By Inok Solomon
There is need for us to start thinking in terms of abundance instead of scarcity. Time to appreciate the chase of abundance instead of wallowing in the bed room of scarcity, lack, and impossibilities. Time to take steps above just the power of positive thinking, and tell ourselves the truth. Much more is involve.
To make this change of mind is our only way to end poverty, fear, joblessness, insecurity, infant and maternal death, insurgencies and doubts.
Every time we have applied our minds and creativity, bringing information and new technology to our finite resources, we have expanded our resources, not diminished them.
In the 1980s, for instance, chicken, TV and Cars were essential commodities, even when we thought and sing about the power of our Naira then compared to today. Chicken was considered to be a rare food delicacy for many families, only eaten as a Sunday meal for some middle class and as only Christmas meal for many others. Today, Chicken is like Sweet along our streets in towns and villages. Many of us can tell stories on how we queue at windows to watch New Masquerade, an NTA drama programme. Cars were owned by few very rich, but today, we choose from the latest technology built.
GSM phones came and it was as if for the few rich, and today, Obasanjor is appreciated when GSM is mentioned.
Even when growing methods are under scrutiny, improvements are made by day, this shows how technology and creative thinking can increase our abundance.
A research proves how Japanese response to worldwide gasoline prices. As fossil fuels became increasingly expensive, they responded by developing far more efficient cars, in many cases doubling and tripling gas mileage over Detract’s typical models, without compromising comfort, said the report.
Abundance came not by finding new oil fields but by drawing upon knowledge and creativity to double and triple the use of what we already have.
Another breakthrough in the theory of abundance is recycling, making use of our abundant resources in what was once considered waste. When low – cost, non – polluting, renewable energy is combined with recycled resources, economic renaissance is unprecedented.
But in all these, prosperity will only go to those who think differently. With abundant untapped natural resources, coupled with a huge amount of waste waiting to be recycled, given that by day, we see industries sprouting up in the building industry, with installation, wallboard, doors, structural trusses and ornamentation being produced with recycled materials.
The Governor Ayade administration score a point of being up to date then in creating the “Scrap Agency.”
No growing economy today, depend on Malthusian theory of Scarcity. Many who have, are now retired or death and new thinkers in the principle of abundance are taking control.
Today, Governor Ayade’s trips across the world to sort for investors, can simply be termed, “A search for new principle of abundance.” The Malthusian among us will not understand they are retired, or even death. They form the “doubting Thomas.” Questioning ideas and creativity as being too wasteful.
How do one call any creative venture waste? Is petty, shallow, unthinkable in our modern clime, were the waste of million years ago, are now the raw materials of today.
So what can we do as a state and people? We need to get away from those not seeking ideas, get out from those who only want little more than their pay check and raises. We need to get away from the system that raises prices without improvement in the product or service.
We are in the midst of an information revolution. Wealth will go to those who use technology to advance abundance, not to those who perpetuate scarcity. Greed and hoarding are unethical today. It may have been ethical to be greedy when there was limited information, but the explosion in information makes greed an idea whose time is in the past.
Governor Ayade is calling on all Cross Riverians to think along the lines of abundance and embrace creativity.