The Power of Influence - By Dr. Lanre Amodu

It is interesting how life comes in mixed packages. It combines what we want and don’t want, what we see and don’t see, what we plan and don’t plan. It is amazing how brilliant ideas can come in uncomfortable circumstances. Some of us live such a fast-paced life that we need to slow down to notice great things that are passing us by. If you are a very active person, you will probably see the restricted movement because of COVID-19 as torture. However, there is always a blessing in tough situations if we look hard enough. One of the gifts of the lockdown is that you can do those things you’ve always wanted to do but there was no time. Think about that book you wanted to read. Think about that article you wanted to write. Think about the skill you wanted to develop. Think about unlimited information that you can gather online that can make your life better.

People are getting busy at home alright, but unfortunately not with things that can have long-term benefits. Several people spend 90% of their time gathering news on coronavirus. Is that bad? You must be kidding me! Of course not!!! However, it is becoming such an obsession that when people don’t receive any new information, they create one. By now, I’m sure you know that not all information out there is authentic. Several treatments and drugs that went viral have done more damage, to the extent that some social media platforms are now blocking information that did not originate from an official source. A lot of people seek information out of panic. You shouldn’t do that. Seek valid information from reliable sources, live safe and then prepare for your future.

By the grace of God, this season will soon pass. After it does, however, I can assure you of two things that will follow- desperation and race for time. Think of school calendars that have been suspended. Think of production targets that have been missed. Think of events that have been postponed. Now, think of what it will take to get back on track! I can imagine that when life is back to normal, life may not exactly be back to normal because there will be a crazy schedule to adapt to and targets to meet.

What I’m saying is that this may not be a holiday after all. It may be one of the most important determinants of your future. First, God forbid that we have another global holiday for any reason such as this. Therefore, it makes this a once-in-a-lifetime event. Whatever you do during this time will be significant. When you tell the story of how we survived, will you link it to positive, negative or neutral movement in your life? Hey, make this truly historic by adding something significant to your life. Second, by the time you resume your regular life, expectations of you might have increased because you now have to deliver the same or more result in half the time. Suddenly, excellent performers may not seem so excellent after all.

On the other hand, you may not find yourself under the pressure described above. Nonetheless, you can use this “holiday” to make yourself better for the future. Redirect your fear by focusing on what you can do now to make your life and that of other people better when we resume normal activities. Deliberately control what you invest your time and energy on. The world as we know it may be on suspension, but time is not. You will be several seconds, minutes and days older by the time you resume. You may recover the money you lost during the break, but not the time. What will you do while you wait?