character is what you are. Success is what you achieve. What you achieve can be large or small, but success without character and integrity is merely a shadow. Your character is the key to success and it is the attribute you will pass on to your children. So let your strength of character shine through in all you do and say and you will truly be able to achieve meaningful success in life.

Success Through Recognizing Failure

Recognizing failure is one of the best ways to grow. If you ignore your failures, it is unlikely that you will ever be able to develop the skills necessary to make up for your deficiencies.

By recognizing your failures, you are better able to understand yourself. Also by treating each and every failure as a learning experience, you can make failure a positive experience. This doesn't mean that you will want to fail, but by turning failure into something good, you can reduce the pain of failure.

Since many individuals avoid action because they are afraid of failure, taking steps toward minimizing your fear of failure can give you an advantage over others who have not learned to benefit from their mistakes. Fear of failure is one of the biggest reasons people don't strive for greatness. By recognizing that failure is just part of the learning process, individuals can overcome one of the biggest roadblocks to success.

Risk is a natural part of success. Risk doesn't mean doing something stupid. Risk means attempting something that stretches you beyond what you know you can succeed at. This type of risk helps you to grow. By developing a healthy attitude toward failure, the fear of risk is lowered which encourages people to attempt things that will contribute to their success.

Take the time to recognize all of your failures. Don't simply gloss over them. Take the time to reflect on what went wrong and how you could have handled the situation differently. By doing this you will be able to grow in a way that many individuals avoid. This growth can set you apart from the average person and turn your failures into successes in the future. Failures are inevitable, but you have a choice on what you do with the failure. You can let it destroy you or use it as a springboard to make yourself stronger than before.

Distinguish Your Leadership.

What do you think of when you think of leadership? Do you consider yourself a leader in any aspect of your life? What does it mean to be a leader? What type of leader are you?

There are many different theories about what it takes to be an effective leader; from the charismatic extrovert who commands attention whenever he or she speaks, to the soft-spoken introvert who prefers to empower others from the sideline.

Despite what you've been told, and despite how you may view your own leadership abilities (or lack thereof), you truly are a leader. Stake your claim to what is yours.

It's very empowering to acknowledge, celebrate, and truly own all of the aspects of our existence. And each of us is a leader on some level: at home, at work, in the community... through formal or informal roles. Whether a CEO or a stay-at-home parent, we all have the ability to inspire others and create action through our ideas, words, and examples.

Of course we can't all be leaders in all areas - but we can claim the leadership responsibilities that have already been bestowed upon us: if you're a parent, then you're a leader. If others often come to you for feedback or advice, you're a leader. You're a leader if you can think beyond the minutiae and the mundane, and if you're able to assess challenges as opportunities.

We can claim our leadership in any area in which we feel a sense of passion and investment: wherever we care deeply enough to develop our knowledge, self-evaluate and grow, and challenge ourselves and others to strive for something better.

Try expanding your own concept of leadership, and seize the opportunity to stake your claim. You may already be the top dog at work - but how can you bring a more positive influence to your children? Or you may possess no formal title at all - but where can you share your unique knowledge, experience, talent, and wisdom? Where can you influence a change in your world (no matter how small), and inspire those around you to do the same?

You are a leader. Wear it proudly. Positive change is desperately needed on all levels, grand and small - from the political arena, to the boardroom, to the living room. And each of us can embrace the privilege, right, and responsibility to make it happen!

Young Leaders read and always have enough to motivate you for the CHANGE ahead.

                   

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.”
- Abraham Lincoln

“Don’t worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition.”
- Abraham Lincoln

“We should be too big to take offense and too noble to give it.”
- Abraham Lincoln

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
- Albert Einstein

“Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.”
- Albert Einstein

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
- Anne Frank

“Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.”
-Barack Obama

“If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.”
-Barack Obama

“When people go to work, they shouldn’t have to leave their hearts at home.”
- Betty Bender

“If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.”
- Betty Reese

“If I were given the opportunity to present a gift to the next generation, it would be the ability for each individual to learn to laugh at himself.”
- Charles M. Schulz

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.  It’s not.”
- Dr. Seuss

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”
- e. e. cummings

“The leadership instinct you are born with is the backbone. You develop the funny bone and the wishbone that go with it.”
- Elaine Agather

“Self-development is a higher duty than self-sacrifice.”
- Elizabeth Cady Stanton

“Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it.”
- Ella Williams

“I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen”
- Frank Lloyd Wright

”The important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men.”
- George Eliot

“I found that the men and women who got to the top were those who did the jobs they had in hand, with everything they had of energy and enthusiasm and hard work.”
- Harry S. Truman

“Do not hire a man who does your work for money, but him who does it for love of it.”
- Henry David Thoreau

“If the laborer gets no more than the wages which his employer pays him, he is cheated, he cheats himself.”
- Henry David Thoreau

“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”
- Henry David Thoreau

“When a dog runs at you, whistle for him”
- Henry David Thoreau

“Goodness is the only investment that never fails.”
- Henry David Thoreau

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
- John Quincy Adams

“Each of us has a spark of life inside us, and our highest endeavor ought to be to set off that spark in one another.”
- Kenny Ausubel

“What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.”
- Kurt Vonnegut

“A man’s character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation.
- Mark Twain

“I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands.  You need to be able to throw something back.”
- Maya Angelou

“The world belongs to the energetic.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Do not be too timid and squeamish about your reactions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.”
- Robert F. Kennedy

“Each generation goes further than the generation preceding it because it stands on the shoulders of that generation. You will have opportunities beyond anything we’ve ever known.”
- Ronald Reagan

“Find a need and fill it.”
- Ruth Stafford Peale

“We can always live on less when we have more to live for.”
- S. Stephen McKenney

“We must remember that one determined person can make a significant difference, and that a small group of determined people can change the course of history.”
- Sonia Johnson

“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
- Theodore Roosevelt

“Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”
-Thomas Edison

“I’m a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.”
- Thomas Jefferson

“Leaders are people who do the right thing; managers are people who do things right.”
- Warren G. Bennis

The nature and meaning of leadership is changing in response to a dramatically changing society, and the rise of complex challenges.

 Leadership is increasingly seen as situational and as an inherently collaborative, social and relational activity. Because of this, the social and emotional skills or competencies that foster and build interpersonal relationships – such as relationship management and communication, self-discipline, flexibility, creativity, and emotional intelligence – are crucial. The field of leadership has much to offer in terms of helping build up young people’s skills and capacities in order to make positive contributions to their communities, alongside building their employ-ability skills

• Providing young people with the opportunity to develop and exercise leadership can have benefits
for the individual young person, their peer group and society more broadly. 

The emotional and social skills that enable effective leadership have broader significance beyond their potential to prepare young people to take on formal leadership roles; these skills are crucial to young people’s successful transition to adulthood. Additionally, youth leadership can serve as a vehicle for tackling
pressing social challenges and catalysing positive social change

• Unresolved debates on some key issues may impede the development of the field. 

These include debates around the relationship between authority and leadership; a reliance on deficit models
of youth leadership, and questions surrounding the distinction between ‘youth’ and ‘adult’ leadership
respectively; the use of the language of ‘leadership’ among practitioners; and ongoing debates
around whether leadership is inherent, versus something that can be developed

• There is a wide debate around what youth leadership is, and how best to develop young people’s
leadership skills. Based on our research and consultations, we have proposed a definition of youth
leadership:   ‘Young people empowered to inspire and mobilise themselves and others towards a
common purpose, in response to personal and/or social issues and challenges, to effect
positive change’

• While there is no single model for effective practice, there are certain ingredients that are common to
successful leadership programmes.  Effective practice includes opportunities that engage young people in challenging action, around issues that reflect their genuine needs and offer authentic opportunities to make decisions and effect change, in an environment of support in which young people can reflect on their experiences. Opportunities should be sustainable to ensure that young people can carry their leadership skills into adulthood, and this should include clear progression routes and appropriate support at all stages.

Embedding youth leadership into organisational cultures and structures can further promote youth
leadership development.  Meaningful power-sharing among adults and young people can, however, be difficult to achieve. ‘Youth-driven’ models of organisation can yield the most comprehensive results, in terms of empowering participants as well as benefits for the organisation – but can be time-consuming and difficult to sustain. Generating organisational commitment to youth-centred structures and processes poses a significant challenge

: Addressing new challenges facing young people in Nigeria.

Young people in Nigeria today are growing up with ideals, expectations, ambitions and talents which are unprecedented, driven by new technology, affluence and globalisation.

 As a nation, we have an abundance of strong organisations engaged in youth leadership. In recent years, there have been extraordinarily creative experiments, many of them led by young people. However, young people face new kinds of social challenges in a more complex world – a world that is more diverse, with increased pressures on families, greater caring responsibilities (including for the young), more intense pressure from markets, and employability and skills challenges.

It is also a time when millions of young people are aware as never before of the scale of the leadership challenges we now face at a global scale from climate change to ageing to inequality. Many of these challenges and pressures are predicted to increase in scale and intensity as a consequence of the economic downturn. For our nation to succeed, we need to invest in young people’s skills and capabilities to act as powerful advocates and agents of change to help society meet these challenges.

Yet, in many communities, talent continues to go to waste: thousands of young people face acute difficulties in making the transition to adulthood, and public perceptions of young people can often be negative, reinforced by unfavourable media portrayals, with young people often being perceived as part of the problem rather than the solution and, at worst, viewed with fear and suspicion.

These negative perceptions mask the extraordinarily positive work in which young people are engaged – whether in the private or public sphere (through volunteering, caring, carrying out youth work and a host of other positive activities)

Young people are still denied adequate representation in the places where power is exercised, from Parliament and local councils to businesses and voluntary organisations. Only 0.3% of councillors are under 251. Young people from minority ethnic backgrounds face further barriers which also require closer attention (especially in the light of growing challenges around radicalisation and far-right extremism).

After the 2007 general election, the average age of an MP was 50.6 years,  In local government, the position is hardly better: the average age of councillors is 58, and less than 2% are under 30, while 29% of councillors are women, now local councils elections are no longer conducted by various state governments.

Many leadership positions – whether in politics, quangos or boards of charities, schools and hospitals have become increasingly professionalised, thereby making it increasingly difficult  for non-professionals  and young people to participate in these institutions.

Understanding what kinds of activities and programmes can inspire, motivate and mobilise a new generation of young people to engage in the democratic process and contribute to their community is vital to sustaining a healthy democracy.

one of the most crucial roles of political parties in the past was to develop successive generations of leaders, providing them with the skills and confidence to campaign and govern; many young people learned more through party activism than through formal education. This role has atrophied in recent years, in part because of increasing professionalisation in the world of work and political life.  

Educational qualifications tend now to be the most important determinant of attainment later in life, while the role of judgment and life experience are nowadays given less weight relative to paper qualifications and professionalism.

Party politics, aligned as it is to this set of values, has ceased to engage a broad range of young people in its activities, and party leadership has become increasingly less representative – particularly of low-income groups without affluent or politically engaged family and community networks, educational opportunities and political power.

The routes that once helped to find and nurture leaders from different backgrounds such as the trade unions and churches alongside mass political parties – are no longer working.

Building the skills and capacities of young people to take up leadership roles in their communities is vital for democracy.

There is also strong evidence supporting the notion of a ‘democratic deficit’ among young people:

Notably, young people display low levels of trust in politicians and political institutions and evidence little inclination to join formal political organisations or to get involved in local politics.

While young people remain attached to voting as a civic right and responsibility, voting levels among young people are low and are projected to remain so.

There is also little evidence that young people are choosing more informal or non-traditional forms of civic and civil participation in large numbers (e.g. participation in activities such as protests, and interest in community issues).

Beyond the political arena, further pressing challenges are affecting young people. Labour market statistics show that unemployment for 18- to 24-year-olds was 676,000 in the three months to December 2011, up 60,000 from the three months to 2012. Youth unemployment is rising more quickly than unemployment for any other group and is forecast to exceed 2 million during 2018. Those under 25 thus appear to be bearing significant pressures as a consequence of this process.

Sustained unemployment while young, especially of long duration, is especially damaging.

By preventing labour market entrants from gaining a foothold in employment, sustained youth unemployment may reduce their productivity. Those that suffer youth unemployment tend to have lower incomes and poorer labour market experiences in later decades.

Unemployment while young creates permanent scars rather than temporary blemishes.

Not only this, but poor employment outcomes are related to increased criminal activity, reduced health outcomes and lower educational outcomes among offspring.

Unemployment and underemployment are quickly becoming more than a temporary problem, with many young people leaving school, college and university without jobs, or being fired from jobs in the first round of cuts. Many others simply do not have the skills and qualifications that employers want.

Economic woes quickly turn into social challenges. The number of children in custody has increased by 8% between 2010 and 2012. As of April 2011, more than 3,000 children were in jail, with further increases expected. According to Children and Young People in Custody 2010, one in three young people in prison has a history of care, and 86% of young men have been excluded from schools.

This source also cites a disproportionate number of no-educated young people in custody, with 29% of young men and 23% of young women coming from these backgrounds. Additionally, a quarter of young offenders under 17 have literacy and numeracy levels equal to an average seven-year old child.

This number is higher and increasing among young BME offenders. These statistics and research from the Department for Children, Schools and Families suggest that jobs and education are a critical part of reducing reoffending and preventing anti-social behaviour.

Here goes Lord Frederick Lugard's thoughts on Nigerian's, from his book, The Dual Mandate, published in (1922) pg.70 .. A must read, if we must change our mind set on how we do things in this lovely country of our's.

Here goes Lord Frederick Lugard's thoughts on Nigerian's, from his book, The Dual Mandate, published in (1922) pg.70

"In character and temperament, the typical African of this race-type is a happy, thriftless, excitable person. LACKING IN SELF-CONTROL, DISCIPLINE, AND FORESIGHT. Naturally courageous, and naturally courteous and polite, full of personal vanity, with little sense of veracity, fond of music and loving weapons as an oriental loves jewelry. HIS THOUGHTS ARE CONCENTRATED ON THE EVENTS AND FEELINGS OF THE MOMENT, and he suffers little from the apprehension for the future, or grief for the past. His mind is far nearer to the animal world than that of the European or Asiatic, and exhibits something of the ANIMAL’s placidity and want of desire to rise beyond the State he has reached. Through the ages THE AFRICAN APPEARS TO HAVE EVOLVED NO ORGANIZED RELIGIOUS CREED, and though some tribes appear to believe in a deity, the religious sense seldom rises above pantheistic Animalism and seems more often to take the form of a vague dread of the supernatural"

“HE LACKS THE POWER OF ORGANIZATION, and is conspicuously deficient in the management and control alike of men or business. HE LOVES THE DISPLAY OF POWER, but fails to realize its responsibility... he will work hard with a less incentive than most races. He has the courage of the fighting animal, an instinct rather than a moral virtue... In brief, the virtues and defects of this race-type are those of attractive children, whose confidence when it is won is given ungrudging as to an older and wiser superior and without envy...Perhaps the two traits which have impressed me as those most characteristic of the African native are HIS LACK OF APPREHENSION AND HIS LACK OF ABILITY TO VISUALIZE THE FUTURE."

Sheathe your dagger, fellow Nigerians, the imbecile Lugard is long dead. There’s no point in getting mad at him. On the other hand, our madness should be directed at ourselves: leaders and followers alike. 

 Let us look all around us and see how much of “self-control, discipline, and foresight” we possess or exhibit, be it in our personal or public lifestyles. What “self-control, discipline and foresight” did our Heads of State, Presidents and Governors not been looting the public treasury and carrying their loot abroad to benefit foreign countries? 

What “self-control, discipline and foresight” have we, as citizens got in the manner we drive on our roads, or show complete disregard for the next person? What thoughts of communal or common interest do we have in our actions and behavior? 

How much do we care about not littering the street, not blocking drainage's, not building houses haphazardly, not blocking streets with our parties such that other people’s right of way are trampled upon? 

Aren’t our thoughts “concentrated on the events and feelings of the moment”? Don’t we demonstrate a “lack of ability to visualize the future”? Otherwise, would we remain the way we are, doing things the same way and expecting different results? 

Would the need for a holistic electoral reform in conformity with Justice Uwais’ recommendation be such a difficult thing to grasp? Would we still be running a system of governance whereby three-quarters of national revenue are being consumed in wages, salaries, allowances, etc of legislative and executive gravy train? Would Local Government Councilors, House of Assembly members, be on full time and be earning more than a professor? 

Many things just don’t make sense, but we go ahead nevertheless as no one can be bothered, and feathers must not be ruffled. Would we, at this point in our lives and at this juncture of the 21st century still be grappling with electricity, with pot-holed roads, without a modern rail system, without good education for our youth? 

What kind of beings are we? Lugard says: “the African appears to have evolved no organized religious creed”. Shame. Serves us right. Would he say such nonsense if we as Africans had worked at our own religion, allowed it to evolve, refined it, upheld it, intellectualized it, rather than swallowing the foreign ones handed down to us that makes us invoke experiences of foreign lands and spirits of their ancestors rather than ours? Granted that Lugard himself, foolish as he was, forgot that the religion he practiced and saw as of his people belonged to some other races.
 

The Nigerian “loves the display of power”. Doesn’t he? Isn’t our bigmanism – “you-no-know-me? – a character trait? Isn’t the world sniggering at our leaders as the strut about the place like demi-gods helping no one and serving no one but themselves? 

Lugard says, the Nigerian “lacks the power of organization”. Doesn’t he? I would imagine that goes without saying. I have just come back from Abuja and the bedlam I saw on the roads made me weep. I am left in no doubt that in another five years’, Abuja would be unrecognizable by its filth and chaos. What are we doing?  Why is it so difficult to organize the traffic, effect road markings, and set some order to life? Why, in so short a time from the departure of el Rufai, is Abuja going to the dogs? 

 Why couldn’t we organize our sports such that credible age-group categories competitions field only those truly within the categories? Why are our values so warped? Why has it been such a problem establishing and maintaining durable and credible structures for the sustenance and growth of the country? 

Why would basics like credible census, compulsory birth and death certificates, be such rocket science for us? Why would it be so difficult to see that the Federal Government has no business in funding Local Governments that are arbitrary creation of the military in the first place?
Why are so many things wrong with us, so many obviously wrong things carried on same way while expecting different results and mouthing a 20-2020 nonsense?

What a country – Lugard you might have got it right with the previous leaders, but i can assure you where ever you are, you would be in shock to see the rise of new and Youthful Leaders, who have in debt knowledge of what it takes to stair this ship in the right direction.. sad part is, you wont be there to see it happen.

There is no such word as "Leaders of tomorrow" i am tired of hearing that, I, we are leaders of Today! we would come together in our various profession and position to prove this man wrong and show him that we live in a generation where Knowledge is Key, and we do have the Key to be the next World Power and Leaders.

Leadership by example. Gov. Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State redefining leadership from the perspective of being a Youthful Leader with a Vision.

First of its kind in our state of pride, gathering of young leaders, innovative, inspiring, for the first time in Ondo State, young leaders gather to share ideas, experiences and prefer solution on the way forward for the state and Nigeria. 

Powerful presentations by all the speakers at the occasion, heart touching stories, and most important, words that not only inspired, but sparked change in the mind of all young leaders present on ways to be unique, ways to be the solution and stop been part of the problem, ways to understand that we are leaders of today and not tomorrow, having innovative and a mind set for being creative.. 

I can tell you this for a fact, @ the Ondo State Youth Economic summit 2012, my eyes were opened to so many possibilities which I had never thought off.  

At this point I like to thank Mr Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko for providing that platform for us to interact and be creative.  Like I said to my friend who was there with me, only a visionary leader sees the need to educate and carry the youth along. He has demonstrated to us that not only is he a young leader like us, but his vision to raise more leaders like him, who would champion a cause for change and set the pace at every innovation created by them.. 

His vision created the "Mother and child hospital", first of its kind in the whole world, a place where health care is provided for totally Free. 

Building mega schools across the entire senatorial district, again, a school where from your school uniform to your school bag and fees are totally Free "first of its kind". 

Providing free bus shuttle for students to take them from their bus stop to school everyday, again first of its kind and totally Free. The only state in the federation paying 22,000 naira minimum wage to workers. 

"When your passion and talent connects with your assignment and your God, your results will be unbelievable". Iroko has demonstrated visionary leadership skills and has always been the first with all his programmes for his people.

One of the speakers at the event Ambassador Dayo Israel said, "Your background dose not mean you have to keep your back on the ground". 

Fela Durotoye also said, "A vision rests in the heart of the leader, but a great vision rests in the hands of his followers. 

Your greatness as a leader is dependent on the greatness of your followers".