How Internal Transformation Drives External Progress: A Reflection on Personal and National Growth

How Internal Transformation Drives External Progress: A Reflection on Personal and National Growth

One cannot transform others unless they have first transformed themselves. That's the essential truth about transformation. Also, everyone only replicates externally what they carry internally. No one can give what they don't have. Developers of properties or people don't necessarily learn everything from others, although they may receive guidance from those who originally developed certain ideas, with their approval.

One of the things technology has brought is exposure to the wider world. It's fascinating to know that while some countries are building spacecraft and rockets to explore outer space, others are still struggling to build roads and provide basic infrastructure. This disparity can create discomfort among nations still trying to progress.

This also explains why, despite politicians and leaders being aware of what developed countries offer, they haven’t been able to replicate these solutions in our own developing countries. Cultivating oneself, then, becomes a critical process, and it's often a lifelong journey. What we see in our reality is a reflection of how much we have cultivated ourselves, both individually and collectively.

A lot of work goes into this process. Let me give a basic example: Imagine I own a house built by employing surveyors, builders, bricklayers, carpenters, and foremen. Eventually, their efforts pay off, and I have a well-constructed house. The quality of the house would encourage me to continue supporting local businesses. But say I rely on the government for electricity and use a power generator. If I eventually find myself in a public office, what do you think my policies on power supply would be?

If I lack vision, I might encourage the continued use of generators because that's what I'm used to. However, if I'm open-minded, I would explore improving the government's supply of electricity or discuss renewable energy solutions with others. Suppose I took a trip abroad to a facility that uses nuclear energy to generate electricity and spent months learning the intricacies. If I later found myself in public office, I would have the knowledge to push for modern, reliable energy solutions. That's the kind of transformation we're talking about.

Now, consider education. People can only share what they have learned. If my education was limited to the Nigerian educational system, my solutions would be confined to the ideas available when I was studying. We often hear the phrase, "People become what they fought against." This happens because if you constantly engage with something negative, you risk becoming consumed by its energy.

Albert Einstein once said, "A problem cannot be solved at the same level of thinking that created it." To overcome a challenge, one must think and act at a higher level than the thinking that caused the problem. So, when people leave Nigeria's educational system to seek solutions abroad, it reflects their understanding that they need a different mindset.

This same principle applies across all sectors. People who embrace knowledge sharing understand this dynamic. That's why conferences and seminars exist—to exchange ideas and solve problems.

While there are external ways to access transformational thinking—such as studying abroad or engaging with experts—there are also internal methods. Let me use football as an example. Each team has a coach who knows football, but winning games is the ultimate goal. In tough matches, especially finals, teams are often equally matched, but one eventually wins by doing something better. This "something better" comes from within—digging deep into their skills and knowledge to transform the game and win.

Coaches don’t need to write books or tweet their winning formulas. Even if they did, those formulas are so personal that only they can use them effectively. For example, a Champions League-winning coach might write a book on tactics, but a random reader may still struggle to apply those tactics successfully. This illustrates the superiority of internal knowledge over external knowledge.

Football academies develop both stars and regular players. While stars shine, regular players rely on discipline and consistency to maintain high performance. Yet, stars can’t always reproduce their brilliance in others. What they can share are principles like hard work, punctuality, and commitment, which are valuable but don’t guarantee stardom.

In essence, top coaches and players draw from something within themselves that gives them the edge—this is the transformative power of internal knowledge.

However, while internal knowledge is crucial, external principles must also be followed. Optimization is about making the best of what we have, and that includes improving external processes in a system. Since people are at the heart of any system, it’s up to them to uphold and enhance these processes.

Everything boils down to people, which is why they need to be physically, mentally, and emotionally sound to sustain the processes that keep systems functioning well. Transformation is a process, and the willingness to take steps toward it is fulfilling in itself.

Hope is sustained when the processes that fuel it are maintained.