CHRONOLOGY

It’s not me, it’s you
It’s not you, It’s Me
It’s not them, It’s Us
It’s not us, It’s Them

It’s often not what’s in it, it’s often what we bring into it
Our experience.

The specifics that create our reality
The history
Our story
The emotional stains
The psychological effects of the chronology of this material manifestation
Playing the game played between beings
To win or not to win
The apathetic victimism
Examine your personality
Honestly
Examine your choices
Honestly

It’s YOU
Where are YOU
in this
Chronology?


namaste. axe.

Standing In The County Line

Check out my Op-Ed piece that was published on TheBillfold.com (http://thebillfold.com/2012/08/standing-in-the-county-line/). Enjoy!

Confirmation From A Friend

Today I received a message from a friend back in Nigeria who had just read my book (My Africa, My Africa) and he was telling me how much he enjoyed the book. He said, "The first page touched my heart" and went on to talk about how I spoke the truth about what's going on in Nigeria with the talented youth and how there is no cultivation on behalf of the government for these talented youth. First off I was really excited that someone that I had encountered on my journey really appreciated my story and the way I depicted the people and the country. Sometimes as an artist/writer you don't really know if your message is coming across the way you intended and he more than confirmed that I was dead on with the message I wanted to convey.

My friend is an aspiring maritime professional. After attaining his first degree in Maritime studies he is seeking employment in his industry and there are no jobs. He's also seeking to obtain a master's degree in the subject but has to go abroad to obtain the degree. For me this is the exact thing that is wrong with Nigeria today. If he is lucky enough to obtain a visa to go off to New York to obtain his Master's and find employment he will never return to Nigeria for anything other than a visit to his family. In hindsight a person instilled with nigerian cultural virtues has left nigeria to go and live a prosperous life and Nigeria as a country and a people have not benefited from this transaction. To me this is very similar to what is going on with the current oil subsidy crisis. A country rich in oil produces oil that goes off to enrich industries abroad and the people who live and are raised on these lands where the oil comes from receive nothing but high oil prices. A country that provides energy all over the world doesn't have regular energy itself. The oil companies such as Chevron have been spilling oil in my families native homeland in the Niger Delta for more than 60 years and there have been no political out cries from the Nigerian government to compensate these people.

I see a tremendous potential for the people of Nigeria if the few men with fat pockets see past the fleeting desires of wealth and think about the future of the children of Nigeria. Nigeria is a country full of resources and is being exploited by many international influences. I simply plead with the powers that be and ask, 'how much money do you need to make?'

'How many wives do you need?'
'How many cars can you drive?'
'Does the legacy of buying a bunch of things really matter more than the legacy of someone who gave a people opportunity?'

Book link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006EP1CMA

My Africa, My Africa - Review

The 'My Africa, My Africa' Book release has been going great! It's only been a few weeks and the book has been received very well by thousands of people all over the world. Check out one of the reviews posted by a reader. (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006EP1CMA)

REVIEW:

Everyone's Africa!!, December 3, 2011

This is a coming of age story about a first generation African American caught between his American ambition and his creative African roots. The author opens the world to his journey which took place across continents, but more importantly across financial, cultural and emotional obstacles. You can't help but feel a bit envious of his self discovery, which exemplifies his true path that traverses between survival and spiritual freedom. He is very courageous in sharing his journey and life with his readers. Many people recently out of college don't have the gall to champion freedom, creativity, and self discovery as Wesey embodies. I recommend that everyone take a trip to Africa for a mere $3.99 and you may experience a psychedelic self discovery of your own.

My Africa - Book Now Available

Thanks for all the support guys. The book is now available on Amazon. If you don't have a kindle you can download the free kindle app on your Blackberry, Ipad, Iphone, Android phone/tablet or PC. Enjoy! http://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Journey-Cultural-Exploration-ebook/dp/B006EP1CMA/ref=sr_1_11?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1322420574&sr=1-11

My Africa, My Africa - Promotional video

My Africa, My Africa - Available 11/26

UNCOMFORTABLE

There's a theme in my life right now that has to do something with things that are uncomfortable. Have you every been in that situation where you start something maybe a movie, a yoga pose or a relationship perhaps and things get uncomfortable. What I mean by uncomfortable is that there's something about that yoga pose that is completely excruciating and maybe you should pull out. The movie starts too slow and you're wondering if this is worth your time. The relationship requires too much compromise and you're thinking you need to get out before your freedom is infringed upon too much.

But then something happens...in the middle of that yoga pose you focus on your breath and you find something in the middle of your breathing. You're in that movie and some small part of you connects with the story and says wait a minute lets see where this is going. After what seemed to be an uncomfortable date you're reflecting and you spot some room for personal growth for yourself. You discover yourself in a moment where you can be completely selfish but you start to realize you're depriving yourself of a great experience if you back out now. That moment, that painful moment in the yoga pose is precisely where the work is being done and if you follow your breathing you will get past the initial pain and find greater strength, flexibility and balance.

Just because that movie didn't start off like 'Saving Private Ryan' doesn't mean it can't be as good as 'The Fighter.' That weird awkward moment in the beginning of a relationship where two people seem to not be a fit may just be the nervous anxiety of two type A's feeling vulnerable yet intrigued for the first time in a long time. Getting past that and seeing how they can learn from each other might be the best thing they ever did.

Life is funny like that wouldn't ya say ;)

Namaste.

The Course

That which you encountered on the beginning of your trip was but a taste of what you will inherit if you stay the coarse

The Coarse

Those sinking hardships when you’re on your path to light and greatness

Passion will push you

Humility will steady you

Focus will breed you into an enlightened one

Ordained by experience and crowned by selfless fulfillment

Be at peace with your journey for all bad will have a lesson behind it and all good will be a reflection of your true self

Find peace in The Course

Sunday's Shenanigans

Woke up groggy but determined to make it to my good friends boot camp in Santa Monica. I got there and was surprised by how many beautiful people were out on the beach getting it in this morning. I even ran into one of my old high school basketball teammates. Crenshaw Cougars! These peeps do their Santa Monica Fit Club at 8:45am - 10am on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Check it out! The people that put it on are also affiliated with Herbalife so I went back to their club house and enjoyed some nice conversation with a tall blonde over an exquisite Herbalife protein shake, lol.

After that the machine was off to 220 Fitness in Santa Monica located on 3002 Main St. One of my college buddies works at this incredibly swank gym. This place is equipped with everything your typical fitness guru would love. It's like a miniature disneyland for the fitness nut. They have these crazy cable machines I have seen no where else. Punching bags, Kettle bells, spinning cycles with the arm spinners right next to them, rotating ladder machine, cute front desk staff and 220 branded weights for icing on top of the cake. I put my buddy through one of my crazy boxing workouts and I worked on some capoeira kicks on the bag. The weekend warrior needed a meal so...

The Misfit, a restaurant in Santa Monica that does indulgence and healthy all in one swing. Great place for drinks and the decor reminds me of Bouchon (my fav breakfast spot in LV) in Venetian hotel. I ordered an egg white omelet with turkey and tomatoes, little baker potatoes and a bottomless mimosa. Decadent. The best thing is that when you're done with your meal the waitress walks up to you with a big bowl of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies with a lil sea salt sprinkled on them. BOOM!

Do you have it all figured out?

Do you have it all figured out? I know I don't. I have good sense and I believe in myself and sometimes that's all you need. Plain and simple. Today I am embarking on a mission that I envisioned 7 years ago. Life can be just that simple sometimes...you have a thought...believe it and watch as things come together for you to make that thought reality. I'm not saying this should take 7 years in fact I'm saying this process can be immediate. I had this idea 7 years ago but it was something I didn't really believe could be real. My thoughts were clouded but the day I respawned this idea and actually put it down on paper in detail things started happening that would change my life forever. I won't say too much more but today begins the rest of my life in ways that I can't even imagine right now. That might scare some people but it makes me wide eyed and excited. I guess I'm an adventurer at heart.

I'm getting on a plane and going to Nigeria to put my dreams in motion. I'll be blogging a bit along the way with my usual 'Au Courant' perspective. So check in from time to time. I'm sure I'll have some cool stuff to show you as my dreams become reality. ;) Namaste.

The Silence

I haven't done stream of consciousness in a while but here it goes:

Just the other day while sitting at my desk minding my own business I got a really bad feeling. It hurt so much it made me sick to my stomach and put the worst taste in my mouth. It was as if I just took a sip of motor oil. And just then a thought popped in my head...it was you. But something was different. It wasn’t a loving thought, no, something was wrong. This terrible feeling started to move all through my body and then I knew. It was you. You were sleeping with someone else. But you know what? The worst part was that you weren’t even enjoying it and that’s why I felt so bad. It was one of the strangest feelings that actually reminded me of something that I prayed years ago to forget but I never will. So now I’m here in this grey area of wanting to answer your call but not wanting to hear your voice. There’s something inside me that says this love is not enough. That your curves and smile are mature but your mind is infantile. And as bad as I want you my will alone cannot make you grow into who I want you to be. Yes I am Divine but I am surely not God, Time or Experience. So with this awkward silence I bid you adieu. I let you off back into the sea to be who you will be. I wish you well and hope that one day we cross paths and enjoy laughs about the past.

-DW

Unpredictable

I'm riding the wave of consistency

Up and Down

Outside in, Inside and out

focused and approaching each obstacle

with wisdom and positive energy

In life there are no mistakes

but there are mysterious happenings

things that illuminate

situations that create

The Future

we do not know though we often attempt to

calculate and surmise

the tide

but life just as Mother Nature

is

Unpredictable

Namaste,

Deji

The Athlete Gene

The Athlete Gene

I have observed this interesting concept over the years that I like to call “The Athlete Gene.” I notice it in myself and many of my friends/former teammates and competitive people I have interacted with all over the world. ‘The Athlete Gene’ is that thing that keeps you going when times are tough. ‘The Athlete Gene’ comes out when you need to assess a situation in life and play to your strengths. Those with ‘The Athlete Gene’ are not quitters but that doesn’t always work out for the best because it’s hard for them to realize the situations when it is time for them to hang it up. In life there are scoreboards but there are no buzzers.

I’m a basketball player and my ‘Athlete Gene’ comes from countless hours of sweating blood in Los Angeles’ Crenshaw High School gym. My travel league team practiced there since I was 13 years old and I ended up going to high school there. Literally from day one I was trying to prove that I was a worthy player to whoever was the coach and the rest of the players in that gym. I remember my first day of practice me and my Mom were to go meet a man named ‘Tiny’ to see if I could play on his team. Tiny told me to grab a basketball and shoot around while him and my Mom spoke so he could check out my game. So immediately I was trying to show him I was good enough while not really knowing what he was looking for (which is a theme that continues throughout life). I was accepted on the team but Tiny would test every aspect of my character everyday I set foot in that gym as he did every player on his team. He would leave no stone unturned in his quest to expose weakness. One of the major misconceptions in life is that people believe they are born with some characteristics and not born with others. I believe that we are all blessed with the same set of virtues but the difference is our readiness and ability to express them. Your life experiences truly have the ability to mold you and while developing this athlete gene your ability to express certain characteristics is challenged. Tiny would make you display uncompromised work ethic and when you did good he would praise you but if your head got too big he would humble you. This developed my ‘Athlete Gene’ to the point where I hunger for recognition but I don’t get too full of myself because I know you’re only as good as your last achievement. “A pat on the back is only six inches away from a swift kick in the butt.”

“The Athlete Gene” can help some people develop into great leaders or great team players in the business world. When you step into the corporate world you can tell the ex-athletes from the civilians. Athletes are comfortable being the most talented or being around people with more talent than them. An athlete realizes that there are going to be people with more talent than them in certain areas and they are going to be more talented than those people in other areas but they can still work together for a common good. Others may feel threatened by this circumstance while ‘The Athlete Gene’ gives one the assurance that hard work beats talent every time.

‘The Athlete Gene’ isn’t always a good thing though. As every hard working athlete knows the worst pain is a loss. Some of us know how to lose and swallow the painful pill of a lesson well learned but others have the hardest time accepting defeat. I have had many situations where the scoreboard was not in my favor and I needed to just learn a lesson from that defeat. Instead of taking the loss I fought and fought just to get one more shot only to widen the gap between myself and victory. Sometimes ‘The Athlete Gene’ comes out of you and says, “Give me the ball and get out of my way!” and you end up pulling off the impossible but other times you just end up looking like a self centered jerk (just ask Kobe...one day he’s a hero then the next he’s a ball hog). Sometimes the gene says, “Step aside I’ll guard him! Let me handle this!” and you end up making big things happen but other times you have simply overstepped your boundaries.

In a relationship ‘The Athlete Gene’ is great because it allows you to treat your partner as your teammate and ally as you two work towards a common goal. In a break up ‘The Athlete Gene’ can be disastrous if things are over and you insist on trying to do just one more thing to change the game/prove yourself worthy. There are two sides to every coin but overall I think ‘The Athlete Gene’ is an empowering thing because throughout developing the gene one is shown how to deal with many different life situations.

When Tiny was torturing my teammates and I on the basketball court he would always say, “Basketball players get better little by little.” To me this meant that I needed to work harder than I could ever imagine if I wanted to be good enough to play in the NBA. This meant to always put your best foot forward because you never know when that increase in skill is going to come. Today my ‘Hoop Dreams’ are long gone but I apply this same mantra to my path of becoming an attorney. So every little bit of responsibility the partners in my firm give me I take full advantage because I know attorneys get better little by little.

Namaste.

-Deji

Global Perspective on Oil Spills via Nigeria

As a Nigerian American I often think about the vast unexploited resources in Nigeria. Here is an interesting article about the concurrent oil spills in my native country.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/06/29/nigeria.oil/index.html?hpt=Mid

I'm 30!

I just turned 30 years old about a week ago and I wanted to write an amazing blog but it started to get too long and it ran on too many tangents. So I decided to sum it all up in a few words. Enjoy!

You're only as old as you feel. As long as you can hula hoop you're still young. Don't stress yourself too much just do your best and leave the rest to the Universe. The best things in life are priceless like when your Mom surprises you with your favorite homemade cookies. Listen to that little voice in the back of your head that tells you what to do no matter how scared or nervous you may be. 30 probably makes some people hustle a lot more or stress out but for me this was a lesson in how to slow down and let things develop. Rome wasn't built in a day therefore I don't need to be enormously successful right this moment. Namaste.

Barrack Obama

So I'm sitting here looking at a photo gallery of President Obama's meteoric rise to the White House and it hits me! While looking at the pictures I started to remember the sentiments expressed during the primary to the campaign and ultimately down to election night. Since Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize people have been asking what he has done to deserve this. Until now I couldn't give a concrete answer because mostly I was shocked at the audacity of hate. Of course some would say he was awarded The Prize for what he intends to do in the world but I beg to differ. He was awarded The Prize for exactly what he has done. If you are or have ever been a person 'not' of privilege you can truly appreciate what I am about to say. Barrack Obama represented, to people around the world, a voice for those less fortunate and for those who the system of checks and balances works against. The fact that he as an African American became the President of the United States was a world act of peace. This a man who clearly out-classed his competition from day one and still had to fight tooth and nail throughout the campaigning process to attain his rightful spot as commander-in-chief & the people's true representative. If you know what it's like to be black in America then you know what a triumph that is...you know that is an inspiring story. That is such an inspiring story I had people from South Africa, Nigeria, London and France calling me minutes after the news rang across the world! That is Nobel Peace Prize worthy and anyone who says otherwise just doesn't get it but one day you'll be in the light. Namaste.

Photo Gallery: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/galleries/president_barack_obama/president_barack_obama.html

-Deji

5 fabulous new features for anything Google

Yeah I'm giving tech updates now.

http://tinyurl.com/yhpk6gd

The Red Pill

The Red Pill

Remember the red pill in the Matrix? Well this is my version of the red pill. I wanted to compile a list of material that would expose the wool that has pulled over society's eyes. For thousands of years the powers that be have used religion, politics and the monetary institution of capitalism to divide and rule people. I don't like to talk with people and try to convince them that this has happened because I wasn't convinced of this myself. I questioned many things during my childhood such as the 'Desert Storm' war of the early 90s. When I was kid I used to wonder if America is the best country in the world why do we have homeless and starving people. My parents taught me that charity begins at home so it didn't make sense to me when they would turn on the news and I'd see our government giving aid to other countries because people were less fortunate there. I had homeless people in my neighborhood...why weren't they helping them? I was about 10 years old when I first realized the President doesn't actually run this country. With that said I believe if you are not in the know there is no way for someone to convince you of what the truth is. One day you will wake and open your eyes for the first time and you will see...

Just as in the Matrix movie the red pill isn't for everyone as some people would rather stay smug in their meaningless existence. But, for those who want to break free please indulge in these:

Books

Lies my teacher told me

Confessions of an economic hitman

Protocols of Zion

Films

The Matrix (trilogy)

I.O.U.S.A.

Spare Change

Capitalism

Zeitgeist Movie

Live Free, Die Hard (this is not just a movie, this could really happen)

Namaste

The audacity of winning vs the timidity of governing

I just read this Huffington Post about how President Obama should be doing a better job applying the ideals of his campaign to his presidency. I for one think he is doing a good job considering his administration is built of a lot of the same political players of the left that we saw in the last Dem presidency. One of the major reasons why I voted for Obama is because he represented a change in the practice of politics in our country. In effect I felt Obama was looking to give the country back to the American people and take it back from corporate America. Of course carrying out the stimulus bill proposed by Bush was not ideal but it was a decision that had to be made to protect this economy from falling deeper into depression.

I would not go as far to say 'the change sucks so far' like I saw on this bumper sticker the other day. The truth is that things are changing and they are in fact changing very fast despite the grumpy old men who desire to slow the process with their grumbling (if you don't know who I'm talking about just turn on Fox News for a while you'll figure it out). Change is inevitable and there was only one better time to change things (when FDR proposed the second Bill of Rights) in my opinion. In that article Arianna talks about how she would like President Obama to be more bold in his actions which reminds me of a fanatic boxing fan who wants to see a particular fight. I think President Obama is more of a tactful person than to barge in a room and start knocking over the china. Obama is wise enough to pick his battles and develop relationships in effect making allies and not enemies. This presidency to me has already been the most interactive presidency of my lifetime.

The thing that set the Obama campaign aside is that it engaged the voters to feel like their efforts mattered. So now that he is in office don't just sit on your ass whether you're happy with what he is doing now or not. Get up and do something. If you like what Obama is doing support him. If you don't like what Obama is doing push him to go in the room and break some china but whatever it is do not sit back and watch like you did when Bush was in office. Be the change you want to see.

At the end of the day I don't see this country being the same place where people are looking to gather more stuff than the next man. I see this country growing into a place where we actually work for the greater good and the success of America. Some of you may not like the idea of spreading the wealth around because like Joe the Plumber you have dreams of being Oprah rich. That's cool there's nothing wrong with aspirations as I have big dreams like that too but I also realize achieving those dreams is not possible for all of us. What Obama is saying when he says he wants to 'spread the wealth' around is that 'charity starts at home.' Very simply we need to return to these kinds of values in order to get this country to where we want it to be. How are we the best country when we have so many homeless people? How are we the best country when we can't even manage our money? To me Obama represents us and we need to stop thinking about me and start thinking about we. We need to realize that the old way wasn't working and figure out how we are going to make this place a better place. Be the change you want to see.

Here is the article:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/obama-one-year-later-the_b_343209.html