I play basketball with this kid in school and it has taught me a whole lot. From last year till date, I picked basketball as another sport to better myself. Since then, I have been always practicing three pointers during break time. However, it is a different ball game when you are playing an actual 1v1 against someone. While still and facing no pressure, it is easy to calculate your shots and get them right. Being put on pressure by another person makes it more difficult. I saw that it was very hard to make 2 good shots out of every 20 three-pointers I did and that humbled me. Thinking back now, I think I can learn a lot of lessons from this experience. ✍🏽 It always looks easy from the sidelines. When you are not an active participant in a process, it is very easy to criticize and say they have no clue. It is just like being an active spectator in a chess game. You are not being pressured by the time so you can spot out all the bad moves and potential moves they could take. When you aren’t an active participant in local politics, it is easy to criticize them and say they aren’t serving your interests. In reality, most politicians were largely sponsored by certain interest groups (you never showed up for their fundraisers). You were not there during their campaign trail to provide massive encouragement. Pray tell, why then would they serve your interest which could contravene that of their initial backers? Some people will criticize religious leaders for not speaking up during certain times. You expect her to speak up when a single government policy can undo decades work of building? You want them to actively and publicly go against those who have no qualms with springing up cheap lies and using such pretext to destroy them. What happened to the last set of people you egged on? The last set of people you backed while they protested are in state-sponsered dungeons now. Their dignity has been shattered, bodies violated and more, but very few show up to fight for them. Instead, the people who egged them on have moved on to the latest shinny rebel who will soon be picked up. I guess this is a lesson for everyone. Do not speak if you aren’t ready to get dirty to fix things. Do not speak if you aren’t ready to provide the needed resources to fund the change you desire. Things like politics are based on interest. Finally, do not let people egg you (nudge) towards your doom. Do not let people who have been historically proven to be spineless and very attention deficient egg you on. Be your own person and follow through on your actions boldly without the crowd. The crowd can be silly sometimes and eager for a show. Do not be the object of their spectacle, because they will simply go home and look for their next ‘high’ after you have been removed.