Power in Rugged Determination, Chris Ajah, pp. 206
By Osondu Igirigi
Power in Rugged Determination is a nine-chapter book targeted at the youth across the world with the aim of positively redirecting their mindset towards achieving their dreams through hard work and non-violence. Power in Rugged Determination is an all-embracing work on steps to be taken by young people and the need to explore those positive steps and shun all manner of violence and anti-social behaviours that will lead to their destruction.
The book uses the experiences of some past and present global players who utilised these steps on their way to the top to achieve their dreams without a recourse to crimes and violence during their building processes. The book has no political or ethnic connotation but a motivational document to teach the youth what most great people go through to be great in life. The primary aim of the book is to let the young ones know that, for every rise, there must be a price; and, for every product, there is a process.
In the chapter “Youth and Non-violence Approach to Greatness”, the author deals with channels to greatness without violence and any form of anti-social behaviours among the youth. It emphasises basic rudiments required to achieve greatness in life.
Writing on “Little Foxes that Eat Down the Big Tree”, the author exposes those factors that work against channels to greatness and the need to overcome them on your way to achieving your life dream. In real life, these foxes sound very insignificant and negligible yet they cause colossal damage to the big tree of greatness in the long run of life if not detected early.
The book exposes these foxes in a most significant manner that every youth should read about them. Examples include fear, ingratitude, lack of focus, procrastination, etcetera. The chapter highlights the untold short and long term damage caused by the foxes on your life dream.
The chapter on “Determined Spirit of Muhammadu Buhari” dwells on the metamorphosis of Muhammadu Buhari, the current Nigerian president, as a person and a leader, who, despite three consecutive election losses on a very rigorous political journey, kept hope alive, and preserved to the fourth time, which eventually paid off. It is a minutest detail you never know about Buhari’s life history. It is expository, touching and loaded with quantum of lessons for every youth.
In “First thing First”, the chapter guides the youth on first steps and channels necessary to achieve greatness, emphasising the need to take the initial dancing steps in any journey that will lead to achieving one’s dream without driving against the tide. It x-rays life journey to greatness from step A to Z.
Writing on “A Poor Fisher Man’s Son Becomes Nigeria’s President”, we are led into the humble parentage of former Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, and the rigours he went through as a child and finally became Nigeria president years later. This is used to teach youth the importance of patience and hard work, as well as determination in life no matter your family background and circumstances of your life. It tells you why God Almighty is the highest God Father and the need to focus on him on your way to the top in spite of who you have or have not.
The chapter on “Weapons of Warfare” presents to the youth those key weapons and ingredients of greatness, including education, hard work, focus, faith in God, patience, perseverance, rugged determination, etcetera, and how to use them to attain a height without using the shortcut of crimes. It tells you the magic wand that you must use to become great and realise your dreams. The chapter showcases indispensable tools in a hunter’s bag that must be used to go to the battlefield.
While “A Black Man Becomes American President” teaches the youth that nothing is impossible to whoever is determined, citing the emergence of the first black American president in the person of Barrack Obama, “My Message for the Youths”, teeming with motivational quotes and steps to greatness, emphasises the need for non-violence approach to greatness.
In all, Power in Rugged determination is geared towards youth development and achievement of dreams without resort to inimical steps against the state. It teaches national unity, hard work and love for one’s country. Certainly, this is a must-read for every home, library and every youth.
• You can reach the author via: [email protected]