In my primary and secondary school days, I was an ebullient boy from as long as I can remember. I have always been full of life, witty, chatty, ready to strike a conversation and relate with fellow students.

As far as the schools were concerned, I was a noise maker and a disturber. My name was written everyday as a noise maker and at the end of the week, I qualified for the overall badge of a disturber, having made the noise making list all the days of the week. Disturbers were presented for public disgrace during our assembly on Mondays and caned without mercy, while noise makers were caned daily in the presence of classmates.

The more I was caned and disgraced the more I said ‘NO’ by my actions and omission to the commitment of the schools to silence my divinely gifted voice of DIFFERENCE.

Though their commitment and actions thereof had definite negative impact on my psyche and perception of my DIFFERENCE till my early adulthood, my voice of DIFFERENCE was so strong that it could not be quieted. This was by the grace and mercies of God.

The world today owes all of its advancement to men and women, who say ‘NO’ the STATUS QUO and the brutal forces of CONFORMITY.

‘NO’ is the divine and official language of expressing ORIGINALITY. ‘NO’ can be said in word, in action or omission.

Though, we are born to be DIFFERENT and say ‘NO’ to every distraction to our DIFFERENCE, those who raise us often train us to say ‘YES’ to all.

‘YES’ is the official language of CONFORMITY. And CONFORMITY is a CURSE to human advancement in all its ramifications! Yet the world is today full of ‘YES’ boys and girls, whose voices of ‘NO’ are silenced and buried in the graveyard of CONFORMITY, supervised and guarded by the ghosts of ARRESTED DESTINY…

Human being is referred to as an INDIVIDUAL. The word INDIVISIBILITY is the root word for word INDIVIDUAL. It testifies to the wholeness and completeness of a person from the time of conception.

INDIVISIBILITY also speaks to ORIGINALITY. ORIGINALITY dies a natural death without the capacity to DIFFERENTIATE and RECOGNIZE. DIFFERENTIATION and RECOGNITION are endangered if we are not trained to say ‘NO’ to whatever does not agree with our ORIGINALITY or DIFFERENCE…

On Saturday, February 29, 2020, at our PARENTING ACCORDING TO SOCIAL PROTECTION™ discourse, I will be sharing on how I discovered the power of ‘NO’ and the impact of same on raising today’s children as primary and secondary parents.

Please register here right NOW https://bit.ly/2TOm989 and kindly share within your areas of influence.

The program is FREE but REGISTRATION is COMPULSORY.

Thank you and do have an INSPIRED day.

Yours IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PRECIOUS AFRICAN CHILD,

Taiwo AKINLAMI