4 life lessons you can learn from Kanye West
This is a women-focused platform, right? Now I’m pro-women, so I won’t pretend that the unfortunate misogynistic way Kanye West sometimes refers to women in his music doesn’t make me squirm. Still, I can say that Kanye is one of my favourite public personalities. Now, usually, when I tell people this, I immediately drop a bit on their respectability scale. I’m surprisingly okay with this. His creativity is the stuff of legends, and having watched him over the years, this visionary artist has given me a few good ideas about life. “Don’t tell me about being likeable” When this modern day philosopher appeared on The Ellen Show , he came ready to inspire. Kanye started off by lamenting the fact that so many great innovators are dead. Then he challenged the fascination people have with being ‘likeable’, as opposed to being great. Firstly let me say; I do believe that you should be able to read your audience. Not everyday do ‘The Most’. The message is just as important as the delivery. One of my favourites, Melody Hobson calls the art of doing this ‘making yourself small to win’. However, the way that my personality is set up…in my experience, assertive and aggressive are sometimes used interchangeably when describing women leaders. It’s an unfortunate way that my cultural context, personality, and #MotherlandMogul goals intersect. While some celebrate assertiveness in women, others are quick to throw out labels like ‘bossy’, ‘pushy’ and others that we probably can’t put up here. Sheryl Sandberg dedicated a whole chapter in her book Lean In to the negative association between success and likeability. Don’t let likeability be a millstone around your neck. Work on what needs to be worked on, but don’t fixate on what is outside of your control. Continuously seek growth like Kanye When the iconic Rockerfeller Records split, this maverick musician had to make a tough choice. Kanye had to decide whether he should continue working with either Jay-Z or Damon Dash, and he opted for the former. Why? Simple, he chose growth. Admitting that he related more to Damon Dash than he did to Jay-Z, he decided that he would stick with Mr. Beyonce because they were so different. I’ve learnt that comfort is the enemy of growth. Karin Sebelin says; “People who agree boost our confidence, but they don’t give us stuff to think about and to grow…We need healthy conflicts and differing perspectives to really become thoughtful and get seduced to think in a deeper way.” Be deliberate about finding people and spaces that help you grow. Conviction is King This is embodied by the hook from his song ‘Can’t Tell Me Nothing’. The rebel rapper sings; “Excuse me, is you saying something? Uh-uh you can’t tell me nothing!” This line highlights what we already know; Kanye West is not someone who is easily swayed. My journey so far has not been linear, and in order to survive periods of uncertainty I have had to learn how toxic doubt can be. I believe we all innately know the way to our own greatness. The key is trusting yourself enough to navigate toward it. Criticism and doubt from ourselves and others stifles this. Tech Entrepreneur Rapelang Rabana shares how her journey required her to have the utmost faith in her conviction. She says; “I had made the decision to start my business despite the confusion, turbulent thoughts and emotions, not knowing what life would hold. Now, the trust I placed in myself to chart my own path has reaped rewards I never could have conceived, all because I dared to listen to myself. Knowing the value of that choice 10 years on gave me great peace.” Learn to reflect and celebrate When I first heard the song ‘Last Call’ I really didn’t get why Kanye would spend over six minutes on an outro that just recounted his rise to success. SIX minutes fam? I now realise how crucial taking a second to remember and honour your journey is. It is about maintaining perspective: the more you are deliberate about keeping it, the more of it you will have. Let me let Oprah say it: “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” What would we do without Kanye West?!
7 history lessons to keep the modern African woman motivated
History is such a fascinating subject. It is very enlightening to be able to study people, places and events which occurred before you because they help shape modern thought and explain the current status quo. We often hear about great heroes and heroines throughout history who have impacted on our world but African women in particular have not received as much spotlight. As Motherland Moguls, we acknowledge and pay our respects to those who have paved the way before us. You’ll notice these women had different methods of achieving their goals but for us what stands out is what we can take away from their stories. This is by no means an exhaustive list, we hope you enjoy our selection nonetheless. Let’s delve into important lessons from our African heroines who remind us that the struggle is not a new one, but indeed we can come out on top as game changers: Yaa Asantewaa Lesson #1: Bravery Yaa Asantewaa was the gatekeeper of the golden stool a symbol of Ashanti supremacy. When her father and brother were exiled by the British colonialists in the 19th century, she charged the Ashanti people to fight for their freedom. Whilst many were afraid to fight, she demonstrated immense bravery even calling on her fellow women to fight if the men would not. She was instrumental in the independence fight leading an army of 5,000 in battle against the British. Margaret Ekpo Lesson #2: Be ingenious Being a woman was not an excuse for Margaret Ekpo. In the early days of her political activism, she found herself being the only woman at a political rally she attended. Unimpressed by this, she tried to get other women to become more involved in political matters. Unfortunately, most men would not permit their wives to do so. She later invested heavily in the salt business during a period of scarcity. Having the upper hand, she refused to sell salt to women who would not join the Aba Market Women Association. As you can guess, she soon had the turnout she was looking for and was able to promote economic empowerment for women through the association. Ahebe Ugbabe Lesson #3: Your pitfalls can become your crowning glory Ahebe Ugbabe is a woman who doesn’t get as much shine as she should in African history. She is hailed as the first female KING of Igboland. Yeah, I wrote that right…king, not queen. What’s most remarkable about her story is that she was able to turn lemons hurled at her into some good ol’ lemonade. Sacrificed to be married to a village deity as penance for her father’s sins, she managed to escape to another community and later returned to be installed as a warrant chief, eventually becoming king! Queen Nzinga Lesson #4: Re-invent yourself where necessary Queen Nzinga of Angola is remembered for her brilliant political prowess. She ruled over the Mbundu people through the aid of the Portuguese colonialists. Prior to her ascension to the throne, women were not allowed to do so. She thus adopted the name Dona Ana de Sousa which had Christian and Portuguese affiliations to ring in their support. At some other point, she is reported to have taken on the title Rainha de Andogo meaning ‘Queen of Andongo’. This queen had so much kickass, we have outlined not one but two lessons from her story. Lesson #5: Elevate yourself when others try to put you down At a conference with the Portuguese authorities, an attempt to humiliate Nzinga was thwarted when she made a conscious effort not to be put down. Offered a seat on a mat as a sign of disrespect, Queen Nzinga sat on her servant’s back to negotiate the peace discussions. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti Lesson #6: Raise a new generation of thinkers A phenomenal woman, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti was an influencer, activist for women’s rights and human rights campaigner. Founder of the Abeokuta Women’s Union, she has been immortalised in history as one of the delegates who negotiated Nigeria’s independence from Britain. She dropped her Christian name ‘Frances Abigail’ in response to the racism she personally encountered in Britain. There is no doubt that she influenced her offspring with her revolutionary ideas as several of them went on to become radical voices against different forms of injustice. Queen Amina of Zaria Lesson #7: Be badass! Queen Amina is hailed as a brilliant military strategist and warrior who performed incredible feats leading her troops into battle, conquering new territory and fortifying the kingdom of Zaria. Referred to as a legend, Queen Amina’s badassery also extended to the control of trade and the erecting of walls surrounding Zaria city. We hope you’ve been doubly inspired and motivated to perform great feats in your chosen professions and the world around you. So, adjust your crowns and let’s get to writing our own amazing stories that will remain ingrained in the sands of time!