Earlier this year, I watched, fascinated, as children between the ages of about 10 and 14 years old competed, live, in a nationally televised spelling bee. I marveled at their skills and the remarkable poise they each displayed when they stepped up to the microphone. As the etymology of words has been an abiding personal interest, I reveled in the opportunity to learn the origins of many of the words they were challenged with.

Despite some of the negative criticism directed towards rap and hip-hop, I enjoy the versatility of many of the artists from that genre and the rhymes and couplets they create, containing picturesque auditory contradictions or concepts, like “I might cause a cold front if I take a deep breath”. Hip-hop artists attract a loyal following, are immensely influential in popular culture and appear to command considerable personal wealth and they can thus be described as quite successful. Success is an intriguing and abstract concept, defined as:

a : degree or measure of succeeding
b : favorable or desired outcome; also : the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence
c : one that succeeds

Success has distinctly individual interpretations and is often celebrated in direct proportion to our perceived degree of success. Unfortunately, we sometimes display negative characteristics alongside our achievements including an immensely enhanced sense of self-importance and self-worth, and to a degree, we tend towards arrogance and superciliousness when we, along with others, perceive ourselves as successful.

Few people are able to accept the physics of gravity on the trajectory of ascendant objects, perhaps because success blinds our eyes to the evidence before us. We ignore the fact that what goes up must come down, and sometimes refuse to "quit when the applause is loudest".

We are witness to this human tendency when we observe aging pugilists repeatedly and unadvisedly enter the ring, attempt to fight challengers half their age and get soundly beaten.

We see it also, in politics, where as an example, in the recent Primary elections held in various localities around the United States, Cynthia McKinney, a long time Congresswoman from a district near Atlanta, Georgia lost her primary election. Ms. McKinney was in the news most recently on account of her scuffle with a member of the Capitol Police force who challenged her as she approached the building sporting a new hairstyle. However, she is arguably most famous for asking probing questions about what President Bush knew about the possibility of the World Trade Center attacks and when he got the information.

It is reported that she did not take her challenger, Hank Johnson, seriously in the run up to the elections, and though she later provided explanations for why she skipped the first two of three scheduled televised debates between her and her opponent, the impression some voters had was that she had grown too 'full of herself'.

Thus it was, on Election Day, her opponent managed to attract a considerably higher proportion of votes - 59% to her 41%. Having been a Congresswoman for 10 odd years, it is possible she was basking in the rarefied atmosphere of a long-time elected official and failed to see, sense and respond to the dynamics of change around her.

Also in US politics, Senator Joe Lieberman, latterly the Vice-Presidential candidate during the Al Gore candidacy is reported, in some circles, to be 'out of touch' with his constituency, seemingly engaged in the pursuit of national prominence and expressing viewpoints virtually in lock step with the current President, George W. Bush, and grieving many members of his Democratic party in the process.

In a surprising election result, after 18 years as the Senator representing his district, a relative political 'upstart', Ned Lamont, managed to eke out a victory in Connecticut's August 8, 2006 Primary election. However, Senator Lieberman is not done just yet; as the laws of that state allow him to run as an independent candidate, he has resolved to follow that path.

Success is the ultimate drug. As humans, we aim to dwell as long as we can at the pinnacle of success, enjoying the perks, adulation and sometimes the abuse that comes with our occupying that position. It is a rare person indeed who is able to contemplate life beyond their coincidence of happy circumstances. We are often stirred to do so only after our current pinnacle begins to feel like a plateau, at which point we may seek novel and untamed heights.

We yearn ever upward despite the consequences or the conditions attached. We aspire to eke out every available benefit from our position with nary a thought to spare for those less fortunate or lucky as ourselves.

Success can either be a tonic or be toxic (an interesting juxtaposition of words where merely changing one letter differentiates between life and death). A person exhibiting success in its tonic form inspires others to achieve their dreams, and is largely insulated from jealousy and rivalry of the destructive kind because they are too busy experimenting and enjoying the sometimes unpredictable results of their success. Success in this form can, and should, be duplicated because its antecedents are evident and accessible, most often from the successful person himself. This form of success permits variations from a theme to allow for individual inclinations.

In its toxic form, ‘success’ imposes a burden on its host who is pre-occupied with preventing others from achieving any measurable or comparable success. Such success imprisons its possessor in a dual vice grip of myopia and mendacity. Such persons see any attempt by people around them to attain success as an attack and a threat. I would argue it is not genuine success at all but a fluke, which its holder knows and is desperate to sustain and conceal. In this manifestation, it can be described as intoxicating, leading to the next etymologically related word: Succession.

SUCCESSION, can be defined variously as:

1 the order in which or the conditions under which one person after another succeeds to a property, dignity, title, or throne
2 : the right of a person or line to succeed
3 : the act or process of one person's taking the place of another in the enjoyment of or liability for rights or duties or both
4 : the continuance of corporate personality

Succession is formed from the same root word as success, yet our approach and relationship with succession is markedly different. Rare indeed is the person who can contemplate his or her own succession with a steady gaze. It brings us too close to our own mortality and the fact that we are neither indestructible nor indispensable.

While we eagerly pursue success in any of it’s manifestations in our lives, we shy away from any indication that we participate actively in our succession, to the extent that some people refuse to purchase or endorse life insurance policies because they are concerned with whom their spouse might marry or how they would handle the insurance payout in the event of their passing!

Succession can be planned and orderly or compelled by events. In the latter case, succession can be catalyzed by fatal accidents, leading to the members of a person’s family or company having to make quick arrangements.

Quick questions:

• Does your spouse know and have access to all the bank accounts you possess?
• Does your spouse know what to do with your body in the event of a tragic, life-threatening but non-fatal accident?
• Do you have a family emergency plan, with contact numbers and alternate contact information?
• Have you provided adequately for your survivors in the event of your untimely death?
• Would you want your children to wander around as waifs, subject to the whims of any and many?
• Do you have a living will?
• Have you established Power or Attorney so your spouse can carry on without you? Yes, WITHOUT YOU.

That thought inflames the greatest fear and passion in people, because many of us cannot imagine ourselves DEAD. Yet it is assured that EACH of us shall die! In spite of that certainty, so many leaders have failed to plan, not even for their eventual death, but merely for when they are no longer able, willing, or qualified to function in their current capacity.

Examples of people who have great difficulty contemplating or planning for their own succession include virtually ALL of Africa’s ‘rulers’; many Chief Executive Officers who feel they have invested tremendously to attain their companies current levels of success, and interestingly enough, Queen Elizabeth!

If succession is planned in an orderly manner, it is possible to assure the continuation of ideals and corporate concepts through generations. Unfortunately, when people attain success they never want to prepare for their own succession, leading to some of the most destructive fratricidal wars after their passing.

A change which would work wonders in Nigeria would be for our ‘rulers’ to recognize that their humanity dooms them to death and so their time would be best spent establishing worthwhile legacies within the larger society in the mean time.

I recognize I am not indispensable; how come those around me can’t see that limitation in themselves? Shouldn’t I contribute to those that follow me by actively preparing for my own succession? Why would I harbor ill-concealed animosity towards those who would fill my shoes and exceed my achievements? Am I determined to doom them to lesser exploits than mine?

These kinds of questions, if genuinely asked by each of us, could improve the future for generations yet unborn. A President should serve and then LEAVE; A Minister should leave their portfolio behind when they are re-assigned. When I am laid off or ready to resign/retire, I should prepare hand over notes for my successor so that s/he can continue and improve on the work I had done to that point.

No matter how successful we become, proper planning for succession and most importantly recognizing how to leave when the ovation is loudest would make a real difference.

Robot  # 1 | 22.08.2006 21:31

Earlier this year, I watched, fascinated, as children between the ages of about 10 and 14 years o...Read the full article.

masamasa  # 2 | 23.08.2006 03:09

Mr Bozimo, That was a great piece the elder has spoken,your article does remind me of my late grand father whose words of wisdom remains an indelibe mark in my life.I wish that our leaders read these beautiful articles churned out by great minds in the square and learn from them.Well if they don't some other people will, a colleague of mine at work(OYINBO)wondered why i had an accent and at the same time spoke good English well i told him i was tired of answering the same question any time it pops up so i decided to give him the village website advising him to read only two articles and get back to me which he did and the rest is history.I cannot help to say "Naija We Too Dey". Chuks

whytboi  # 3 | 23.08.2006 05:44

Excellent piece!!! Like you rightly put it Mr Bozimo, we are all dispensible, we would not live forever (in the flesh). i really do wish this article could be published in our major daily newspapers so that the generality of Nigerians can read it. Thank you once more for reminding of the fact that i would have to "give way" some day fro someone else.

DeepThought  # 4 | 23.08.2006 09:28

Ebi, Thanks for your article. Much appreciated. Reminded me of my personal affairs. My wife and I operate joint accounts (is there any choice in this harsh diasporia?) but I had better update my will.!! i really do wish this article could be published in our major daily newspapers so that the generality of Nigerians can read it. But do our "leaders" read anything other than bank statements from their various foreign accounts? Unfortunately, I'm not sure the generality of Nigerians who are able to afford newspapers are really much different from the "leaders".

EezeeBee  # 5 | 23.08.2006 15:57

Chief Masamasa, I follow you troway salute to all the Nigerians wey dey write and read articles for dis our NVS and other sites and me sef gree say 'we dey, kpa!'. Tenks a bunsh for ya compliments. The article was inspired by the whole Ngozi Okonjo Iweala 'saga', and perhaps because I'm at that stage in life when I ask myself 'then what?'. Followed immediately by 'So what?' Sure I want to make all this money and get this bigger house, bigger, car, bigger jobs/title; then what? Everything I said before hand is about me. MY bigger house; MY bigger car; MY bigger job etc. So I do get all of them; So what? I die. Then what? How would ANYTHING I've done or created be duplicated, improved upon or expanded if I don't actively plan for it and possibly participate? So many of us aren't courageous enough to think of what will happen 'after' our passing, perhaps because it's so hard, but we MUST deliberate and be very strategic in those areas. All these our Nigerian (mis)'rulers' steal so much money that you'd think that they could live forever. They are so keen on making a 'name' for themselves, they forget that the moment their mortal bodies are rotting in wooden coffins, linen cloth or being converted to smoke in a crematorium their chance for real 'immortality' is lost. There is only one way for anyone to achieve 'immortality'; create opportunities for others to live and grow (not 'kill' them via corruption and penury.) Whytboi, Like Deepthought said, do our 'rulers' read? Anything? It is so easy for each or any of us to get so 'caught up' in the daily struggles of life that we forget that we will all 'give way' for someone else. Shouldn't you (we) at least try to influence those coming behind? Shouldn't we actually think of a legacy for those following us? Are we destined to live these lives of quiet desperation wherein the high point of the month is having all the bill paid behind us? Of course I know I don't speak for all of us since some are 'ballers' like Obugi and Soul Sista:biggrin: , but I'd imagine (especially with Soul Sis) that it is a little frustrating to have all the knowledge they have and continue to display daily, and know that the future generations will not directly benefit from them. It was disappointing that a few months ago on this site when Nigerian children were invited to write about their 'place of dreams' very few entries were received. Two things occured to me; 1. Perhaps the children didn't hear about the competition sufficiently, and 2. Perhaps Nigerian children don't really dream or have opportunities to dream. If the latter is the predominant reason then we the older generation are not inspiring them sufficiently. You dream more when you are inspired to attain or exceed someone else's achievements; someone whom you adjudge a 'success', which was why I differentiated between different types of 'success'. I'd argue that we have more of the toxic kinds of success in our society, people who will kill others to keep them down. We have to change our definitions of success, propagate the tonic of success and prepare to be suceeded. Chikena!

EezeeBee  # 6 | 06.09.2006 12:11

It seems Tony Blair (of the UK) is facing a personal succession crisis. Shades of 'Third Term Agenda' at play? Story culled from the BBC. Why do human beings never want to let someone else have a 'shot' at doing their work? Are we worried that we will be so eclipsed by who follows us that we will be seen to have been a waste of even the air we breathed? Blair faces wave of resignations http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/5319328.stm Mr Blair is being urged to make a public announcement Tony Blair has faced a wave of resignations by junior members of his government over his refusal to name a date for resignation as Labour leader. He branded ex-junior minister Tom Watson, the most senior person to quit, "disloyal, discourteous and wrong" for signing a letter urging him to go. The resignations came as Mr Blair faces growing pressure to name a departure date or even quit now. Gordon Brown's backers say assurances he will resign in May are "not enough". 'Great sadness' Mr Watson and the six parliamentary private secretaries (PPSs) - who are unpaid ministerial aides at the bottom rung of the government ladder - were among a number of normally loyal Labour MPs from the 2001 intake who signed a letter calling on Mr Blair to quit. The six were: Khalid Mahmood, Wayne David, Ian Lucas, Mark Tami, Chris Mole and David Wright. To sign a round robin letter which was then leaked to the press was disloyal, discourteous and wrong Tony Blair In full: Resignation letters Analysis: Can Blair hang on? In a joint statement, four of the PPS group said Mr Blair had "not ended the uncertainty over when you intend to leave office, which is damaging the government and the party". Mr David told BBC Radio 5 Live he was worried about next year's elections in Scotland and Wales, adding: "We obviously will do much better if we have a clear timetable set out for transition". It was "common sense" for Mr Blair to hand over to Mr Brown sooner rather than later, he added. But Ann Clwyd, chairman of the parliamentary Labour Party, said the resignations looked to her like an "orchestrated" campaign. "This kind of disloyalty is not going to be forgotten by people in the Labour party," she told the BBC. Mr Watson, who has already been replaced as a junior defence minister by junior transport minister Derek Twigg, said he no longer believed that it was in the best interests of the party or the country for Mr Blair to continue. Impossible position But Mr Blair hit back saying that calls for his resignation were putting Labour's electoral prospects at risk. EEZEEBEE: Sounds so familiar; if I'm told to leave, the WHOLE Labor party is at RISK! ooooh! We're quaking in our boots!!! He said he had been "intending to dismiss" Mr Watson anyway "but wanted to extend to him the courtesy of speaking to him first". There should be a new leader in place by the end of March Doug Henderson, Brown supporter Profile: Tom Watson The prime minister added: "Had he come to me privately and expressed his view about the leadership, that would have been one thing. "But to sign a round robin letter which was then leaked to the press was disloyal, discourteous and wrong. "It would therefore have been impossible for him to remain in government." 'Change wanted' The Sun newspaper said earlier that Mr Blair will go on 31 May, but Number 10 has insisted it had not leaked the date. Meanwhile, leading Brownites are calling for the prime minister to make a public declaration about when he will go, so that he cannot go back on it. BBC political editor Nick Robinson If this is a coup, are Brown's allies ready to follow through? BBC political editor Nick Robinson Read Nick's thoughts in full One of the chancellor's closest allies, who asked not to be named, told the BBC News website: "From Gordon's point of view there has to be a public statement. "Blair has to let it be known when he will go and there has to be a public declaration." Ex-minister Doug Henderson, also a Brown supporter, said he could not see what Mr Blair would achieve by staying on. HAVE YOUR SAY I think Mr Blair is left with no option but to lay out a clear timetable for departure Mark Thomas, Hastings Send us your comments "There should be a new leader in place by the end of March," said Mr Henderson, in time for the local elections and mid-term polls in Scotland and Wales. He said the timetable suggested on Tuesday by allies of Mr Blair - that he would go in about 12 months time - seemed "the worst time to appoint a new leader". "People in the country want a change," he told the BBC News website. Ex-Cabinet minister David Blunkett said it was now "pretty clear that there is an understanding about a date next year - whether it's 31 May when he announces it is open to speculation". Conservative leader David Cameron said the government was "in meltdown", while Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell added that Mr Blair "should either resign or state a date".