Edward

I go to my grave with the memory of the sacrifice you made, you deserve a standing ovation – Jay-Z

One of the strongest, most loving people I know is my mother, she’s truly my heart in a human form. We may not have had everything growing up, but the love she provided us was priceless and for that reason I always felt rich. M 

Although my mum and dad were separated they were both in my life, and I’ve been fortunate to learn from them both. I’ve touched on the lessons from my dad. So it’s only right I touch on the lessons from my mum. In this post, I will touch on the lessons I learned from my mum. 

1. Treat your partner the way you would want someone to treat me

It’s ironic that this is the first lesson because for a long period it was the lesson I wasn’t trying to hear at all. But things came to a head when I was forced to have a discussion with my mum about my relationships. I was disappointing her, she looked me in the eyes and said I raised you better than this, what would you do if someone did this to me. We both knew the answer to that question. I wasn’t trying to live like a hypocrite anymore. 

2. The truest form of love demands sacrifice

This wasn’t something my mum ever said to me, but something I realised by just watching how she moves. My mum has been constantly giving in the form of time, money and love. The sacrifices that she has made for me and my brothers sometimes has me overwhelmed. As kids, we have demands without knowing the true cost of what is involved. I remember wanting the Playstation 2, and without fail it was there for Christmas. As an adult, I was just in awe of how my mum did it all. She continued to just pure love and give all she could even at times where we were simply ungrateful, and for that reason, I’ve got her forever. 

3. Always keep your head up high

No matter what is said about you, walk with your chest out and your head up high. I’m thankful my mum taught me this lesson early on in life! Because I have had situations where I’ve been vilified (rightly and wrongly), lied about, fallen off and sometimes just hated on. At times these situations have got to me, but I’ve always maintained a strong poker face. I’m not above making mistakes, judge me if you want, but I’ve got enough life experience to know that your L’s are hidden or different from mine. Learn from all your mistakes but no matter what, don’t let your head fall down because of people’s opinions.

One of my greatest career lessons came from one of my lowest career moments. It was the day my director told me my probation was being extended. Until that day I had been the golden boy in every organisation I’d worked for. I’d started to believe my own hype, so being put on probation had me feeling like I had failed. I was put on probation because my director was undecided on my abilities, some of the team were singing my praises, others were unconvinced I was up for the challenge. I had two options, start looking for a new role, or show them they made the wrong decision. I chose the latter, and I’m grateful I did. I have no doubt I could have found a new role, but going through the process allowed a growth in me that I may not have otherwise experienced.

In this post, I will discuss what led to me being put on probation, how I responded and the lessons it taught me.

What is Probation Period

A probation period is a period of time at the start of employment when an employee may be dismissed with little or no notice if they’re found to be unsuitable for the role. It’s very normal to include probation periods – typically three months in length – within any new employment contract. (https://citrushr.com/blog/day-to-day-hr/what-is-a-probation-period/ 

Extending the probationary periods

The purpose of extending a probationary period is to allow the employee further time to improve his/her performance in order to demonstrate competence in the full range of duties and required behaviours. (https://www.firstpracticemanagement.co.uk/blog/posts/probationary-periods-a-guidance-to-probationary-periods) 

One of my happiest career moments was being offered a position at this company, to me it served as confirmation that I was on the right track, and it came with a nice salary package for someone my age. However, the honeymoon period didn’t last long. I was working on a project I didn’t enjoy, I was doing work that I felt I shouldn’t be doing and was clashing with a colleague. This led to me being placed on probation.

How Did I Get Here?

My mindset wasn’t in the right place from the start. I was put on two projects, one which I loved the other, I hated. The first one was a typical Business Analyst project, I was engaged and wanted to complete the project to the highest standard possible, the second was more of an administrative project and I just had no interest in it whatsoever. I developed this sophisticated excel sheet to process the data but wanted no parts of the data collection. To be honest, my ego was in play a little bit. I felt that I was in this senior position, so I shouldn’t be doing the work that I was doing when I was a junior.

In addition to this, I was also suffering from recurring mouth ulcers, the pain was to the extent that talking was difficult, this led to me being quiet most of the time and when questions were asked I would defer to my colleagues. But I think this was interpreted as me being antisocial or not appearing to care.

To make matters worse, I had deaths in the family. My aunt had just passed away from cancer, and shortly after that my uncle was murdered while on holiday in Ghana. I didn’t take time off for compassionate leave and didn’t tell anyone, I felt like I was displaying weakness, I was under the belief you should never bring your personal issues to the workplace. But the loss had me down.

Shortly after I was told my probation was being extended. From the stories I heard it appeared if your probation was extended they were getting rid of you. I was quiet when I was told, but I made a promise to myself to prove them wrong.

So What Happened Next

The first step was recognising the areas I needed to work on, I identified the following areas:

1. Improve relationships with colleagues – I was friendly with everyone but didn’t take the time to form meaningful relationships. If you have ever wondered why some people get a faster response than others, in most cases, it will be because they’ve forged great RELATIONSHIPS. 

2. Get the job done regardless. – I decided regardless of the task, get it done. The buck stops with me, once you remove the ability to blame anyone else you will be surprised how fast things get done.

3. Remove Ego.  – The chip on my shoulder may have got me to this position but it would also stop me from progressing if I was not careful.

4. Be Vulnerable – Needed to be open with colleagues not for sympathy but so they understand. Some may not see being open as being vulnerable, but I’m a very closed off/stand up person, if I don’t know you I won’t speak to you, but I’ve been slowly trying to shake off this mindset.

Improving relationships was easy especially when sincere and intentional. I spent time truly getting to know my colleagues, and showing myself to them too. I remember connecting with a colleague over our love for “The Flash” TV show. I would go out of my way to help them whenever I could and they, in turn, returned the favour. This led to me getting things done quicker than it normally would take. The day things really changed was during our company day, we were put in groups and had to present to the wider team,  I was just myself, but it was a side they had never seen before. From there it felt like I was really part of the team. At times you will need people to go the extra mile for you, it helps when they know you’re worth it.

Working hard has never been an issue, but doing something when I’m not motivated is a completely different story, I had no interest in the administrative project, but I now looked at it in a different way, this project was a reflection of my attitude, work ethic, and technical skills. How did I want people to see me? Once my perspective changed everything else did, I got that project completed in record time, I was motivated to resolve issues.

My ego is something that I will forever be trying to manage, but in this instance, I needed to put it in place quickly, who was I to think I shouldn’t be completing certain tasks. Some decisions were clearly wrong, but rather than focusing on who is to blame, I just accepted it was my responsibility to resolve it. 

I had to be open with my colleague about what was happening in my personal life, but not for sympathy but just so they understood. When I shared what had happened they were shocked and understood why I seemed distant at times.

Needless to say, I passed the extension, but more importantly, I had grown as a person, I was forced to address the issue rather than find a way out. I could have easily found a role somewhere else, but I worked hard to prove to myself I belonged there. 

Lessons Learned

Networking is key – Relationships will take you far in life, the more meaningful relationships you have more the gifts you have. It allows you to leverage the skill sets of others which allows you to get more done. Furthermore, there is something to learn from everyone.  

Ego is the enemy – Ego has provided me with the drive to achieve, but it has also cost me to lose things I love. You need to know when your ego is required and when to put it away. Every now and then I remind myself of my humble beginnings to make sure I never get lost in this world.

Think Win, win – I was focused so much on myself, that I never took the time to see things from their point of view. I have now developed the ability to see things how others may see it. You don’t have to agree but it helps when you understand things from their point of view and can think win-win.

Adversity will always provide lessons if we are prepared to go through it and learn them. 

No mistakes in life, only lessons.

You’re the architect of your life.

At the start of 2020, I was one of the guys screaming 2020 is going to be my year and to tell you the truth it was. In the midst of everything happening I somehow managed to have my best year to date.

But it’s difficult typing that because I’m well aware for many, 2020 was a tough year. We were hit with COVID-19, which robbed us of loved ones and brought the economy to its knees. We saw a racial divide, unlike anything we have seen before, and the lockdown tested all of our mental health limits.

But despite the trials and tribulations, if you take a long hard look at the year you had, I’m sure you can find some positives. By design, I normally focus on the negatives, I could have nine things that could go right and I would focus on the one thing that went wrong. But I’ve been trying to shift out of that mindset, and this blog is part of that shift.

In this post, I will summarise some personal wins for me in 2020. I hope that you can reflect on your year, take some positives from it, and carry that energy into 2021.

My Family Defeated Coronavirus

I touched on this a little bit in my mini testimony but didn’t highlight the seriousness of the matter. Around April at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, my mum, aunt and I got seriously ill. At first, I was in denial that it was COVID-19 but as time went on it was clear what we were battling. I remember going for a run, and struggling to breathe, I managed to get home but couldn’t move for the rest of the day. My mum and aunty were bed-bound throughout the whole period.

There was a point I really thought I was going to lose my Mum and Aunt, the fear that hit me was unlike anything I’ve felt before. They were on the verge of going to the hospital, which at the time felt like a death sentence, the news was filled with stories of people going to the hospital and not returning. So we decided to take care of them at home, my older cousin had them drinking herbal teas, we made them take vitamin C and paracetamol, and after a while, they both made full recoveries. Those two are my angels, so them making full recoveries was the greatest win.

Losing my job….setback for a bigger comeback

In addition to catching COVID-19, my contract came to an abrupt end due to the effects of the lockdown, I was blindsided and scared, I thought there was no way I would find a new role in the current climate, but somehow I found another contract that lasted for a couple of months and when that ended the company that let me go rehired me. I’m making it sound simple but if you knew how everything fell into place you wouldn’t believe it.

Starting a foundation

So while catching COVID-19 and losing my job, alongside a group of 150 others we decided to start a foundation. The principle is based on love and giving, basically supporting each other when tough times arise. Imagine a family saving together, to ensure that no one is left behind. This was prior to the announcement of the lockdown and before the BLM protests but the timing couldn’t have been any better. At the time of this post, we have raised over £5,000 and reinvested over half to help brothers. This is probably the win I am most proud, because to see a group of to unite to support people they barely know is amazing, but then to also see how the money is going directly to help others is something else. It’s still in its infancy but I’m excited to see what God will do.

Discovered the root cause of my Ulcers…I’m Gluten intolerant 

Those close to me know that for years I have been suffering from mouth ulcers, I’m talking as far back as primary school. The pain level was immense and would often last for months. It’s affected my personal life and my career. Till this day, some think I’m rude or anti-social when the truth is it was just too painful to talk. I had started believing it would be something I would have to live with. But it changed in 2020, I finally took an allergy test, friends and family had been telling me to take it for years, but I just didn’t believe it would help. But that allergy test was a game-changer, I found out I’m allergic to gluten and I had some serious gut issues, which indicated I could have a condition called celiac disease (self-diagnosis). But the moment I cut out gluten and started taking the probiotics the ulcers have gone and not returned, this is the longest I’ve been ulcer free and it’s amazing! Special shout out to RB & FT for encouraging me to take the test.

A quick getaway to Dubai

In a year where flights were being cancelled, closed borders, and you need to perfectly time your COVID-19 test to be allowed entry into a country, going on holiday definitely felt like a win. It started as a random conversation with a friend, and the next thing you know 4 of us were on a flight to Dubai. The trip offered the opportunity to just relax and be thankful. It reenergerised me for 2021. 

Copped a crib, as a contractor in the pandemic.

I will probably elaborate more on this in another post, but at the top of 2020 I was having a conversation with a close friend, and he gave me some harsh words about my priorities out of love. I was annoyed but understood he was right, I then later reconnected with another friend who told me I was playing games. I felt God was sending me signs so I decided to listen. I started looking for a house, throughout the entire process it felt like Gods favour was on me, the mortgage process is supposed to be extra difficult for self-employed people, but mine was smooth, I didn’t have to pay stamp duty, and got the house £10,000 less than it was originally sold for. The house was sold, but the previous buyer lost their job due to COVID and unfortunately had to pull out. I was able to put 15% down and got a house that has everything I asked for. Everything happened in his time, and I’m happy it happened this way.

With 2020 now done, I have gained and grown greatly as a man eager to flush out my weaknesses and build my purposeful character. I’ve had to be more honest and vulnerable and learn to appreciate the skills I always knew were latent in me and as a result, my life has gone on for the better, I want to be a great source of encouragement and example to those around me – fight a good fight, take up noble causes.

My advice set your hopes high and let God’s grace be your ultimate security.

What were your wins? Let’s be great all 2021.

In this post, I will share a short story of how one day changed someone’s life and path forever.

I was talking to a close friend about life, he is on the verge of turning 31 and by all accounts, he’s doing well. But his life could have been very different, life sent a sign and he decided to pay attention. He has permitted me to share his story with the hopes that you can take something away from it.

It’s known that in areas of poverty and lack of education, knife and other gang-related crime are an issue, despite the implications of getting caught with one (5-year jail sentence), some are more scared of getting caught without it, for some, the choices are jail or death. I feel we dehumanise these young men without fully trying to understand why. Until we acknowledge and address why nothing will change.

The Story

“Have you ever taken the time to try and understand what makes someone feel they need to carry a knife? Do you think everyone that carries a knife wants to use it? I can tell you that’s not the case, you may ask how do I know, my response would be because I was one of those kids.

I was 16 when I started carrying a knife. I never wanted to, but I felt like I had to. I wasn’t trying to be a tough guy, in fact, I was totally the opposite, I was raised in a respectable household, and never really got in trouble at school. 

But at 16 it felt like trouble was looking for me, I grew up in an area with a heavy gang presence and at war with other postcodes, you can try to stay out of the way as much as you want, but at some point, trouble will find you. I’ve been stabbed on the way home from school, I’ve been chased with knives and even had a gun pulled out on me. 

The idea of telling my parents never entered my mind, both were the first generation in this country, and I just felt they wouldn’t understand even if they did what could they do? We couldn’t just pick up and leave. As for going to the police, in my area that was a no-no. To be labelled as a snitch is a death sentence. 

I felt having a knife would serve more as a deterrent, I noticed the people with weapons are more hesitant when they know you have something to. I never had to use it but it did get me out of a few close calls.

Having a knife started to feel like normality, I almost forgot it was illegal but one day everything changed, it was a friend’s birthday and we all decided to go to the cinema, we were in a group of about 10. The majority were wearing tracksuits, but I was in an Armani jacket and jeans. My cousin taught me at a very early age, the smarter you look, the lower the suspicions.  

During the film, I felt something drop but I disregarded it, thinking it was nothing important. After the film I went to the toilet, that’s when I realised I dropped my knife, I ran back to get it. I thought I was lucky to get it before the cleaners did. That lasted for about 10 seconds, the moment we left the cinema something felt wrong, the shopping centre was completely empty and that shopping centre is never empty on a Saturday afternoon.

I could see a police officer running towards us, my heart started beating triple time, I was mad at myself for going back to get the knife, I contemplated running but that made no sense, I was essentially in a cul de sac. I started praying in my head “Lord if you get me out of this, I will change please please please”. The officer was approaching us, there was no doubt about it, so I decided to step ahead of my group and meet him halfway. I asked him “what’s happened“ in a sincere tone he responded saying “Someone has been stabbed”. 

At this point, I could have fainted, I knew it wasn’t my knife, but to have a knife in this situation was just as bad. I’m not sure why, but for some reason, I asked him “Is it safe to go outside”. He looked at me puzzled, he was running over to search us, but the way I asked the question probably reminded him that we were just kids, he reluctantly said yes and walked us downstairs. I have always wondered what would have happened if I had acted or dressed differently that day.

We got to the ground floor and there was a line of police searching everyone, one of the officers at the door asked if we needed to be searched, the officer I’d been speaking to responded: “no they’re fine” and they let us go. 

The moment I got home I threw the knife in the bin and promised to change my life. I knew how fortunate I was, and I refused to continue to gambling with my life. 

However, my environment presented the same issues, just because you change doesn’t mean everything else will change with you. But now I was able to think more strategically. I had to learn to control my environment to the best of my abilities. 

I started to move with purpose, after college I would head straight home rather than going to the McDonald’s where a lot of the problems occurred. I reduced my interaction with my friends/family that were involved in gang activities. I was more selective about the events I would attend and I would no longer just chill on the ends.

Some might say I was scared, I wasn’t, I just knew the value of my future. I refused to let the “ends” define my life, I became focused on becoming the best version of myself. 

I went to university, graduated with a 2.1, and started working in the corporate world. I still have a long way to go but that faith I will get there.

You can’t experience what I did and not give back, so I have mentored both formally (through charities) and informally. I have personally mentored some of the young guys from my area.

What the youth don’t realise, and myself at that age, we have more choices than we think we do. I just want to help them realise that before its too late

If they searched me that day, my whole path would be different. I was given another chance, I am not wasting that.”

THE END…..

This story is the story of so many young people, the only difference is that they may not have been as fortunate as he was. He felt he needed a knife to keep safe, not knowing that his actions were probably bringing that type of energy into his life. 

When you make a serious commitment to change eventually everything else does but by no means will it be easy. But I can promise you it’s possible, some people try but revert to old ways the moment they encounter any type of adversity. For this to truly work you have to be committed to the path.

His change has been remarkable, if you knew who it was you wouldn’t believe it.

Hopefully one day he will share his story personally.

You’re the architect of your life.

Over the last two weeks, I have found myself angry, disappointed, frustrated over the total disregard from SOME over the treatment of black lives. 

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.. – MLK

Witnessing how the Chinese were treating black people in China (Guangzhou) broke my heart. Africans were singled out and forced out of hotels, shops and restaurants in efforts to control the coronavirus. 

Shortly after that, I witnessed Ahmaud Arbery being killed while going for a morning jog. The disturbing video was only recorded because their friend a lawyer thought it would help them get away with it. I watched Amy Copper feel so confident falsely accusing a black man despite having a camera in her face. A few weeks later I watched Geroge Floyd being murdered right before our eyes. I found myself in shock, how could they feel so brazen to do that with cameras right in their face.

I was forced to reflect on my own experiences, I remember fighting with a classmate in year 6 (10 years old) because he called me the N-word. I’ve been stopped multiple times by the police for no other reason than being black, I was told I fitted the description of a suspect tall, dark male. I remember being stopped and search because I was running for the bus and apparently looked suspicious, my teacher drove past even though I was with him just minutes before, I thought he would stop and say something but he didn’t. At 14 I had to run for my life after walking past a random pub in Essex. I have to split up with friends to get in a club, I’ve even been forced to buy a table in the club to give the security peace of mind. Even in my career despite everything, I’d be lying if I said I’ve haven’t faced any discrimination and racial remarks, I been asked if I can source coke or weed and even asked to rap and dance. Through faith and persistence, I’ve managed to overcome it, but it has left me feeling jaded.

I found myself quieter than usual, the video evidence of the mistreatment of black people has taken its toll on me, I sat pondering what can I actually do? I saw the tweets of uproar, the pics demanding change but found myself wondering what long term impact will that actually have. I understand how the frustration can lead to rioting looting but again this won’t change anything in the long term.

Things won’t change until our level of sacrifice exceeds our frustrations. We have to be committed to solving the issues and understand this will take many years. But if we don’t do the work the cycle will never change. I need to do my part so this world is better for the ones after me.

I believe things need to change on both a micro and macro level, so I first decided to think about what we can all do on a personal level. No one can do everything, but we can all do something, despite where you are in life.

Put my money where my mouth is

We need to be more conscious with how we are spending our money, for years I was living frivolously probably supporting brands who share the same views of some of these racists. Now I’m forced to deal with how I could’ve better utilised my finances. I’m not saying that I have to deprive myself of everything, but like I said the change will require sacrifice. 

I’ve seen so many people calling out brands which is good, but we need to also make sure we are contributing ourself, we have enough finances to bring about change. The reality is we don’t need anyone to save us, we just need to be more strategic.

I started a foundation/nonprofit with some friends. The idea at first was to make sure no one is left behind and support those affected by the Coronavirus, but now I realise that’s only part of the vision. This needs to be a vehicle that evens out the playing field. 

I was always nonchalant when it came to supporting charities/initiatives, but now recognise that it’s critical. I will find charities which efforts are focused on the improvement of black lives and I will invest, I urge you all to find charities/initiatives you believe in and give. 

If you struggle with that at least be smarter with how you spend your money. It is philanthropy with how we spend, explore more of Africa, instead of travelling to places where we are treated less than, support your friends’ businesses. We need to start circulating the money more within our community.

Excel to the highest heights

I’ve shared this thought before but one it’s important to reiterate, we need to step up. I will always be cool. I have enough book smarts, street smarts and common sense to thrive in any environment. But this mindset has also led to complacency. No matter what my role is I need to strive to become the best I can be. Once you achieve a goal, celebrate and move on. Your success will show others from our background it’s possible, but you will also be in the places to make change happen. Until we get in these rooms it will be hard to break these cycles. 

I will no longer accept that glass ceiling mindset, and I will ensure my work ethic will share that same sentiment. That limitation mindset is over, let’s excel and reach back to pull someone else out. Commit to long term learning and sharing that knowledge. I’m focused on ensuring that I can leverage my positions to create opportunities for others.

Positive Example

One of the main rebuttals we often hear is that the black community kill themselves through gang violence. Much of which is triggered by economic and social neglect. Regardless this doesn’t negate or justify what is happening by the police or racial acts of violence but it is still something we need to address. Until we increase our personal regard for each other we will always leave room for them to attack us. Unfortunately, there will always be people that benefit from the chaos. But we can no longer glorify these people. I plan to be more present in my community, it’s something I’ve been doing but it’s time to increase the effort. But we can’t just be present, we need to have an impact, set up an after school programme, organise a football tournament, or even arrange a motivational talk for the youth. We need to govern our communities before the police intervene. I remember a video of an older man stopping two friends fighting, we need to ensure this is happening more. I will focus on reminding the youth they’re destined for greater.

In addition to that, I plan to join a school governing board. To have an impact with the kids getting excluded and ensuring all kids have a fair chance. The process isn’t that difficult, but we have to be prepared to do the work.

The majority of people we deem gangsters and thugs, just need a little love and guidance. This does come at a risk, not everyone will be supportive. But like I keep saying the change we want will require sacrifice.

We need to actively show through our words and deeds we are not these stereotypes that have been projected on us. Being honourable to your partner matters, being present in child lives matter, being honourable to parents and siblings matters. Your personal conduct is not just a reflection of you it’s a reflection of everyone.

I’ve also had to let go of actions no longer serving me, I grew up in an environment where people would talk disrespectfully and fight if necessary.  A couple of weeks ago I was provoked to the point I nearly put hands on someone. I knew instantly I had lowered my own standards. We need to be smarter with how we respond to disrespect. Sometimes silence is the most powerful response. Some people want to get a reaction out of you, don’t give it to them.

Businesses

We all have gifts, found out what your gift is and then build a business around it. To me business is not about not having to work for anybody it’s more about building a legacy and creating opportunities for others.  I want to start a business that can provide direct opportunities for people from my community.

There was a kid that grew up around me who I saw as a little cousin. He started getting involved with the wrong lifestyle and got in some trouble. I tried talking to him, but what he really needed was another way to make money. Needless to say, he got in trouble again and it’s now a personal regret I carry. 

Not every business is destined to be the next Amazon, but it doesn’t need to be for you to be successful. Just be consistent and the rest will come.

However, I recognise not everyone is destined to be entrepreneurs either, but strive to get into hiring positions so you can have some say in the company’s direction.

Lastly, we need to all support each other where possible, what do I look like buying a cake from a store when Kwasi has a business. Why cop a Nike tracksuit when Trapstar and Benjart look better? How can I use a random recruitment company when my family co-run a recruitment firm? Let’s put our pride to the side and support each other. So what if it cost a little more like I keep saying the change we want will require sacrifice.

Macro Level

Although there is much to be done on a personal level, there is so much more we need to do on a Macro level. These are just some ideas that have come to mind. I recognise I need to learn a lot more.

Politics

I’m not saying we all become politicians, but personally I need to start paying more attention. Laws are being made that impact us, we need to understand what is being said, the impact they will have and start holding our politicians responsible. I love the fact we now have social commenters such as Busayo Twins (@ ),  that can break down the information in ways that are easily digestible. I plan to understand how policies affect our community and make sure we hold our politicians accountable. I plan to communicate more with my major and local MP, they are there to represent our interest. Our votes hold power, we need to utilise it in the correct way. We need to be clear on the reform our communities need and ensure they’re provided. Although I have no desires to get into politics I will actively support candidates who are trying to advance our community.

We need more people of colour to enter the world of politics and represent black interest, our voices need to be heard in those chambers. We need specific laws that address the injustices in the world. If we are consistent we will breakthrough, we can’t see temporary defeats as permanent losses, Abraham lost eight elections before he became president.

Lastly, this can’t be seen as only a black issue, we need all hands on deck. If you can help, help! I was reminded by my mentor of William Wilberforce. William Wilberforce was a privileged, educated white man who also happened to be a follower of Jesus. He became an MP at 20 and made it his life mission to eradicate slavery for African men, it took 18 years to get the legislation passed and another 26 years to see it through. We need more William Wilberforce to commit to this fight.

Police Force / Judicial system

We need more people from our communities to enter the Police force, and strive to reach the highest heights. I know this isn’t an easy request especially in an organisation that overly conveys racism but I do believe it’s possible and it is critical in order to change things. We also need more lawyers, I’ve witnessed many barristers just show up to be present for their representative, but only a few really trying to win the case, and I have yet to see a black judge. It’s not the colour that matters, its the life experiences that come with being that colour that matters. 

Ethics Board to review cases

I’m not sure how the internal affairs are set up but there needs to be a panel set up to investigate cases suspected of racial injustice, and where they’re found guilty the punishment needs to be given accordingly. 

Personally, I plan to hold police accountable. If ever I’m disrespected or witness any injustice I’m not just going to record it. I plan to escalate it to the highest level possible. 

I know many are frustrated right now, but time to time to identify an area you think you can improve and commit and make the necessary sacrifices for it. If we all do a little bit we can bring about a great change.

These are just my thoughts, might be right, might be wrong, but let’s do something.

What do you think can be done?

You’re the architect of your life.

In one of my earlier posts, I spoke about my biggest losses and the lessons learned. I was asked why I had focused so much on the losses. When things go to plan, it’s so easy to focus on the win, so we don’t take the time to learn the lessons on what we did right, whereas with the losses you’re forced to contemplate where you went wrong.

Presently, I’ve found myself reflecting on everything especially the times I’ve been lucky. In this post, I will share a quick story based on recent events. 

Some will call me extremely lucky, I believe God came through. I will also share the lessons this situation taught me about life.

Ross, you always seem to land on your feet. – Frank T

This was my friend’s response when I told him I was being let go. I was so angry when he said this. 

I replied, “how can I land on my feet with everything that’s happening”? 

He responded saying, “in the years I’ve known you, you’ve always done what you said you would”. 

I was partly surprised that my friend held me in such high regard, in most cases, the self-belief and faith I have empowers me to overcome most things. But this time just felt a little different.

We were a week into the lockdown and my client announced they were letting go of all the contractors due to COVID – 19 declining their revenue.  

My contract was meant to finish in July, so I was caught off guard. In hindsight, this reminded me that we can plan for tomorrow, but we are not in control. Under ‘normal conditions, I wouldn’t have been too worried. However, with the lockdown, hiring freezes, and talks of a recession, what were my chances of finding another contract? 

I was overwhelmed to the point I fell ill, I’m not sure if it was coronavirus, but what I will say is I’ve never felt like that before. I had the sweats, felt weak and had a bad cough. Despite all of this I knew I couldn’t lay down feeling sorry for myself, I had to do something. I woke up the next day and performed to the best of my abilities at work, I’ve noticed when people know they’re leaving their standards start to drop, I wanted to be remembered for my work ethic. 

At lunch and after work I applied for every Business Analyst contract possible. I repeated this action over and over again. Some say the harder you work the luckier you get, I prefer the saying faith without work is dead. I repeated that action for 20 days and hadn’t got a single response. I started to question myself but committed to the same process. I am a believer that once you have the right process in place, the results will eventually come. 

Finally, I received a call, however, the role didn’t meet my salary expectations. I had a decision to make, do I take the first thing offered, or do I trust something better will come? My confidants were advising me to take the role until things get back to normal, but I had faith that something better would come.

Out of the blue, I got a phone call from an ex-colleague about a potential contract. We had worked together in recruitment, so he was familiar with me in that aspect, but he didn’t know how good I was as a Business Analyst. He had reservations about putting me forward for the role. I explained my relevant experience and told him to give me a chance and put me forward. As it was so late in the day, he agreed to put me forward and look for other CVs the following day. He called the next day and said I had been invited to an interview. I was nervous because I really wanted this role. 

The interview went well, but the interview was short, it was 38 mins. I was of the mindset that the longer the interview, the better. I was doubtful. I briefed the recruiter, and he said they would probably want to see more CVs. 

He then called 20 mins in disbelief, he said that they don’t want to see anyone else. They’ve offered you the role, when can you start, I dropped tears of joy. For this to happen, in this season is either God or luck, I’ll let you decide.

Lessons this taught me:

• Plant the seeds, but remember you don’t control when they sprout.  Do the work and trust the process.

• Block out the noise – Focus on your goals, block out the noise, negative comments, and distractions.

• Maintain Relationships – Be kind to everyone you encounter, you never know when you might need them

• Faith – Know what you want, trust it will happen, and take the steps. Thoughts and Actions.

• Belief  –  Believe it will get better, a positive mindset is mandatory. I’m always expectant of the best.

• Bad Times, don’t last – Life won’t be all smooth sailing, but at this point, I learned to keep positive regardless of what is happening around me. 

Be it luck or blessed, I’m thankful. I’m thankful that I was able to learn lessons. There are lessons in everything we just have to learn to pay attention to it.