Welcome to 2010, a year tagged around the world by churches, communities, companies and countries with several themes. Although unveiled September 2009, no other tagline completely immerses me as CNN’s – GO BEYOND BORDERS.
For me this is so forceful that it has become my personal mission statement for 2010. So illuminating, it beams rays of light, lights through which I found direction to the musings of my heart; thoughts wrapped in fabrics of intense struggles:
• Struggle of location - Patriotism versus Globalisation.
• Struggle for opportunity - Africa’s limited opportunities over Global expansive opportunities.
• Struggle of conversion - Staying Proudly (Nigerian) African or go Truly International.
• Struggle of limits- Should I decide to stay opportunities abound and if I go greater possibilities await.
• Struggle of callings -The World is calling me, Africa needs me but Nigeria is holding me back.
As this struggle climaxes I ultimately realise that never in the history of the world should one strive to globalise than today, in fact the dangers of staying a local champion far outweigh risks of being global player. In his book The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman writes that “the global economic playing field is being flatten”, and that the world is now ones competition not his county. So this suggests you either globalise or you die!
Some however contend that charity starts from (and should end at) home, and to them it is unpatriotic to ditch the challenges within ones boarders over the opportunities outside. They argue that a true Nigerian entrepreneur shouldn’t move his business to Ghana. Nor an American outsource to China or Philippines even when such operations are not no longer sustainable. Even with the stern odds against world-class brands trying to penetrate international markets, they maintain that patriotism compels you to persist in the futility of keep doing the same thing for years and expecting a different result.
I am however of a contrary position, I am convinced, intuitively, that the salvation of many struggling businesses, professionals, entrepreneurs is actually tied to their decision to globalise. The possibilities outside the boarders are enormous: technology, partnership, funding, employments, immunity, speed are all beyond the borders. And all it takes reaching them is simple - and as means I have come up with a set of 4 principles to not only help reach these possibilities but also that would align the calling of patriotism with our 21st century obligation of globalizing.
1. Reach within and share - because now is the era when dreams are happening on a terrific scale if only you would share them properly on social networks.
2. Share and connect - sharing is important but enough, we must learn the science of global networking; the act of making connections and leveraging them to bring our dreams to fruition.
3. Connect and collaborate -collaboration is the server that transforms “software-dreams” into “hardware- realities”.
4. Collaborate globally and implement locally- as these realities increasingly happen, we being to ignite rays of hope around us.
As we think about our 2010; our goals, families, enterprise, and even our various countries; let us renew our drive to breaking out of ourselves by going beyond the borders where possibilities are vast. A realm of near-immortality that immunes against the limiting effects of the colour of our passports and geography; this is a borderless realm where the scale of our goals become standard with which we are measured. A space that stretches beyond territorial marks, boundaries, limits and parameters; this where we grasp as far as our mind can see. A dimension we overcome gravitational pulls that manifest as class, and counties of nationality and professional affiliations; beyond the borders is where the small thinks globally and acts globally.
This 2010 let us go beyond borders!
