There’s a dichotomy I would like to explore. We live in a fast world. And the world is moving faster by the day. Innovations, technological advancements, infrastructural developments, inventions, medical solutions. You name it. We’re living in the age of ideas. Men are growing wiser and becoming unstoppable. Every day, we wake up to something new. Take a look at fashion, film, music, dance, art, and design, by way of example. It’s inconceivable to think where we’ve come from. The faces of education, law, politics, religion, science, and so on, are changing every other day. Man is breaking boundaries, disrupting perceptions, occupying spaces previously undisturbed, changing visions, and introducing new ways of everything. The world has a voice, and that voice is constantly speaking. Sending messages and whispering things. Telling us who is who, where to go, what to do, how to do it, and so forth. Everywhere we look, we’re presented with optionality. It’s no wonder, as a people, we’ve come to think fast, talk fast, work fast, eat fast and, quite frankly, do everything, fast. After all, how would one keep up except by getting into the rhythm?

But, in a world overflowing with options, the voices that guide our steps have become that much more important. Because it turns on destiny. The direction and course of your life. Where you expect to land up based on a defined path. Because the voices that speak into our lives have a bearing on this process, by embedding instructions (sub-consciously or otherwise) that set us on course in a particular direction. But here’s the thing. The world throws so many, often conflicting, view points at us, and it’s no wonder some get confused, and even consumed by it all. Unless you’re able to decipher the codes, discern what is and isn’t true, and make wise choices for yourself amidst it all; this activity, and the potential freedoms it comes with, may send you on a downward trajectory.

Now, many believe this activity is positive. Because it represents growth and advancement. Things most aspire for. Hence the tendency to align oneself with the direction in which the voice speaks. Such that, just as the world appears to be going somewhere, so will you. Flowing with the tide, in a sense. But let’s pull back and consider the reality on the ground for a moment. And while it’s by no means intended to stereotype or whitewash everyone, the results are telling. Despite the so-called positive vibes in the air, many continue to struggle to make it. They can’t keep a job; they’re struggling in the family; and their attempts to do something have yielded dismal results. They’ve tried to create but can’t come up with anything unique. They’ve tried to find suitable partnerships, but don’t seem to stack up to the standard. They sell a great story about the plans they have, but when they’re alone, that story doesn’t resonate within. They’re unsettled and uncomfortable and still searching at the core. And the more they keep trying to pursue this ‘voice’, the more distant they feel from within.

Then, what usually happens is the person eventually rejects the system – by this, I mean the world and its design; or disconnects from it entirely. Because they’ve failed to make it work. The system becomes the problem and excuse to hide behind. We all know that person who just hates the world. Everything is wrong with it. Everyone is to blame for their problems. But when you listen through the rants, you find a person who can’t accept the hard truth that he’s failed to work the system. Failed to find success where many are prospering and increasing every day. Because, whether we like it or not, many are working the system successfully and flourishing.

I believe the system is primarily for our good. Yes, that’s right. That the world and its ways were designed for our success. We’re supposed to flourish and be fruitful. The works of our hands should prosper. And properly related with, the system should yield positive results for us. Now, I could pause here and engage in a deep dive on everything wrong with the system. Because, let’s face it, there are a few flaws. But what would that help, except to leave us in a negative place? Even with all its faults, there’s a wisdom in the system, and that’s the truth. And we’re supposed to make that wisdom work for us. While we may not necessarily agree with certain aspects, we must understand how the system works and know how to play in it. Because friends, this thing called life is a game. And the ones killing it are the ones who know how to play the game.

I decided a long time ago to relate with the system as a place that should work for me. As one who has the power to control and shape my own destiny; irrespective of any issues I may have with the system. This must be a deliberate choice. I’m not a victim. But neither am I a sponge. So, I don’t feed off everything the system throws at me. And that’s the secret.

Statistics show that 90% of the world’s data was produced in just the last 2 years alone. That is, 90% of all the data available in the world today became available in the last 2 years. Which means that the remaining 10% spanned over centuries. Statistics also say that this data will double in size every 2 years. Because we’re living in the age of information. But this is too much information for our consumption. Man doesn’t have the capacity to take it all in. Because beyond taking it in, one has to firstly process and understand it all. But with more information coming at you than the time that is available to do this, a crucial step in the process is missed, and this is affecting the destinies of many across the world. Men are just absorbing everything that comes their way as truth. And it’s taking them in all kinds of direction that even they no longer understand.

I always say. It’s a privilege to be alive at a time such as this. It’s a privilege to be inspired to do and be more by everything that is happening in the world today. But you must find time to be still in it all. Except you pull away every so often, you’ll be pulled in all kinds of ways. You must know how to relate with all the activity. Otherwise, what was meant to be a blessing may actually become a curse. And work against you.

This is why competition persists in the world. Too many continue to define themselves by what the world is serving, forgetting that they are unique beings with their own, individual imprints, whose vibrations are not necessarily in sync with the synchronicities the world offers. Men are fighting for defined spaces, because the system has produced blueprints of success, and a battle has ensued for the limited room at the top.

You must learn to be still. Which sounds absurd when compared with all the movement. But, if you don’t find moments to be still and check in, you’ll easily be swept away. You must find time to meditate. To dissect, distil, digest and contemplate the information coming at you. It is by so doing that you’ll be able to define your own space, on the basis of principles and patterns that guide you as an individual. As you run your own course in shaping your own destiny, you must do so in your own way. While the world should motivate you to do and be more, be careful of doing it the way the world demands. Not everything spoken out there is for your personal consumption or benefit. You’re not supposed to agree with or follow every voice that speaks to you, even if it comes in a trusted form or bears the appearance of wisdom. You should not be taken by everything you hear and see. Not everything that motivates and encourages is true. Arguably, that’s immaturity. Because you must be able to sift through the noise.

As you master the art of stillness – becoming slower, stopping, and quietly processing it all – you’ll gain the clarity and perspective you need to define your own milestones. You’ll know what is for you and what is not. With the full appreciation that simply because something is available to you and accessible for you, this doesn’t automatically translate to being beneficial for you or expedient in the course of your life. Sometimes, you must walk away from or close your eyes to certain things.

Well, that’s what we’re doing. And we use this blog as an opportunity to be still. To pause and reflect on more than just caking. To examine ourselves and our trade. Who we are in this space and the mark we intend to make. There’s a lot out there. But it’s not all for us. And we must be disciplined and discerning, lest we’re swept away from our unique vision and lose ourselves in the process of becoming.

Yours in baking,

Chi