It’s 2024. The streets are not smiling. It’s often said that there aren’t up to 10 normal people in this country, and the number lessens by the day. The government? Taah. The economy? Lol. These are abnormal times, and in the words of a wise man, “Abnormal situations require [an] abnormal approach” (if you know, you know).
When considering the great expectations that many have for this new year, it follows almost instantly that such prospects won’t be actualized on a platter of gold or on the altar of wishful thinking. In other words, whether it is concerning your financial status or your relationship goals, your career progress or your academic ambitions, things won’t change if you don’t change it for things.
Sensibly, the unanimous decision to name 2024 the year of “no gree for anybody” appears as a mere rehashing of the well-known role of unflinching determination, unwavering conviction, and enduring tenacity in the pursuit of one’s dreams. Nevertheless, the fact that it comes in the wake of the unsavoriness of the Nigerian situation gives it a unique spin, and it’s becoming more evident that survival in this country requires at least some level of intentional madness.
Amidst the cruise and jokes, and aside some possible negative implications and applications, this catchphrase is pregnant with meaning in respect of the mindset one must embrace to thrive in these unusual times. First is refusing no for an answer. Second is resolving to render all obstacles to achieving your goals futile in their purpose. And third is taking the bull by the horn and being tenacious in what must be done..
So, what do these look like in practical terms?
In your academics and career pursuits, “not greeing for anybody” means sending in that application again after you’ve been rejected in a previous cycle. It means being firm in demanding what is commensurate with the standard of your services—and no less—when negotiating with your client. It means sending in that proposal, having completed it with utmost diligence, and defending it like your life depends on it.
It means setting aside all distractions and studying until your eyes hurt and your head aches. It means going the extra mile when showing your employer the best you’ve got and proving that you deserve promotion . It means shutting off the naysayers,who tell you that you can’t achieve your dreams because they’re too lofty. It means daring to dream big and giving all it takes to achieve them.
In your relationships, it means cutting off people who hinder you from pursuing your goals. It is being intentional about those in your circle and ensuring that they are only people with whom you share convictions. While diversity of perspectives is often beneficial, you must realize that you will not make progress with people who see life too differently than you do. It is not allowing yourself to be deceived by manipulative people with their gaslighting and other toxic traits.
It is acknowledging that you can’t keep kissing up to people whose aim in life is to see you fail. It means being true and going the extra mile when loving by doing it passionately . It means labouring hard to keep in your life those who add value to you and spur you on to achieve your goals, knowing that they are very useful to your growth.
In your finances, “not greeing for anybody” is recognizing that financial freedom comes at a cost and you must be willing to pay the price (pun intended) if it won’t remain a mere theory. It is striving hard to ensure that your work (either the service you provide or product you create) is of great quality and is indeed deserving of commensurate remuneration. It is setting your work in a class of its own—distinct and unique.
In your personal growth, it is sparing no effort to quit unhealthy habits and configure your mind to embrace only healthy ones. It is being necessarily hard on yourself to build and maintain a value system that corresponds to your life goals and draws you nearer to the person you want to become. It is realizing that YOU are the biggest obstacle to your dreams and that given the correct mindset, no achievement is far beyond your reach. It is counting the cost and being willing to go great lengths so as to morph into a better version of yourself.
In all these things, you must be wary of a self-absorption that cripples your usefulness to others and your positive impact on their lives in the name of “doing you”. An African adage says that the house of the person who lives only for himself has no windows to let in the light of kindness; little wonder he is left to grope in the darkness of an unfulfilled life.
You must also shun the kind of arrogance and pride that leads you to regard yourself as incapable of being in the wrong and thus think that what others say holds absolutely no significance. It is well known and attested that this is one of the fastest routes to self-destruction. Lastly, while this may sound counterintuitive, you must recognize that in certain contexts, “greeing” for others is necessary for growth. A good example is how true love and relationships thrive on the altar of sacrifice, selflessness, and putting others first. Never yielding (i.e., always having your way) never yields the best results.
In conclusion, many seem to have seen over the past years that new year resolutions in themselves don’t work without a resoluteness that resembles madness. Therefore, it all boils down to one question: How badly do you want to chase your dreams and experience growth? This will determine the extent to which you will not “gree “ for anybody, including yourself.
Igdaliah Otitoola
