If you’re not used to Nigerian colloquialisms, you may be wondering what the above subject means. Let me explain.
Many nations still have people who believe that there are human beings with supernatural powers, who possess the ability to make or mar their lives as they choose. These supernaturally endowed people are usually people who know you or are from your home town or village.
Hence, when someone comes into some misfortune or the other, they usually blame their “village people”. It’s the equivalent of blaming the devil (or for some others, God), for your misfortunes. So you hear the phrase “His village people have finally caught up with him”. This is a common practice of shifting blame from oneself to unseen forces.
Now that you understand what Village People means, let’s move on to the main issue.
Too many people blame their village people or the circumstances of their birth and where they grew up, on every single thing that happens to them. You hear things like “Oh, if I was born into a rich family, I would be far ahead in life by now”. Maybe. Maybe not.
Your current situation is a result of everything that has happened in your past, including your decisions. Your future is being determined today by the choices you make.
If you’re still folding your hands and sitting down every single day like a couch potato, refusing to take responsibility for your life and not realising that no one is coming to save you but yourself, then you are your own village people.
You keep blaming village people for your internet when it goes off during a live broadcast, when it is easier to get a second service provider.
You keep blaming your audience for loving only your free stuff when you have not built enough trust by upgrading your competencies and displaying your ability to solve problems.
You keep complaining that no one wants to mentor you when your social media feed is full of controversial posts, crass comments and an unfiltered mouth.
You say you are constantly being attacked on social media because no one likes you, when you have failed to learn and practice emotional intelligence.
You say no one wants to collaborate with you and give you opportunities when you have not shown yourself competent enough in your own field and you’ve not created opportunities and results for yourself first. No one wants to plant in an unproductive farm.
You say no one wants to buy from you because you’re not a big name, when in fact, people look at your content and only see duplicates of the content and products of the big names you want to be like.
They do not see originality. In fact, they would rather go to the source of the information and products you’re trying to rip off, than come to you.
You say no one wants to allow you into their circle when you keep posting to your timeline, screenshots of conversations you have with people who haven’t given you the permission to do so, blurred name or not, right or wrong.
You feel sad about not being able to build the kind of success you desire but when it comes to stepping into the spotlight, you run away and hide or you self-sabotage because you don’t want to have to take on responsibility. You don’t want to have to step up to the stage because you are afraid of doing the work, showing up consistently, failure, criticism and public opinions.
My friend, nobody is doing you. You are your own village people.
Work on your mindset, accept responsibility for your life, both past, present and future, upgrade yourself and your competencies, learn and build emotional intelligence and finally have a vision for your life that trumps any excuse.
If you want something bad enough, you will find a way to get over any obstacle standing in your way. If you’re not yet hungry enough, you will continue to blame your village people. Your choice.
