You will answer this question when you read my book titled, ‘Let My People Go,’ about to be published. Take the preface.
“I am free.” You may have heard that many times. Free to do what? There is message and drama in that statement. Freedom is a universal drive that changes the lives of people of any race. Where it operates, people flourish. Where it does not, people suffer. To move forward, people demand it, sometimes forcefully at great price. Freedom is the theme and drama of this book, if indeed the stories in it are dramatic.
To partake in this drama and change lives, there are five questions in this book that demand answers. The first four you will answer as you go through it. The fifth I will answer as I write. The answers you give will show what the book means to you when you finish it. It will also make your journey to the top exciting, as you partner to empower others and change their lives and yours for good. By the time you complete this journey, you would have reached your Promised Land.
The aim goes beyond change. It is to move you to the top. It is to stir you to head for your Promised Land and win. Every body has one and the track to go there. Yours is not mine. And going to your own will transform you to live a happier and fulfilled life. Your Promised Land may appear far away, but it is smiling and waving at you to come and drink the milk and honey flowing there. This is what executives and trainers call, going to the top. Your movement will lead you to discover yourself if you have not done so. If you have, this book will congratulate you and urge you to empower others to do same and achieve their dreams. It can do it because it is more than a book. It is a person with feelings and is of no particular sex. It has character and insight and is reading you as you read it.
By the time you get to your Promised Land, you will be transformed in your content and container. Going there is a challenge, but the rewards are many. And it starts with being free to do what you want to do. Freedom remains the central theme of this book which I have weaved into the stories you will read here. I have also presented the challenges of reaching the top in the stories to entertain and inspire you to action.
Your story of going to your Promised Land may well be most interesting one you will ever tell, and probably show, because it will come from your heart, unique, and can inspire others to go and conquer. You will brand your story, not me or another person. After all, it is your story. You will read my story in this book I have branded TRUNAIJA. Yours is waiting for you to tell it. What will make it entertaining and inspiring are the pains you passed through, and what you did to overcome challenges on your way to your Promised Land. There is no bigger story for any person to tell than this. So begin your movement to the top and tell your value story as you move forward. You will get attention and patronage.
The TRUNAIJA story is a case study of youth movement and challenges in modern times. The messages in the story have universal applications. So, no matter your citizenship or location in the world, find your place in the story and turn around your life and others for good. This story is all about youths breaking free from bondage of modern day Pharaohs and moving to the top. How well you do yours depends on how well you answer the questions that follow, and how eager you desire change. Let’s go!
Who are you? The answer will move you to your Promised Land. If you are already doing that, ride on, you are on course. This book answers this question for youths. Take a queue and answer yours and move.
What is your brand? Well, we are not in a Marketing 101 class. So don’t expect any examination when you finish the book. This is not a textbook, but you can make it one if you so desire. The book is positioned as a brand story that speaks, entertains and guides, corrects, inspires, and propels to the top. Branding yourself and putting it to work will awaken you from sleep and help you achieve your goals and quicker and better.
What is your tribe? As you go the top, you will find that your tribe is not your ethnic origin, race or language. It is your lifestyle and work style; what you know; what you believe; your drive; your talent and passion in action; and bonding with others of like minds and attitude. They are drivers of change. To tap the power of your tribe, you have to network. Your branding will help you do it. If you are not branded, forget it. When you see the 12 Tribes of TRUNAIJA, you will be challenged to brand yourself, find your tribe and network there. Otherwise, you are on your own.
Are you free? Freedom is an ongoing demand all over the world by people, tribes, races, organizations and institutions. And the cry is getting louder by those in bondage because freedom is a critical requirement for better life. If you are not free, you can’t achieve much. You suffer and live below your potentials. The demand for freedom generates conflicts, rebellion, violent clashes, tension between communities, and wars within and between nations. Some people become freedom fighters to liberate others. If you are not free, there is big work to do. When you discover who you are, brand yourself, and locate your tribe, then you are empowered to dislodge that person, force, place or thing holding you down. Freedom has a beginning, it has no end.
Who is this book? It is a leader that inspires and gives direction. It is whole food you can eat to get vitality. It is a story that entertains and moves you to action. It is a medium that shows the drive of youths for freedom and change. It is a platform to engage them because they make up a big market. The setting is Nigeria, the thrust is movement, the context is branding, and the flavour is biblical, to serve a rich menu that nourishes and empowers. Above all, the book situates the bible story of Exodus in modern times with plenty of lessons to learn and win in life.
The ancient Pharaoh has multiplied into many task masters today, oppressing great numbers of people especially youths who want them dislodged. Other biblical ingredients you will taste here are Psalm 23, the 10 Commandments, and the 12 Tribes of Israel, all customized to youths of today. As it was in ancient times, so it is today. Read the story and enjoy it, locate your place in it, and do something to change the world. I welcome you on board.
Eric Okeke is a storyteller, editor, business writer, motivational speaker and author of the best selling book: I Want a Husband. He is one of Nigeria’s most experienced financial journalists. He has published several articles in local and foreign publications and in websites such as http://www.ezinearticles.com, www.ezinearticles.com and www.writingcareer.com. He is currently running Infomedia Company, a media consulting and information marketing company. Visit his blog at http://sallywantsahusband.blogspot.com
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