UNLOCKING YOUR POTENTIALS DURING LOCKDOWN, By Dr. Yemisi Bamgbose

The lockdown has  commenced fully. In Ogun state it is called "cessation of movement". In some other states it is branded as sit at home, curfew or restrictions of movement among other titles. Whatever name it is given, the summation of it all  is that with the  exemption of few people that their jobs have been categorized as essential duties,the rest of us  will have to sit at home in our own as well as in public interest. Interestingly the lockdown can be said to be Worldwide.Yoruba will say " O kari aye, aso onisuga" meaning that the  incident is universal.

The challenge before most people now, apart from lack of enough food to sustain the family within the period which has been described as " first instance"is how to keep indoor for 14 good days without going out.It looks difficult and truly it could be difficult most especially for most of us that are hyper active. But we have no choice in the current situation but to mortify our restlessness body  except if we want to violate the government directives and doing that could be devastating.There is no doubt that staying indoors for 2 weeks if not properly managed could  lead into so many unpalatable things including, fear ,anxiety and depression  or activate detrimental health issues that could lead to quick departure to eternity.  However the lockdown could be an opportunity for many to unlock their potentials. Many,for example, have been nursing the idea of writing their autobiographies but nature of job does not permit.This is the time to put pen on paper. Some have potentials of writing textbooks for one educational level or the other,the opportunity you have been waiting for is here .What  about  songs composition and  playwriting among other profitable things?  It may  sound like Greek, but my personal experience, has taught me ,that ,good ideas  come in to the brain when you are alone and  free from hustle and burstle of official assignments. I could recollect that ideas of most of my  popular television programmes were conceived whenever  I was lockdown by malaria  to stay at home for about a week. I had noticed that as soon as I began to recover,my thinking faculty will reset itself and numerous ideas will begin to flow. When you engage your brain in profitable thinking,you run away completely from unnecessary anxiety, fear and  depression. Professor Wole Soyinka  wrote the book "The Man Died" while he was lockdown in the prison. Yes,there is lockdown but we  are not locked in prison. We have access to nearly everything including your husband or wife as the case may be.We can use the opportunity to unlock our inherent talents  and functional  skills that we learnt in school that lack of chance and time have prevented us from utilizing. 

I have devised the following ways to engage myself and I test ran it yesterday as follows :

(1) Begin family prayers at 5.30 am for between 30 minutes and I hr;

(2) Body exercise by walking around the house for a minimum of 30 minutes.Even if you have not been doing it before you can start today. You will be surprised some ailments will disappear. Your body will be light. Blood circulation will be enhanced;

(3) Take your bath and prepare for your breakfast;

(4) It is likely to have the tendency to sleep immediately after the breakfast .Nothing bad in dosing  off.That is when your brain will begin the process of resetting. When you wakeup you will feel relaxed with the urge of doing something. You can listen to radio, engage in social media briefly and read old newspapers if you don't have access to fresh dailies or read books in your area of interest. Put pen and paper beside you as ideas may begin to flow. This will likely engages you to the period of lunch;

(5) Your brain might call for rest for short period of time, there is nothing bad in taking a snap;

(6) Engage yourself in the word of God by reading the scriptures. You will be highly inspired and this could lead into seeing vision or revelation. 

(7) Between 5.30 and 6.30pm engage in body exercises ,take your bath,eat dinner and listen to news through Television. It is likely you sleep off while watching Television only to wake later to meditate and pray and sleep again. 

(8) Interact with family members, especially your children. You can encourage them to ask you any questions bothering their mind.

Somtimes a go a friend of mine at Ibadan asked his children to ask him any questions on anything. He was surprised when one of them, a boy turned to his sister and " my sister this is the opportunity to lay all that your complaints before Daddy now or don't ever raise it again ".And the sister ( daughter of my friend) said " daddy why is it that you have left all responsibility for mummy alone, mummy pays our school fees, buy us clothes and the little you give for food monthly does not last a week. You have been starving us but you take care of your own sisters and  brothers. Daddy she continued, it is  so bad that you could not buy us Christmas clothes. Why have you been doing this to us your children and you will be laughing with us whenever you are around?.My friend told me he was shivering. Luckily the wife was there when his daughter was speaking. He  he asked his wife to comment and she started rambling. My friend used the opportunity to set the records straight and after much evidence including bank statements on his phone bearing his salary and his monthly transfer to his wife account, the daughter asked her mother to react and she began to cry. My friend told me  since that day he pays the children school fees directly by himself and has been given the children money directly during Christmas to buy clothes. The daughter told her mother "mum it is difficult for me  from today to believe whatever you say".

We can use this period to resolve things with our immediate family members in a peaceful manner and you will have peace of mind.

 **YEMISI BAMGBOSE*