Your name is David

Or Solomon...why are you so confused?

source- medical som’n som’n

You’re the reason I can’t sleep.

You’re the reason I’ve been burdened with completing this literature.

What prayer did you pray?

What celestial being did you wrestle with?

They whisper bouts of reminders in my ears.

And thus, I’ve cleared my table to write to you, as I’ve been led to.

Let’s jump into our conversation.

Your name isn’t likely David. (Pay double attention if it is)

UP NEPA!

It’s another January, another new year, and whether you’re turning 19 or 25, every +1 is scary.

You’re probablymaking your new years’ resolutions or giving up because you barely scratched the surface last year.

Or you’re setting goals so high up, not because you know how to reach them, or the principle of aiming for the moon and falling to the stars, but because one thing you’re consistent at is self-sabotaging, fault pitching, self-pity, and everything in between.

Will not explain further.

You’ve asked yourself ‘Should I follow my passion or follow the money?’

First off, who said your passion cannot be profitable?

Even if you want to run an NGO, you think the world's biggest NGOs’ are operating on vibes & insha’Allah? Is the founder traveling the world on good will?

Another Sermon for Another Sunday.

You’ve searched for answers to this question so long, not because there’s no answer, but because you’re asking the wrong thing.

Knocking the wrong doors.

Treading the wrong paths.

Allow me change the lens for you

source, Unsplash

And I’ll Show You A Trend from the times of old.

We’ll start with the story of David & Solomon.

On David

David was God’s beloved, christened the ‘man after God’s heart.’ He went from being his father’s last born to being the king of Israel. He fought wars for the Kingdom, killed in the name of the father, and everything in between.

He was the first in his lineage to be king, from a tribe that hadn’t held office before (Judah), he was a warrior, and in short did all the work it took to set the foundation God’s temple was built on.

Key word, Foundation.

In our time, David would be called first-generation money or old money. The one who changed the trajectory of his lineage.

Reminds me of the quote;

Hard times make strong men, strong men make easy times, easy times make weak men, weak men make hard times, and the cycle continues

-unknown

(you can trace the times we’re in, but alas)

On Solomon

I argue he’s more famous than his father. The man with 700 wives and 300 concubines; the richest ruler even till our time. Who traded with men in the upper echelons and nations brought tributes at his feet.

But that’s not the story we’re focusing on today.

Let’s talk about the one they told us in Sunday school, when teaching us ‘how to be good children of God,’

The one where his number one prayer to God was to get wisdom, WISDOM to lead his people.

Key word, WISDOM

In modern times, Solomon is what we’d call ‘new money’ or ‘rich man pikin’

Interlude

I promised to open your eyes to something, but it takes two to tango;

Can two work together unless they agree?

Do you consent to stepping into the a new realm of consciousness

(Answer ‘Yes’ out loud, activate the windows of sight & sound)

Now that you agree, answer this question

Why do you think Solomon could ask for Wisdom (1 Kings 3 v 9) ?

Maybe he was raised just, maybe he wanted to serve God like his father, maybe… maybe…

Yes all may be true.

But an unpopular truth is because…

He had the PRIVILEGE TO.

Key word PRIVILEGE

How many keywords do we have now?

Do you know how settled you have to be all round to spend your 1,000 burnt offerings on the mountain of Gibeon, only to ask for WISDOM?

Do you know how settled you have to be to be able to make one thousand burnt offerings?

What was our first Key Word again?

Say it out loud

I already feel this is too much for one letter.

On David, Solomon, & You.

‘Passion vs Profit?’

David vs Solomon

Old money vs New Money

You vs that friend that tells you to ‘follow your passion’ ignorantly

If you’re a David, chances are you’re the one who dared to change the story of your lineage;

To give your lineage a name to boast of, privilege, wealth, & heirlooms to pass down from generation to generation…

You’re the one who has to go to war, who didn’t have the privilege of motivation, inculcated into the trauma of discipline;

You’re the strong man produced by hard times.

If you’re a Solomon, chances are you’re not thinking of survival. You’re born into the office of keeping the wealth transferable from your generation to the next. You’re building THE TEMPLE from the foundation laid for you by your fathers.

That’s why it is foolish to look for struggle when there’s so much work to do before you.

I’ll stop there.

To color this picture clearer, most of the Western people that own the narrative of the media are like Solomon of their time, while most of us in third-world countries are like David.

I struggle to put this slightly, so I'll rip the band aid off.

Don’t let a Solomon advise you out of your David era.

Because tell me, would you have the privilege of praying for WISDOM, if you didn’t know where your next meal will come from?

How would David ask for knowledge to rule Israel, when he’s running for his life & hiding his head from Saul in the wilderness?

That’s why the West can say, ‘Follow Your Passion, Follow your ikigai, if it’s music you like, or cooking, or dancing, follow it’ etc…

But you’ve looked around, you need money to see tomorrow, even though you can dance, not many people will throw you money in this part of the world.

Don’t get me wrong, it is possible. But the exceptions are a tiny minority.

What am I Saying?

It is foolish to have mentors that are western, or plainly ‘WHITE’

Those that don’t understand your context, as an African, or even ‘better,’ as a Nigerian dealing with the ‘peculiarities’ of navigating life in an environment where it seems everything is working against you.

That’s why you take countless courses on Allison, Udemy, with 90/100 on test scores, but you’re still stranded, with a lot of knowledge and no direction on how to connect the dots.

It’s why you struggle to apply all of Alex Hormozi and Seth Godin’s principles…

They’re in a world where even the least of them can use an iPhone, while squatting with a friend, or living in their car, swimming in student loans & running from the IRS (DYOR);

While that same iPhone is used as a symbol of respect and affluence where you’re from.

How insulting.

I’ve flogged that horse enough

So, when next you ask yourself, ‘Should I follow my passion or the money’

You’re speaking like the masses. You’re asking questions like an ignorant.

But if you’ve read this far, you’re on the path of enlightenment.

Can you get paid for following your passion? YES.

Can it happen as fast in your context? NO

The better question to ask yourself is,

‘Am I A David or Solomon?’

You know I provide answers, so let’s do a quick exercise now, you must be brutally honest with YOU;

If your parents vex you, can you ‘Up & Leave’ at will for your sanity?

If your parents stop sending allowance, can you stay in school or run back home?

Can you take a month to engage in your curiosities e.g. (music, fashion, dancing, archery, etc) without your bank account suffering for it… Can your mind even conceive it?

Can you pay your rent?

I can go on, but it’s too early to hurt your feelings. You can make your list of everything being a David is costing you.

If your answer is YES. You’re most likely a Solomon. Kudos, maybe you’re safe-because there are still a lot of Rich Survivors..

You can stop reading here & go about your day.

If your answer is NO. I was sent to YOU.

Come Closer.

You & I are similar. I’m the first born and appointed myself the one to crest my family name & make the masses ask why my lineage is so pompous.

I took RESPONSIBILITY.

It takes work, investment, commitment, and sheer skill to bounce back.

If you are not ready for this, you can stop reading from this point. The 1% need the 99 to stay in the upper echelons.

I bid you farewell with Love.

Still here?

Interesting…

Maybe you’re qualified to CHANGE YOUR DESTINY.

I am a tree planted by rivers of water, blessed in both men & commitment to helping people.

And the angels you sent me have beckoned on me to help some people with this exercise.

So, in the next 5 days I’ll open my gates for a one-on-one consultation. (normally costs fifty kay)

To the first ten…

No, Seven (7) people who are TIRED of being the struggling David,

And want their Solomon to work for VIRTUE, not just SURVIVAL, but don't even know the questions to ask.

If the shoe fits, send an intentional message on why you deserve this consultation against the almost 1,000 people who'd read this literature;

No pre-written message (won't make it that easy)…

Do not send it if you’re not ready to invest in yourself… I will always know a guy who can help; & nothing worth it is free.

(Oh, and introduce yourself properly)

That is my filter.

Are you qualified to change your life?

Text me here

You'll find out in a bit.

---

I know it’s been a while.

I realize my brain rebels against routines & shallow-rooted promises, so to trick it, no promises on the next one.

You’ll just have to pray for me.

It feel’s good to write to you again, Pilots.

This literature is one of a three-part series intentionally curated to help you start from ground zero to one in the school of life.

This is part one, which do you want next?

Highest votes would highly influence the next letter.

Happy Weekend.

Want us to gist? Write me at thepassageartletters.com

Till my pen graces your screen again,

To Piloting (inserts cheers emoji)