YOU ARE THE FUTURE: JUST BELIEVE!......On Success and Positive Change

This article was written by Gilbert Nii Lartey, the Chief Strategic Officer of BMIC. A most refreshing and motivating piece. Enjoy!

I was perusing the BMIC page a week ago and the constantly increasing number of new members truly amazed me. Within a short period of our conception BMIC has exceeded our initially modest 500-member target. This reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend back in Senior Secondary School (now Senior High School). My friend and I were just chatting when I complained about how difficult it was for me to get a certain idea of mine to materialize. I had discussed this idea with my uncle earlier but he consequently discouraged me totally from pursuing it through to fruition. Funny enough, someone else had the same idea and now it has become one of the most successful projects in Ghana as at now. To ridicule a brilliant idea from a person merely on the grounds of their young age and seeming lack of experience is an unfortunate reality that we all face as Ghanaian youth. Is it not common knowledge by now that, “Age is just a number?” I told my friend that The System had to change and his discouraging response was, “But our parents said the same thing when they were our age and yet nothing happened. They rather grew up and got used to the system and nothing has changed still.” Years have gone by and this conversation floods my mind daily. Is what he observed true; will we end up paying lip service to change and fail to effect any palpable change till we grow up; will we become just like our forbears?

The System is not right! But who can change it? The answer lies with its greatest victims; The Modern Youth. I honestly believe we did not need President Barack Obama to reiterate what we already know – The simple fact that the future of any nation lies with its youth. Take a good look at any developed nation’s human resource framework and you will realize that a majority of its Research, Inventions and Development are propelled by the youth. The older generation must complement our youthful exuberance with Experience and not to quell our raging fires of creative talents and ambitious dreams. Experience comes from doing something repeatedly over a long span of time. You cannot gain experience if you do not do anything or if you are not given the opportunity to do something. The knowledge gained from either succeeding or failing at doing anything over a period of time regularly generates experience. The question is what complementary experience is the bulk of Ghana’s older generation [The Dinosaurs] imparting to the youth? As a nation we are obsessed with Age and Seniority forgetting that while both are important, they should be used to inspire and motivate the younger generation for their future success and well being.

The System has got to change! It begins with the youth and in our minds. We have to become the purveyors of positive change otherwise we will become just like The Dinosaurs who discourage us. Every dream can become a reality but only if we are willing to believe in it and work towards achieving it. Dream big, develop ideas in your mind and commit yourself to seeing it through to reality no matter what. Take inspiration from the humble beginnings of other success stories and be willing to put in the work required. This is what got me involved with BMIC. I want to spend my lifetime encouraging and creating avenues for young people to fully develop their potential. BMIC creates the best platform for you and me to bring our ideas together to achieve a common goal – Success and Positive Change. Indeed this must be change we can believe in but it must begin with you, as a small seed in your mind that will sprout into an amazing and motivating success story.

YOU ARE THE FUTURE! JUST BELIEVE!