The question is no longer "can we create?" We can. The question is — can we build what our creativity deserves? 🧵3/3 #FeathersForFlight
In the final part of this letter, I breakdown what we should be focused on.
When we started @cbaforafrica the goal was to just educate... over 1500 people trained and we are seeing its bigger than just educating people. We have to think about policy, trade and Commerce, Culture, job creation and more.
The industry needs more leaders who care.
This is my call to the industry!
Entropy is what happens when leaders do not step up. The work of Order is no small feat. It is bigger than me. It is bigger than you... but it will never be bigger than all of us!
The fire was never the problem. The structure was. — Continuing the thread. 🧵2/3 #FeathersForFlight🪶
Regardless of where you sit or what role you play... you are an important piece and taking responsibility for your role is leadership. The kind of leadership every stakeholder in the industry must practice.
Chaos is not your enemy. Neglect is. — Slide through to understand the law that governs everything we're building. 🧵1/3 #FeathersForFlight🪶
If you are subscribed to my mailing list you should have seen my long article lol... over the next 3 days, i will break it down.
This week, we are taking about Chaos and the role leaders have to play to bring Order! Hint: We all have the capacity for leadership... we just need to apply and commit
Hey kid!!
Your brother came, and he reminded us that God is never late. That's why we called him KeiniAbasi — *In God's Time.*
Your second brother came in the middle of a season where God was opening doors, blessing us, and showing up in ways we had prayed and worked for. And in the abundance of that season, we wanted him to never forget where it all came from. That's why we called him SetoyoAbasi — *Always Remember God.*
And now there is YOU.
You have arrived at the edge of something. Your mom and I could feel it. The ground has been broken. The seeds have been planted. The hard, muddy, difficult work of preparing the land — the kind nobody celebrates but everybody benefits from — that season is almost behind us. And everything we have believed God for, worked for, prayed for, and held on to through the difficult years, is beginning to show itself.
You didn't arrive after the harvest. You my dear son have brought it with you. And that is exactly what has made your arrival so extraordinary.
You are our present and advance praise. Our thanksgiving before the table is fully set. Our declaration — not that we are waiting for God to move — but that we already know He has.
That's why we have called you AbasiAmanam.
*God, You have done it.*
Not "we hope He does it." Not "we are waiting to see." Done. Settled. Finished. We looked at you and said — this is the evidence. This child is the proof. Before the full harvest comes in, God gave us you, and in doing so, He told us everything we needed to know about what is on the way.
So as you grow, son, know this:
You were born into a family that praises God ahead of time. That gives thanks before the table is fully set. That God has given victory before the final whistle.
You carry that in your name. Carry it well.
Welcome to the world, AbasiAmanam Godwin Tom. 5.5.26! 🎑
God has done it.
Love,
Daddy.
📸 taken by the strongest woman I know! @enobong.e
#HarvestHasCome #FamilyOfFive #DaddyOfBoys
#ARandomConversationWithMen
Gardens... an interesting place.
The Garden of Eden... where mankind lost its place. The Garden of Gethsemane where Christ began His journey to give the keys back to mankind.
But what does a garden mean to you?
For me...
The garden is meant to be a safe place. A place to connect or reconnect. A place to refresh. A place for recreation, mostly with the people you love and care about.
Most people mistake the jungle for the garden and others have turned their gardens into the jungle. No breaks. No rests. No boundaries. No love!
The jungle is the chaotic and dangerous realities we have to face and navigate all sorts of "wild animals" and circumstances you have no control over. Situations you cannot predict and harsh realities you have to find ways to live and deal with.
The garden is that place of peace and predictability. That place of solace. That place you go to refuel when the world drains you.
As a man, you will die young if everywhere you are meant to find peace and solace becomes a jungle. Dave Chappelle mentioned a quote from his mom "Sometimes you have to be a lion, so you can be the lamb you really are".
You must also understand that the jungle is tough and it's for the survival of the fittest. But no engine runs constantly. It will knock!
Equally, you will become weak when you only stay in the garden. Comfort and ease is a by-product of difficulty work. When you dwell in it, stagnation in life is inevitable. The prize at the end of your journey is a life well lived. The prize is the journey!
So the jungle is necessary for a man to grow. The Garden is necessary for fuel and replenishment. Understand the difference and never mix the two.
Find your garden brothers... and more importantly, pay attention to your environment. Are you constantly in a jungle or constantly in a garden? Give your best to the things and people that matter and that you cherish... but also ensure those people are providing the essence and refueling needed for your journey.
Or else... engine go knock and na adieu no dey hard people to print for T shirt!
#MoreMenProject coming soon!
🪶
#AReminderToSelfAndMaybeToYouToo
I am not expected to show weakness... even though I am a man... "But you are Godwin Tom..." and people proceed to list my titles and things I have done.
Sometimes, its overwhelming... like, do I have live up to this all the time? This version is exhausting. People make assumptions. People have expectations. People depend on me. People believe in me. People learn from me. People trust me.
And on some days, in my quiet room when I am alone and allow my thoughts engage me, I ask myself... Me? Me??????
The guy who struggles with depression that can literally render him useless. The guy who has been homeless twice in his life. The guy who has failed at multiple businesses. The guy who has been constantly scarred by people he trusts to the point where he questions himself about his ability to spot character... me????
On days like this, when I am overwhelmed by thoughts and reminders of how insignificant I am in the grand scheme of things. When I am reminded of my failures and past mistakes and bad decisions. When I am reminded of my fears and anxiety. I allow the conversation with that dark place to finish. I relax and close my eyes and dig deeper. I listen carefully and it comes... the reminder!
I am Godwin Mfon Tom! Agwo Ananng... Agwo Uko! A child of God.
The one who has overcome every failure. Every bout of depression. Every horrible life experience that has befallen me. The one who has built regardless. The one who has beaten the odds to do things I was told I could not do... regardless of the crippling fear. In moments of weakness, I turn to 2 Timothy 1:7.
We move. We have prepared the land. We have planted... we are weeding, irrigating, monitoring, thinning and pruning...
A new season of Harvest is coming!
2027... #RoadTo40Days #HarvestSeason
#TuesdayMusings
One of the most important things I have learned in life is to manage your expectations of people.
You cannot expect loyalty from people who have not been tested.
A soldier has to believe in a comrade in battle but the bond built in fighting side by side is what builds trust, respect and appreciation. It is in the most difficult of times that bonds are built. That respect is earned.
You can't just trust anyone but you also can't just keep walking around being cynical. So, here is a balance I attempt.
Trust people to be people. Mostly unreliable, fickle and deceitful... but also capable of dependability and immense good. Give people the benefit of doubt. Give yourself the protection of doubt. And when people show you who they are in those times of difficulty or opportunity, believe them completely and act accordingly.
We are all capable of extreme evil and unbelievable good and moments of lack and/or plenty will bring out true character. Who you are. What you are. Who you become. What you become... these are all products of little decisions over time. Everyday. Every moment. Every decision. Every opportunity. It all adds up and gradually shapes Who you become in life.
Be good to others but also be cautious and unexpectant... be dangerous but kind, considerate and compassionate. Be strong but caring. Humility has been mistaken as the tool of the weak. Humility is only measured by how you treat others in your time of abundance (power, strength, wealth, access and knowledge).
You cannot expect loyalty or leadership from people who have not been tested. You are putting your life, legacy and work in danger. Selah
I am grateful for what we share... who we are to each other and how we love each other. I am your biggest cheerleader and you are my biggest motivation. I love you babe!
Watering our own grass... daily!
My #MondayAndEveryDayMotivation I #CaughtAGEM💎💍❤️
In this week's #FeathersForFlight Newsletter to my inner circle, i talk about the "death of the grind". We keep majoring in the minors. Glorifying bad behaviour and misplaced priorities.
People continue to mistake looking busy for hustling and grinding. You have to figure out your target before you start shooting or else you are wasting energy and resources. For decades, stakeholders in the African industry have been stabbing and punching in the dark. The Challenge with this is it becomes hard to replicate success when you hit something. Why? Because you don't know how you did it.
When you build a system, it becomes easier to work rest, real rest in to your schedule and strategy. Artists are burnt out because they have to keep going. Not for lack of success but for fear of falling off because they do not know if this will last.
Breaking news... it won't. But a plan helps you prepare for what to do when you reach your highest point. A plan shows you where to take breaks and reset... to travel not for shows but to experience life. To have time for friends and family who enrich your soul.
"The goal of the creative industry should not be a competition to see who can endure the most pain. The goal must be to build a structured system where talent can fly without burning out its wings.
Let us kill the aimless hustle culture, so the creators can finally live."
#FeathersForFlight🪶
My final thoughts on my Inner Circle Newsletter "From Cultural Moments to a Sustainable Economic Era!"
As a people and an industry, here is what the next level of growth should looks like:
A Professional Ecosystem: A formalised industry does not just support the artist on stage. it sustains an entire workforce of from the creators to the performers to the investors to the people who build and protect the businesses that come to life as a result of IP created like the business managers, lawyers, accountants, designers, and content creators.
Predictability over Vanity: Investors are not looking for "likes" on Instagram; they are looking for "tribes". When a community of 2,000 to 50,000 loyal fans commits to a recurring spend, that creative project becomes a predictable, investable business.
National Budget Contribution: By building strong communities that generate traceable data, the creative sector stops being a "charity case". Instead, it becomes a vital contributor to the national budget through i eternal revenue and taxes as well as FX inflows and non-oil revenue.
Protecting our "Cultural Gold": Our sound is our pride, but without policy and capital, it remains unprotected. We must stop leaving our value on the table for others to claim, and we cannot blame the world for taking what we leave untouched. This is our home... protecting and taking care of it is our responsibility.
The future we want is not something that will happen to us; it is something we must build.
And if anyone else is building it for us, please understand that they will not only own it, but we will always need them to access it.
#FeathersForFlight🪶
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