🌿 The Impact of Perception on Problems: Tapping Environmental Opportunity 🌿

🌿 The Impact of Perception on Problems: Tapping Environmental Opportunity 🌿

In today's rapidly changing world, it's essential to understand that the way we perceive problems can significantly impact our ability to address them effectively. As we confront environmental challenges, we must recognize the potential opportunities hidden within them. By adopting a positive mindset, reframing issues as chances for growth, and employing effective problem-solving strategies, we can transform the way we tackle environmental concerns and drive sustainable progress. Let's come together to reshape our perceptions, tap into the wealth of environmental opportunities, and create a greener, healthier future for generations to come. #Sustainability #Environment #Opportunity #ProblemSolving #Perception

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SPEAKER_02 0:13

It is innovative volunteerism. It is for you to make a difference.

SPEAKER_06 0:23

Welcome to the mindset sport. And when you hear that jingle, it is the mindset sport. And today we're going to have a conversation on a very important subject which is perception on problems. In today's fast pest world, it's common to encounter various challenges and problems on a daily basis. However, the majority of these issues may not be as significant as they appear. In fact, 99% of the harm caused by a problem is often a result of our own thoughts and perceptions, while only 1% is attributed to the actual reality and outcome of the situation. This implies the most of the time the problem isn't the problem, but rather the way we think about it. The human mind has a tendency to exaggerate and amplify issues, leading to a distortion of the actual problem. And this distortion can create unnecessary stress and anxiety and often inhibiting our ability to solve these challenges effectively. Instead of focusing on the problem itself, we get caught up in our thoughts for complicating the matter. Environmental challenges can be solved. Pollution can be turned into opportunities. Climate change can be turned into climate opportunity. Nature and biodiversity laws can be turned into nature action that creates opportunity. Today, I'm going to have this conversation with my co-host, Daniel, on exactly how we can be able to change this perception. Daniel, welcome to the show. And as co-host, what's your day like today and what's your message to the fans?

SPEAKER_00 2:06

Um, well, thank you for having me. It's been quite a bit since we've done this, and I'm happy to be back. And for the people that are watching, stay tuned as uh just expect the unexpected because we have a lot to say today.

SPEAKER_06 2:18

Exactly. I love that you are a point line, expect the unexpected, which then put people uh in a sort of a suspense. But then the reality is that the world, as we see today, young people disenfranchised, not believing that they can be able to turn this multiplicity of challenges, what it is. Climate change, you saw in Malawi, cyclone Freddie killed over 600 Malawians and destroyed property in unprecedented proportion. In the United States, in Canada, we see cyclones and hurricanes, inflation, all these challenges overwhelm people. Then it boils down to perception. Do you think that people usually see opportunity in challenges?

SPEAKER_00 2:58

Um, that's a really good question. I feel like to generalize, uh, although there are some exceptions, not really, because challenges are generally at the forefront, but behind every challenge is an opportunity. But some people get too caught up in the challenges to realize that there is an opportunity among all of the bad stuff that's going on.

SPEAKER_06 3:21

Exactly. And therefore, it is said that it's only one percent of a problem that is really a problem, that 99% is our perception. And this is really true because when something bad happens, whether it is an environmental challenge like cyclone that is caused as a result of the changing climate, of course, the immediate reaction is overwhelmingly about talking the problem, not seeing the opportunity in it. And opportunity means what can we do now to prevent it in the future? Restoring our wetlands, making sure mangroves are there. But now let me just pull it back a little bit to where you fall very strongly. Yesterday was zero waste day, the first of a day that the United Nations General Assembly did adopt. And waste is not really something really to bring it down to the understanding of each and everyone. In our homes, organic waste, banana peelings, granite peelings, for those who eat granite, um, maize uh peelings, and we also see waste in terms of plastic that is being thrown away. And these are causing problems in the society because we end up in landfills, or then get our runways or drainage ways cluttered, and when it rains, then there's flooding. But people talk about the problem of the flooding, right? They will not talk about the action they can take. Yet there is also an opportunity in uh turning these ways into apparels, like you're doing. Do you think that the communication of negativity has been more than the positivity we can see in these sort of things?

SPEAKER_00 5:00

Um, yeah, of course, because the negativity is the first thing that many people see in instances like this. Because obviously, if there's a flood, like it's not supposed to be positive, but that's what a lot of people believe. And I believe um that if you really search for something positive, you're going to find it. But many people are too lazy or don't care enough to do that. So I think that the negative is talked about because the negative is easier to find and the negative is more prevalent.

SPEAKER_06 5:29

Yeah, you've mentioned the word lazy and it's a big problem. Uh, people are generally lazy because they usually think sometimes that things need to be done. Of course, there are bodies and institutions that need to do things. If you take government, people look up to government as if it's a solution provider, right? But the rule of government is to make sure that citizens um have what is needed in terms of policies, enabling environment, and protect the citizens by providing security. But yet, the definition of the rule of the citizen seems always to be missing because when you look at the discussion, is government have to do this, government have to do that. Of course, government have a role to play. The young people now squarely on. Do you think young people are providing leadership in terms of trying to deboke this narrative to say, yes, we are young, yes, we've come to a world where the narrative has been different, but we need to then change the narrative to start to correct the right, the wrongs that have been wrong, and then make sure that at least we provide a different perspective and narrative. Is that happening? And if not, why?

SPEAKER_00 6:32

Well, it's not happening, and I think the reason behind that is because it takes too much work. I'll be so honest, it takes way too much work to do that. And um, a lot of people don't want to undergo that. That's too much work for many people. But at the end of the day, if you don't put in the work, you're not gonna see results because the government, this is the government has its own responsibility, and part of their responsibility doesn't include making sure you're wealthy or making sure your individual problems get solved.

SPEAKER_06 7:02

Yes, but um that's that's okay, but still on that, what will it take a youth? Because the truth is if you look at the entire world, the youthful population is high, and then you take down Africa, the median age is 19.7. So that then means the continent with a median age of 19.7, young people with the age of 19, almost closer to 20, and we round it up to say 20 years is the median age, and we are saying 60 percent of the population is youthful, and that between the ages of 35 down to 20, you are talking above 60 percent. Yet the narrative is not yet there. What do you think needs to be done? Because as a young person, being young, like I've argued, is not any achievement, but it is an opportunity to be able because everybody was once young. I was once 20 years old, I was one 18 years old, I was one 15 years old, I was one 14 years old. But the question is should young people be entitled to get what they want to get or they should work for it?

SPEAKER_00 8:12

Well, I think that's a pretty simple answer when you say it. They should work for what they get, but at the same time, it's not an answer that is widely spoken about because, as you said, majority of the population is youthful, and most of them have the same ideas. So it's a game of telephone, everyone thinking that I should get this just because I'm 20, I should have this, I should get a job just because I'm young, I should be able to go to school just like that, just because I'm young, when in reality that's not necessarily the case.

SPEAKER_06 8:42

Right. So, how can we correct that?

SPEAKER_00 8:44

Well, that's um that's there's a multitude of solutions, but I feel like the main one is just communication because a lot of youth don't communicate about these things. So I think bringing different perspectives and different perceptions of issues to the table would allow many more youth to get into it and realize that oh, okay, if the government isn't gonna do it for me, the only person I can who can actually do it for me and I can rely on is myself. And by getting other people who have that same mentality, we can build something so that our community has a place to rely on because our ourselves didn't.

SPEAKER_06 9:22

Yeah, very good point there, Afu. Um you're saying there needs to be communication and awareness, right? There is communication in today's world, and this is a topic we always discuss, and I will bring it up again before I then hand over to you to continue the second uh part of this uh conversation. As uh you are an amazing co-host always on this, is this there is communication about young people's issues, there is communication about challenges. I just mentioned the environmental challenges of pollution, where there is waste disposed, right? We complain about it, but we don't do anything about it. But yet we know that if you learn a skill, you voluntarily volunteer yourself to learn a skill. Get up early in the morning, focus, have a clear plan. But when we bring this information to young people, they say that is not us to do it, government should do it for us. In Swahili, yeah, they say sericalis idea. In Cameroon, where we come from, they say, ah, now government get for duam now. Where to be my own, make government do them. Yeah, but most of the time, the solutions and the opportunities are not looked at. So my point is that isn't there communication, but communication on wrong issues. But if it is communication on certain things that do not add any value, of course, we dance, we all dance, right? Me and you dance, but when it is entertainment, everybody listens to it, they communicate on it, they will talk about it till the next day. Is it misplaced of priorities?

SPEAKER_00 10:52

Um, yeah, definitely. That's what I was actually going to get at when you were last when you asked me the last question. But yeah, that's what I was trying to say. That although communication is there, it's the type of communication. Because it's not as if these youth don't know what social media is, don't know what um how to communicate with others. They do and they do it very well. But I think that they should transfer their energy into things that could benefit them um in the long run.

SPEAKER_06 11:19

Excellent. So when we come back from break, it will be your turn as the co-host to take over this amazing discussion. We'll be right back.

SPEAKER_03 11:48

Right upright, you and me are the solution to the challenges. Oh yeah, right upright out.

SPEAKER_06 12:06

What do I mean by this? False narrative weakens and across the discourse, especially on every aspect on poverty, on energy, poverty, on food insecurity, on youth unemployment, on what we can do as individuals. The narrative sometimes is skewed, and the reality of now and issues that are supposed to be discussed are not discussed in a way that are supposed to be discussed. When you get up in the morning, have a clear plan for your day. Read, learn, seize opportunities, go online and study on YouTube aspects that you are passionate about. If it is about turning simple waste into plastic bricks that can then be able to replace the concrete that is being used in buildings. Young people are doing this. You don't need to have an idea to start, but you must begin. These are the realities today, and we should be able to move away from this attitude that we can always think that we can depend on others to support us even when we don't bring anything to the table. Our value in what we do is very, very important, and it's always good to understand what value you bring to the table. And if you don't understand what value you bring to the table, you will be missing out a lot of opportunities. You need to know what you stand for. And the best thing to make you know what you stand for, those are your values. Cannot be about you as an individual, it must be about the aspirations of thousands and millions of people. You will read what you saw, not what others before you, besides you, or ahead of you are doing. So portrait ahead with innovative voluntarian and with all your skills. And as you do this, always know that you will first talent. You will first let them by people. But remember that it is perfectly fine, you want to know what to ask. To answer the last question, we want to get the period of volunteering one another. And that is why we kept with the concept of innovative volunteerism. We all of you here are innovative volunteerism after come together and stop problems. Come on, sit to it.

SPEAKER_02 14:56

Let's impress innovative volunteerism. Away.

SPEAKER_03 15:08

You and me are the solutions to me.

SPEAKER_06 15:25

But do so in a way that inspires young people because we need a mindset change that can then be able to see opportunities and challenges, that can then be able to ignite that mindset of opportunities that is picked up by each and everyone. And my cohost, Daniel Afumbonang, is right here with me. Daniel, yes, before we went on break, we were discussing perception on problems and tapping opportunity in challenges and also environmental opportunities. Now over to you.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

Um, yeah, thank you for uh passing the mic over to me. I'm wondering how do you perceive the problem in your life? I know you grew up on a lot of adversity. So, how did you perceive those problems and how did you tap into the environmental opportunity which led to where you are today?

SPEAKER_06 16:11

Yeah, very um important uh question. So, this is the point. Everybody grows up in adversity, either they're in the Western world or in the uh least developing or developing world. Uh it's just the magnitude of the adversity that differs. But what is more important is not just adversity, is do people then get to understand that our existence is to happen within the adverse uh world because challenges have always been there, and then our role is then to be useful. And I think what always motivated me was the belief that one can always succeed, and of course, going up in adversity, my understanding was always if you work hard, be humble, dedicated, and always see opportunities and challenges, then you can succeed. And that is why crop failure in uh mother's farm in the village was what made me start thinking, how can we solve that when there are no rents? And that motivated me then to start thinking that I would do something in the environment, even though I went to a teacher training college focused on physics and education, but that spirit did not move away. So, to answer your question is that we must self-believe and get that self-acceptance that we live in the midst of challenges and that adversity is part and parcel of life, but it is how we deal with adversity that makes the difference. And I think it goes back to the point you mentioned earlier, which is important about communication. Do we communicate challenges or we communicate solutions? We hear problem discussed all the time, but we hardly hear solutions discussed in the same sentence. So when we say, for example, that youth unemployment in Africa is too much, yeah, what are we doing to solve it? Can we say at the same time that despite the fact that youth unemployment is high, this is what we are doing, and this is what we can be able to do to bring him back to scale. So the persuasive and solution-driven mindset is what has been missing, not only in the African continent, but I even think in the world. If you take climate change today, we know the solutions, we know what needs to be done, but there is just that lack of passion and urgency in both the political and policy elite to the common citizen. And therefore, anytime anybody opens his or her mouth, the language is always lack of resources. Because which resources? Because the truth is that, of course, there is lack of money and there will be always lack of money, but there are other resources that we do not necessarily need to have money. Like, for example, using Twitter, every people are on Twitter every day, they're on Instagram, they're on another one that has come up now called TikTok, where everybody goes there to watch a one or two, three minutes video. Can we use those spaces also to communicate solutions? No, because what has proven over time is that good news is not good news, and that bad news is news. And so the headlines need to change to showcase solutions, and that is a mice change. And I think this discussion here today on communication uh that we are co-leading together for is very, very important. So, your answer, the answer to your question is self-belief that despite the adversity that one was growing up, there were always better days ahead, and that is summed up in fit because faith is a belief in things not seen. That yes, if I work hard today, tomorrow will be better, and that's what gives hope. But people hope sometimes without necessarily playing the part because what you get tomorrow is what you do today.

SPEAKER_00 19:52

Um, wow, excellent answer. And I'm wondering if uh throughout your working space, how have you gotten many more people across the continent to follow your idea of um positively perceiving problems that you may face as you work with the youth? So, how have you what did you do to convince them? What did you do to have almost one million youth across the continent who have the same mindset as you? Because from the way it sounds and the way the society seems, it it seems impossible, but you managed to do it. So, how did you manage to do that?

SPEAKER_06 20:26

Uh, you know, in the word impossible, I am possible is there. So it goes back to perception, and I think it's about the topic today. What we perceive sometimes doesn't even exist. Of course, to be able to change people's mindsets takes time. Why? Because you are starting from scratch, because that has not been the mainstream narrative that people's mindset can be changed. And of course, they've been indoctrinated into some beliefs that do not add value. Like belief that you cannot do anything if you don't have money. On instead of saying, look, you can be able to partner with somebody, go there and say, Can you train me? I'm willing for you to train me so that I can offer my time back for you in exchange of the training you've given me, even though I don't have money. That attitude of proactiveness to reach out to get information, to get a service, to be trained to offer a service has not been there. And to answer your question very clearly, which I think is very important, is that the attitude of the youth, what I noticed before was first of all, to debug the idea that you must have money before you do something, because people only invest in you if they know what you can be able to offer. Right? Nobody will invest in a troubled asset. And once you cannot offer a skill to turn a challenge into an opportunity, once you cannot bring value to the table, people are not going to risk their resources, either their time, money, and ideas on you if you do not show that you can bring value. How do you show you can bring value? Willingness to learn, the right attitude. Humility to be able to follow guidance to do what you are guided to do. And so, in a human being, and especially the young people, they do have internally decision making they have to make to be able to be viable and actually acceptable in the stage of solutions and to require 99% of that work have to be done by them. By her, retooling your skill. And that's the essence of innovative volunteerism that you need to voluntarily volunteer yourself to learn, to go to the internet to learn how to make brickets by turning agricultural waste into foil brickets that replace charcoal, by learning how to sow, so that at least you can start to understand how do you use material that is non-polluting or turn even waste to apparels and to wax that kids can be able to use to school. So, in changing their mindset, one of the things that I focus on was to be able to use my own story. And that's why I wrote the book Making Africa Work through the power of innovative volunteerism. And the essence was I am like them, I'm like each and every one of you. I grew up in adversity in the northwestern part of Cameroon, in the G in a village called Jinquin in Bell Ocome, whereby many of you across the continent do same. But this the difference was that self-belief that tomorrow can be better, and giving in your best and not listening to naysayers that you cannot make it if you don't come from a rich family, or all those things are stories, or trying to read books on how to become rich. The easiest way to become rich is for you to retool your skills and offer value. People will come for you to get substance from what you can be able to do. And so, in a nutshell, the attitude to be able to make you see that they themselves are solution providers if they can be able to offer their time to learn a skill, steer of distractions, tier of this storytelling of without money you cannot do anything. Don't get me wrong, we need money to do things, but money itself doesn't do things, people who do things. It's people who bring skills to turn a challenge into an opportunity. You might need an apparel to be able to sew, but the apparel itself, without you having the skill to sew, which you need to use your time to be able to learn, will not sow itself.

SPEAKER_00 24:10

Yeah, that's an amazing point because all these famous people you see in the world, they're rich because they provided value in one way or another. For example, Bill Gates, he provided value through Microsoft, through his um software company. Um, soccer players, they provide value through being able to kick a ball very fast and put it into a net within 90 minutes. Like whatever aspects you're talking about, you have to provide value. So if you're sitting around doing nothing and you think that because you read um rich dad, poor dad once, although although it's a really good book.

SPEAKER_06 24:45

What is in this? Sorry to to comment here, but what is in this rich dad poor dad? I mean, I see it a lot moving around, right? The Instagram post on this, it's it's vital. What is it? Please take a video.

SPEAKER_00 24:56

I mean, I read the book, and basically to summarize this basically um how different people have different habits, which can help you get rich, how the rich dad had different habits from the poor dad. And um, although the book does give good advice, in order to generate the money so that you can be like the rich dad, you're you need to provide value, which is I think very important. Like those books are good, but how do you think you're gonna get the money um if you just read them and do nothing about it? You have to put action as well. And yeah, I just use rich dad poor dad because it's the first financial book I thought of.

SPEAKER_06 25:34

Oh, great. So after reading the book, did anything change in your financial management skills?

SPEAKER_00 25:41

Um, kind of, yeah. The book was inspiring, but at the same time, I feel like although I read it, I'm sure other people will read it too and their life will change, but it just depends on if you put the action in.

unknown 25:55

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 25:56

A lot of people, especially in the continent, don't want to do because it's hard. Yes, it is hard. No one's saying it's easy, but at the same time, being successful and being rich isn't easy as well.

SPEAKER_06 26:06

Yeah, let me just jump in there. I think you you you you create something, you said something which I think is creating a very important way forward. I'll get back to you to continue. So it's hard, but it's always been hard. So, right, it's it's like you you would wood is hard. So, why should we want wood to be soft? A stone is hard. Why would we want a stone to be to be soft? And if you want to get anything out of a stone, you need to devise a means, either you're using a hammer to crack it, to or use another stone to crack it to break it. That's how it is, and that's how it works, and that's how it will be. That's how life is. Life is not a place of ease or of celebration, it's a place where we know that there are challenges, and then we make effort and dedication to turn those challenges into opportunities. And I think that point you are bringing up is very important. I think this narrative that life is easy, it's a wrong narrative because it's never been easy before and it will not be easy today and tomorrow. So once we have that idea and you make a good point, when you read the book, reach that and poke it, right? Or reach that, poor that, or reach that, poke it. The point is the point, the actions are there. But if you don't volunteer yourself, voluntarily volunteer yourself to do that, then you will always never be rich. So it's a very good point you you brought up, over.

SPEAKER_00 27:29

Um, yeah, you're right. Because in the book, the rich dad generated his wealth through working hard. I forgot what he ended up becoming, but yeah, he generated his wealth through working hard. And I feel like a lot of people overlook that part and just skip to the part of thinking that if they just follow those steps, they're gonna be rich. But in reality, everyone's path is different. And um, like in your scenario, not everybody who becomes an environmental um scientist or a or a policy director for the UN is going to be successful, and not everybody who is a cashier at McDonald's is not gonna be successful. Like, I feel like success is pretty relative, and people should not judge their successes based on other people because you don't really know where other people started. Because for all you know, even though you're not, you could have been a product of nepotism, even though you're not, but people fail to realize that and they're wondering why they're not succeeding as far as others. But I feel like success is pretty subjective because my success could be getting a good market at test, but your success could be getting promoted. Like at the same time, I feel like success is relative, and we shouldn't be thinking, oh, I'm not successful because somebody else is doing more. Just because they're doing more doesn't mean that you're doing you're not doing enough.

SPEAKER_06 28:45

Very, very powerful point because that now brings us to the point where we now need to start running up, which is about society perception of us. And uh what people want to do is to use what I call um you know the open optics to portray that you can go rent a car, take a photo, put on Instagram, and portray to the world and especially to your peers, that that is success. That's wrong. That success is not necessarily about materialistic endeavors, but it's about us doing that which touch other people's lives. That if a mother in a village cannot be able to afford a solar dryer to dry her vegetables, and you voluntarily learn a skill because you wanted to develop a solar dryer to curb that mother in a village, that's already success because a life is touched. And I think formulating success from the perspective of how useful we can be, that being useful is already an excellent pathway to success, is what we should be able to channel. I think thank you very much for bringing up this point because with that, seeing it this way that success is relative, but it must be about touching people's lives, going beyond your immediate family and your immediate self, and doing that which community can benefit from. That you go to school, yes, you learn hard because you want to become an engineer and especially a construction engineer to guide her root construction in communities so that people can be able that you want to be a teacher so that you can impact knowledge on students, especially knowledge on values of humility, on kindness, on empathy, right, on respect. That is success. And if you can successfully be able to make people to see opportunities and challenges, then you've succeeded. This is the way I see success, and that's why in the book Making Africa World uh Work, I made it very clear in chapter three that it takes a village to raise a child. And once that child is raised by a village, that child should be useful to the village. And the village I'm talking about is a community. The global warming, climate change today needs each and every one of us on board. And when we come to these spaces to communicate solutions, we are playing our part. What if the entire world with about 8 billion people do the same over?

SPEAKER_00 31:04

Um, yeah, so I think that you're correct about that, and I believe that you're right, because although you do want to make an impact on people's lives, you have to realize that there are steps to do so. And you can't just say, I want to be, I want to change lives. And because you said that, that means that you're changing lives. Like there needs to be results, and um, success is relative because you don't need to go save a million kids from Africa from hunger or um save adopt a bunch of kids who are in a word-torn country to change lives, even small things, such as educating people, spreading awareness, even recycling, like though there's still minor wins that could lead up to big wins in the end, because you don't need to be do above and beyond, because all these little successes eventually add up to the big picture. So if everyone does their little part, less people feel overwhelmed, and that would lead to more people doing their part, which I think a lot of people in the continent of Africa feel overwhelmed because they see people doing all these big things and they're like, I can't, I want to do that, but where do I start? Just start small and work your way up, even if it's just recycling or telling someone, oh, um, did you hear this earthquake happened? But I'm thinking if we do XYZ, we can mitigate the solution for next time. We can mitigate the issue.

SPEAKER_06 32:32

Exactly. Starting small while thinking big is what each and every one of us must do. And as we rightly say, that recycling, that getting up in the morning and fixing your bed, that eating and getting to the sink and watching that plate, not throwing it there, that plastic, instead of dumping it elsewhere, making sure that you can learn how to recycle it, that waste, banana peelings, granular peelings, learning how to turn them to brickets or to bar fertilizer will solve a problem. And imagining we do and play our part, environmental challenges will become opportunities. And more importantly, like you've said, I think there is this perception, and that's why the topic of our discussion today is the impact of perception on problems and how we can seize opportunity that people see optics, and those who present those optics present it as the level in which everyone must reach. But that mother in the village was there before a drought hit, and even before the drought hit, she was cultivating her cocoyams and cassava. Her problem is not how to cultivate, it's hard to add value. Yet, somebody says he wants to save a mother in a village who is dying, and it's not coming with any solution, but it's coming through the lens of dependency, which is hand art. That mother doesn't need a hand art, she needs an opportunity to add value to her cassava so that she can have cassava flower, uh uh cassava uh um gari, and that will help her because she will then be able to put money in her pocket and food on the table. The point I'm making here is that sometimes we need to understand every society. The African society today has challenges, but those challenges are not exotic, they're not unsolvable, they are solvable. But the way we communicate and play our part in making sure that we don't do it as individuals, but we use structures that do exist, like Njangis, communal cooperatives in Africa, that is the fabric. And I've argued this so many times. When you do not use what is accessible to people, what you will end up will just be a few individuals who are not going to sustain anything because they're individuals, but when you institutionalize it through the structures that do exist, right? They will stay there forever, the ideas will stay there forever because there will be people coming and going, and that will take that forward. And that's really a very good point you brought bringing up on starting small while thinking big, playing your part before you complain, and don't even complain, come up with a gap and say this is what you can do, and this is where you need support. That way we'll collectively, and that is transformational development that is primished on each and everyone's strength. Because at the end of the day, we are the sum total of what can work best. The the whole is better than the parts, and when we play individually without coming together in our collective endeavor, we fail. But we are part of the solution, so each and every one of us constitute a part of the solution to the challenges we face: climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, youth unemployment. We cannot solve this by only talking about government, government alone. Of course, government plays a crucial part in creating enabling environment and providing incentives. But where are the citizens? Where are the citizens?

SPEAKER_00 35:44

Over the citizens are uh reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and uh what did you say? The citizens are reading Rich Dad Poor Dad.

SPEAKER_06 35:52

I love that book, no shade, but I think that explain a little bit about the book. What is in the book? What's the title?

SPEAKER_00 36:00

Rich Dad, Poor Dad, that's the name of the book, and um, it's a really good book. I find it really inspiring, but at the same time, you can't just read one book and expect your life to change, it can only change if you put the accent in, which a lot of people, to be frank, are not.

SPEAKER_06 36:17

So before it looks like um we've lost uh Daniel, and I think uh Daniel should be able to get back to the show uh again. Uh the discussion was pretty much uh oh, sorry, technical difficulties.

SPEAKER_00 36:39

That's fine. That's fine. I was just saying, I was saying that um although the book is inspiring, yeah, it inspires people, but at the same time, if you don't put the action in, you can just stay inspired, but nothing's gonna change. And I feel like a lot of people say they're so inspired by seeing different things. I'm sure even when you do your work, people say, Oh, I'm so inspired. But at the same time, the feeling of being inspired doesn't mean anything unless you do something from that feeling. So I feel like that's the same thing with the book. The book is very inspiring and it tells you different ways to level up and get your money up. But at the same time, if you're not providing value, how are you gonna get money in the first place to level up or to get your money up?

SPEAKER_06 37:22

Very good point. And I think I like the point you brought up on inspiration. Being inspired can only be sustainable when you start to become passionate and start to play your part because then that becomes the foil. What I call purposeful passion, you say, okay, I don't have money, but I will go online, I'll read. Anytime I have access with bundles to get online, I'm not going to be doing social media calls sleep. I'm going to go to YouTube and learn how to turn waste into apparels, right? Into plastic, plastic, into plastic bags, into plastic shoes. And as a result of doing that, you say you are doing this, first of all, to solve the waste problem and the plastic problem, environmental challenge. And in the course of doing that, you're adding value to yourself. So you become not just a solution provider, but as you turn plastic into apparels or plastic bags or plastic shoes, like Adejuka is doing in Nigeria, and a couple of youth across the continent, you put money in your pockets, but you're solving an environmental problem. And then you are also helping communities to have bags, uh, shoes at a cheaper price that then save them money. Also, what is the motivation? The motivation is to see everybody pick this up and also those who could not afford it uh have something. Then you become inspired. So inspiration is not an end, and inspiration is not what sustains opportunities, it becomes what you do that others see and become inspired. But inspiration can only be meaningful if whoever picks it up does it, and that's why your point on poor that reach that poor kit is very, very important because then anybody who reads the book and don't do something will remain poor. So the route to getting something to creating wealth is through effort and dedication, short-term pain for long-term gain. And that's why this issue of people waiting for others to do things for them comes in. As we wrap up now, what is your take on this aspect of people waiting for others to do things for them and they they themselves are not playing their part?

SPEAKER_00 39:25

Um, yeah, to wrap up, I feel like that's a very bold point, which I think that's good to end on. But um, people who believe that other people should do things for them, who really did things for the people who were successful? Obviously, a few of them had things handed to them, but in reality, many of these self-made individuals that you look up to didn't have much help, especially those from internal family. So I'm talking to you guys, you guys in Africa, some of you guys who be depending too much on your Western family members. They are people too. They are trying to survive just as well as you're trying to survive as well. So I think that there's no point on obviously it's good to spread and share your ideas with other people. Nobody's saying that don't collaborate with other people. We're just saying that have your own ideas first and build on them so that you can find like-minded people so that you can grow together and put all your ideas together. Because who knows, maybe a combination of your idea and the next person's idea could be a solution to something that has been bothering a community for a long time. So I believe that although it is good to share your ideas, it's not good to just borrow people's ideas without having something in return. Because if you keep on doing that, it's eventually gonna catch up with you. And to those of you who keep on asking people in the Western world for money, get your money up. Read rich dad, poor dad, get your money up. And um, although it's good to feel inspired, do something with that feeling and level up, as the book says.

SPEAKER_06 41:02

Wow, wow, what a way to um round off this discussion of uh fool. Level up and play your part. And don't think that anyone owes anyone anything. You do not owe anyone anything, and never ever feel ashamed if you cannot be able to provide what people ask. But always be there to provide guidance and for those who can take it, yes, let them take it. In today's discussion, you heard how we debug the impact of perception on problems. And what we need to do, mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness can help you to become more aware of your thoughts and emotions and allowing you to recognize when your mind is distorting the reality of association. By developing this self-awareness, you can better manage your reactions and approach problems with more balanced mindset. And these problems, environmental problems, are environmental opportunities. So have an open mind to learn a skill. And that skills retooling is the essence of innovative volunteerism. We also discussed today with my co-host Daniel Fumbal Munang on how we can reframe when we're faced with a problem. We must always try to reframe it as an opportunity. Reframing it as an opportunity for growth, reframing it as an opportunity for learning by viewing challenges as opportunities, you can transform your mindset approach with a more positive and proactive attitude. And this is how we can be able to turn challenges to opportunities. As a Fumom did explain, we must break it down. Instead of becoming overwhelmed by the entire problem, break it down into smaller, manageable tasks. Play your part, start more while thinking big. By focusing on each of these tasks individually, you can better assess the situation and work towards a solution in a more organized manner. And lastly, acceptance is key. Recognizing that some problems may be out of your control, accepting this fact can help you to focus on what you can control and influence, allowing you to make the best possible decision given the circumstances. And therefore, this conversation today with my co-host Daniel sums up in one word you. That one word, you is everything. You can make a change, you can voluntarily volunteer yourself to turn challenges to opportunity. You can change your mindset to become better, you can steer up gossip and become self-disciplined and endure short-term pain for long-term gain by playing your part, by developing a healthier mindset and employing effective problem, solving strategies, we can minimize the damage caused by our thoughts and better navigate the challenges that life threw on each and every one of us. Until then, this was the mindset sport, and all of you do have a wonderful weekend. My co host Daniela Fumomunang, as always, thank you very much.