"Ẹni tó ńretí àti sùn akán, á pẹ́ l'èbúté." Whoever is monitoring when the crab sleeps would be long at the river bank. In reality, this proverb goes well with another wise saying that advises you not to carry water in a sieve (perforated bowl). Both are attempts to remind you to not waste time and energy on fruitless efforts. Hoping the elites will relinquish money and power to the sons and daughters of Africa - just because it's morally correct - is as foolish as waiting to see and sleeping crab or carry water in a sieve. Power concedes nothing without a struggle. That's what Frederick Douglass taught. Today, the struggle is as simple as organizing your community, spending your money together and using your natural gifts and talents to serve your ancestors. It is small things like these that create a major impact over time. At the OLA16 Retreat, you'll meet like-minded devotees from around the country, who are dedicated to bringing about the Good Condition. Learn more at www.OrisaLifestyle.com/retreat.
"Ibi tí à ńlọ là ńwò, a kìí wo ibi tí a ti ṣubú "We ought to be focused on where we are going, not where we have fallen. It is easy to identify flaws. But unless you can also define desirable outcomes, there is no hope for improvement. What do you aspire to, as a person, a spouse, a parent, a priest? It is utterly essential that you learn to feed the values you espouse and starve those that you abhor. When you and your loved ones demonstrate those traits, you celebrate them vigorously. Let your people know what you're looking for and how it makes you happy.
Within every culture, organization, family and partnership, there are ideal personality types. In the Yoruba world, the ideal person is called Omoluwabi. It can be defined as, "The child who behaves like someone who is properly nurtured and behaves accordingly." In a recent publication, Chief Solagbade Popoola outlines over 40 attributes of Omoluwabi, according to the sacred texts of Ifa. Whereas the Western mind - with its addiction to deductive reasoning - has been conditioned to break down and isolate all the places where we have fallen, Omoluwabi serves an excellent outline for where we are going. Live the medicine! Obafemi Origunwa, MA | www.ObafemiO.com "Ẹyẹ kò lè fi apá kan fò. " Birds can't fly with one wing. Flying, like walking, drumming or family-building, requires balance. Here's the catch: balance is the byproduct of opposition, tension and constant change. Many times, I see you struggle to achieve and sustain balance because you want it to "just be still," but that doesn't happen for long. When I observe nature, I see how the various elements of an ecosystem are in perpetual change. The animals, plants, rivers and even sunlight are continuously shifting. In spite of that fact, the forest, the ocean and the meadow all maintain perfect balance, decade after decade. And so, I pray that you will embrace the tension and short term uncertainty as a necessary part of achieving overall balance. May you be blessed with enough patience to not only endure, but to soar high above it all. Ase!
Obafemi Origunwa, MA | www.ObafemiO.com "Bí a bá ṣe'ni lóore, ọpẹ́ là ńdá. " If one has been favored with kindness, one ought to give thanks. As we aspire to self mastery, we meet gratitude along the way. Eventually, we reach the limitations of our talents, attitudes and good luck. It is in those times that we come to appreciate the fact that a single tree does not make a forest; we desperately need other people to support and uplift us. There is no way around this truth. Every one of us is where we are because somebody else saw something inside of us that was worth defending and celebrating. For that, let us give thanks!
Obafemio Origunwa, MA. | www.ObafemiO.com Owonrinyeku
Okanyekuyeku Yeku, the son of Orunmila divined for Orunmila On the day he had no money to spend He was asked to perform an offering He heard about the offering and performed it Ever since, he began to have money at home - Holy Odu OwonrinOyeku Money at home is different from money in the streets or money in the market. When you have money at home, you're taking care of the business of uplifting your family; food, clothes, shelter, medicine, books, tuition, extracurricular activities, vacations and so on. Orisa Lifestyle prioritizes strengthening the family for generations to come, which cannot be done without money. That said, you need to realize the fact that money doesn't come only from a paycheck! You must also be an entrepreneur. A job will pay you according to what is convenient to your employer. Your business will pay you according to the intelligence of your hustle. Live the medicine. Learn more about how money can heal at www.Agbole.weebly.com Integration poisoned the minds of many Africans in America. By instilling the idea that if you could only get enough education, Christianity, money or White friends, then you could be accepted as an equal. This is fool's gold if there ever was. Sociologists call it assimilation. But the rage of a privileged class is fueled by the stark contradiction between the American dream and institutionalized White supremacism. Nobody wants you to be equal nor accepted because that would require a redistribution of wealth. Nobody is going to reduce their slice of the pie just because it's fair. Assimilation is a lie.
Fortunately, there is an even greater prospect than assimilation. It's called autonomy. Imagine making decisions without having to concern yourself with what White folk think. Imagine what it would be to ignore everything Plato, Jesus, Greenspan, Goldman & Sachs and Iggy have ever said because they are completely irrelevant to you. Autonomous African communities make decisions based upon the collective will of their people. When I say "Live the medicine" I am inviting you to practice at autonomy. I am urging you to think African, feel African, buy African, worship African, love African because you are African. African Obafemi Origunwa, MA | www. ObafemiO.com "Bí orí ṣe tó ló ṣe ńfọ́ olórí " As a head is in size, so it aches the owner. Stated another way, to whom much is given much is expected. Likewise, even the imbecile has his own little problems. The challenge is to prevent the imbeciles problems from dominating the larger conversation. When you fail to prioritize the guiding principles - of your life, your family, your community - you will be trapped in low-level quarrels that never yield any real value. This is not to suggest that one person is more valuable than another, but the decisions of some people certainly have greater impact than others. And when you prioritize the high impact decisions, it will increase everyone's capacity to address the less impactful areas of concern. Leadership, after all, depends entirely upon your ability to make high quality decisions. Live the medicine.
Obafemi Origunwa, MA | www.ObafemiO.com As parents and teachers, we know that the next generation must be prepared to do more, go further and attain more than we have. This compulsion to improve is not driven by greed, but rather reflects the realizations that come with age. That is, as you get older and experience more, you discover some of fhe hidden pathways to success - as well as failure - and you want the next generation to protect the family's interests the best way possible. In the Holy Odu OwonrinOsa, Orunmila predicts the arrival of students who will definitely surpass the teacher in due time:
Owonringasa Cast divination for Orunmila On the day he will initiate a child Who will become cleverer than him Akoda, Aseda, and Araba Are second in rank to Babalawo The crown upon the head shall come from a brass bell The beads upon the neck shall come from a brass bell The brilliant color purple upon the shoulder originates in a cluster of banana trees - Holy Odu OwonrinOsa Now, it is very important to give consideration to some of the things that happen when the adult meets the student or child who will outshine him someday. While the average student struggles to focus and keep up with the lessons, the brilliant student absorbs knowledge quickly and even fires off penetrating questions. The result is often disruptive because it deviates from the planned lesson or course of action. Consequently, you are forced to adjust somehow. You might feel frustrated. You might feel embarrassed. You might feel disrespected. But whatever range of emotions you experience when teaching the exceptional person of any age, the challenge is to address her needs without promoting arrogance or entitlement. As simple as this statement is, it reflects a delicate balancing act. On one hand, the teacher cannot block the student's light. On the other hand, the teacher cannot allow the student to over estimate the significance of her talents. Both extremes are pitfalls that will prevent continuous improvement. In the long run, the teacher - and the parent, for that matter - have to prepare differently. This is one aspect wherein Ifa divination becomes very helpful. Ifa divination helps you to anticipate upcoming needs and tailor your approach to match the conditions you will soon encounter. In verses like OwonrinOsa cited above, Ifa offers advice, sacrifices, medicines and taboos to observe in order to optimize the talents of your students, direct reports or children. What is important here is the fact that power dynamics must be managed effectively in order to honor the spirit of continuous improvement. The brilliant student must be redirected appropriately do that her abilities complement her destiny and support collective development, too. The OLA16 platform offers a variety of learning opportunities designed to help you optimize your natural gifts and talents and inspire others to do the same. The member site, fundamentals courses, annual retreat, weekly worship and community ceremonies all work together to help you live the medicine at home, in the shrine and in the greater community as well. "Ẹni tó bá ní kọ̀rẹ́ òun má jọba olúwarẹ̀ ò ní lọ̀rẹ́ ọba. " Whoever obstructs his friend from becoming a king, won't have a king as a friend. It is a proverb that brings to mind the fact that destiny is in the hands of Olodumare and carried out by Ori. The people of the world can either support one another's destinies or not. Most times, it is quite impossible to thwart destiny because - as the oriki teach us - Ori is that thing your adversaries cannot see and cannot know. It is what makes you truly invincible. So, the one destined to ascend the throne cannot help but to ascend it. Those who try to delay or obstruct your destiny only do across disservice to themselves by relinquishing the opportunity to support the manifestation of greatness on Earth. Live the medicine.
Obafemi Origunwa, MA | www.ObafemiO.com Every one of us has a priesthood, represented by our name and contribution. This priesthood is defined by lineage and has a host of associated behaviors. Your personal priesthood is quite different from your religion. It is not relegated to any sect or denomination. Instead, your personal priesthood will influence all of your relationships and affect how you are perceived and respected in the world.
You can either actively manage your personal priesthood with discipline and consistency over time, or you can allow yourself to drift off course and just go with the flow. And, whereas there is a huge benefit to actively managing your personal priesthood, there are even greater risks to refusing to manage it effectively. The most detrimental effect is wreckless individualism, which results from not understanding your relationship to family (including ancestors), friends and community. Here is a road map to getting control of your personal priesthood: ASSESS AND DEFINE WHO YOU SERVE Describe the group of people who you would like to have the right impression of you. Who enjoys spending time with you? Who admires you? Who do you most want to respect you? Years ago, for example, I decided to focus upon human services professionals, Pan Africanists, and health-conscious families. I chose these groups because I had done my best work with people who belonged to these groups. So, in order to define who you serve, identify a few individuals who exemplify the groups you serve best. Let them be your muse and your model. Pick out the details of their lives; their gender, age, preferences, education, etc. What do you know about them? What is it about them that enables you to do your best work? EVALUATE YOUR IMAGE Be brutally honest with yourself. What are your positives? Why do people respect you? Why do some like to be with you? What are your negatives? Why do some people disrespect you? Why are some not attracted to you? What annoys people about you? What do people think of you, in terms of your personality, appearance, skills, and your circle of friends? Do people like you? After you have an idea of your image, you need to get input from others to see what you are still missing. As you might imagine, some of the feedback is not so easy to take. But you have to decide you want it more than you're afraid of it. Ask the tough questions about yourself and be a good listener. MAKE A LIST Now that you know a bit more about how you are perceived, think about how you would LIKE to be perceived. Perhaps, you would like to be stimulating, well-versed in your field, a trend-setter, funny, kind, thoughtful, friendly, adventurous, calm in crises, competitive, competent, creative, environmentally conscious, or something else altogether. It's up to you. When your name comes up, what characteristics would you like to come to mind? Evaluate the elements on the list in relation to the people you serve. Delete everything that will not impress the people you serve. Delete everything that you cannot do with EXCELLENCE. Then group the remaining characteristics into concepts or themes. Prioritize the elements by their impact. Which ones make the most money? which ones COST the most money? Which ones do people like the most? Two to four of the most important elements will be central to your vision. They should be the most important influence on how you create and sustain your relationships. The remaining things are taboo. They are activities you need to either avoid because they mess up relationships or you need to practice under strict rules and discipline. Either way, these are what I call Orisa Lifestyle Agreements. They are small actions that have a big impact on key aspects of your life's purpose. Identify what you need to work on FIRST. Get involved in programs and activities that develop or nurture your skills. Maybe one of your elements is positivity. Your activities could involve daily positive behavior goals. Or maybe you’d like to be more compassionate and kind. You might need to develop the habit of performing small acts of kindness. You need to be able to deliver on your vision, and that might require changes in habit and not just image. PLAN YOUR COMMUNICATION This is so important. Think of it as your bed side manner, in the sense that being a good doctor is more than just procedure and technique. It also requires that you know how to talk to your patients about their condition and what you're doing about it. How can you communicate your vision of personal priesthood? Don't just leave it to chance and hope that people figure out who you are. Be specific about what you say, when you say it and what media you employ to say it. This might seem contrived and forced at first. But gradually, you'll see the difference in who actually responds to you. You'll actually be surprised at how you have not gotten credit for your contribution merely because you had not properly communicated your vision. When I say communication, I mean consciously change your activities, your appearance, your companions and your interaction patterns. Be consistent and persistent. Develop visible ways to represent yourself. The key is to let people know! HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE Managing your personal priesthood will take uncomfortable introspection and discipline. It will require that you focus your thoughts and actions in order to avoiding being seen as out of character. If you're inconsistent, people will be confused and they won't trust you. So, as difficult as it may be, it will prove worthwhile, personally, professionally and spiritually. Obafemi Origunwa, MA | www.ObafemiO.com Available for lectures, workshops and consultation. |
Live the MedicineObafemi Origunwa, MAThought leader, Ifa priest and author of four definitive books, Obafemi Origunwa inspires metamorphosis through living the medicine that will heal your life and heal the lives of the people you're destined to serve. ![]() Raise Awareness
![]() Internalize Principles
![]() Embody Truth
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