by
Patrick Ogungbola
MD/ CEO, BLUEHEDGE REALTORS
We welcome you to another brand new month – the month of July 2020, which also marks the beginning of the second half of the year.
Looking back to the happenings this year, most especially with the outbreak of COVID-19 and the fear and seeming hopelessness it has caused for so many, we believe our article of July 2015 titled, ‘Never ever give up, never’ is still very much relevant here. You can read here (https://bit.ly/3ihmc69).
In the above referenced article, we reminded our readers about the historic Olympic football match of Atlanta 1996 between Nigeria and Brazil. Just like today, Brazil was as dreaded as COVID-19 when it comes to soccer, you just don’t want to meet with them.
For the benefit of some of our readers who didn’t know what happened then, let’s do a quick recap:
During the semi-final of the above match, the score line for the first half was ‘Brazil 3, Nigeria 1’. Brazil had previously beaten Nigeria 1 – 0 in the group stage of the competition and they seem to have weighed them out again. So the Brazilian coach began to substitute his key players like Ronaldo, Juninho, etc to preserve them for the finals (which unknown to him will never come to be).
The Nigeria team like wounded lions woke up from their slumber at the 78th minutes when Victor Ikpeba stroked from 20 metres to score the second goal and the pressure came upon Brazil. The Nigeria team got so motivated and they began to fire from every angle as the Brazilians struggled to contain them. And just 2 minutes to full time, Kanu Nwankwo turned and flipped the ball over Dida, the Brazilian goal keeper, for the equalizer, which forced the match into overtime. For the first time, the golden goal rule was in force, meaning the first team to score in extra time would win the match. Kanu secured his role as the man of the match by scoring just minutes into extra time. History was further made as the Super Eagles of Nigeria made it into the Guinness book of records as Nigeria became the First Third World Nation to win the Olympics Gold Medal for Soccer.
The lessons in the above narrated match are very obvious, and they are:
(i) You don’t judge a match (or any event) by the result of the first half; an unexpected, unanticipated occurrence can still happen at the second half which can turn things around. January to June may not have been too fantastic because of the COVID-19 and the continuous lockdown, however, July to December presents us the opportunity to make up for the losses of time and other resources. There’s no point crying over spilled milk, let’s get up and begin again.
(ii) The second lesson here is that you may have performed excellently well during the first half (like the Brazilians), but the second half is not the time to relax or rest, you need to refire and surpass the first half performance. It’s not over until the referee blows the final whistle. Only those that endure to the end shall be saved.
Our recent articles have thrown light into the immense opportunities that come with this period. Only the weak will throw in the towel at this time.
The above being said, we must realize that there’s really nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). There is nothing that is happening now, that has not happened before in one way or the other; times may change, but the principles of life remains the same. As sophisticated and refined life becomes, certain things can never change. Remember,
“As long as the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease (Genesis 8:22)”
This is what we are talking about. For instance, will there ever be a time when human being (and even animals) will stop eating and breathing to stay alive? No matter how sophisticated and complex technology becomes, you must plant before you can think of harvest. In the same vein, man and woman must come together for procreation to happen. Science and technology can’t do anything about that; these are laws of nature that can never be tampered with. It is the investment of today that guarantees dividend tomorrow. For instance, it will be a mistake and at the same time an error to get dividends from First Bank of Nigeria when you have never bought their shares. You can’t also withdraw from an account you have not opened.
These are basics and when you pay attention to the basics, you can hardly go wrong. Let’s get back to the basics. Getting back-to-basics is an emphasis on simplicity and adherence to fundamental principles; it is paying attention to what really matters. The world we live in is getting complex and complicated, and hence the inherent confusion we are currently experiencing. It’s high time we retraced our step back to where we missed it.
We must not get too carried away by the ‘virtual technologies’ of today. Yes, science and technology have advanced our lives and by extension our world, but we must know when to draw the line. The technologies of today are meant to make things easy for us, and not to complicate it. When we become too addicted to them, then there’s a problem.
As funny as it may seem, even the foods we eat today have become complex to the extent that we keep experimenting different combinations, and the effects are the many cancerous diseases we currently face as well as the shortened life span. Many of us have lost touch with reality since almost everything is ‘virtual’. But as virtual as everything may become, certain things can never be virtual. Come to think of it, can there ever be ‘virtual food’, ‘virtual clothes’, ‘virtual homes’, ‘virtual cars’ (an invisible car that will transport you), etc. Let’s get real!
There was a time in history when most of the ‘stuffs’ we have today were practically non-existent, and the people of those times were living and enjoying lives ‘to the fullest’ at least by the standard of their days.
It is the candid opinion of this writer that the simpler our lives become, the better for all of us. I think the best question we need to ponder on is ‘how to use technology to our advantages without losing touch on the basics’.
One of the basics of life you may need to consider is shelter. Till the end of time, human beings will continue to live in houses. Houses and other places of abode will forever be relevant. There’s a kind of feeling you get when you own a piece of real estate; you feel confident and unshaken.
The importance of owning your own home has even become more critical at this period when we are encouraged to ‘stay-at-home’. A tenant who knows he must pay his rent cannot afford to stay at home, but a Landlord can decide to be at ease and be sleeping at home since he knows the Tenant must work to pay him. Indeed, owning your own home is at the centre of everything, it gives you peace of mind which money can’t buy. And mind you, the most important thing you need to own a home is not money, it is the DECISION to own one. You can have all the money, but without the decision to achieve something, you won’t. At Bluehedge Realtors, we can help you achieve your real estate dream!
We wish you the very best in the month of July 2020.
As usual, we want to remind you that we care so much about you, and that when it comes to your real estate investment and advisory, we are always here to give you the very best service you can never get elsewhere. This is our promise, and will always be.
Meanwhile, please find below the powerpoint presentations of our current properties for sale in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Thank you.
Affordable Properties For Sale in LAGOS, Nigeria
Affordable Properties For Sale in ABUJA, FCT, Nigeria
Affordable Properties For Sale in PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE, Nigeria
