For Linda Ikeji and our Collective Lessons in Vulnerability

[leonidawuu]

<br>Let me very first begin this article by saying that I do not know Linda Ikeji personally, we aren’t buddies, and I have actually “met” her only a number of times at celebrations …<br>
<br>Written By:
Francesca Uriri<br>
<br>Published On:
24 Sep 2016<br>
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<br>However with all of that being stated, I also have a deep and abiding respect for her. Is that ironic? Perhaps. But I have actually come to understand that you can disagree with somebody on something and still respect them. Whether you accept it or not, Linda has actually shown through her amazing journey of being a blogger and opinion influencer, that she is an inspiration to countless people all over the world. She has boot strapped her way to success using a design that was when unpopular and discounted. She’s an Outlier, and manages to inspire, prompt and baffle lots of simultaneously, and with fervour.<br>
<br>I can’t consider a great deal of individuals who have actually run a modelling agency, an occasions business, a magazine and a lot of other companies, stopped working at them, and still kept pressing forward. I also don’t know of anybody else (a minimum of not on this side of the planet), who is legally making heaps of money by blogging.
[advertisement] I suggest, before Linda, whoever believed it was possible to buy a home in Banana Island, and open a string of media-related organizations acquired from the proceeds of running a gossip blog? If the United States of America has the “American dream,” then Linda Ifeoma Ikeji has the “Naija Dream.” Strong, unrelenting in its pursuit of happiness and hope, and eventually, successful. Here’s a lady who struck ground absolutely no at some time in her life, and is back to level 100. You have to respect such grit and decision, since as my Sapele individuals will state “E nor simple.”<br>
<br>Linda or “Lin-Lin” as she’s fondly called by those who are close to her turned 36 years old a couple of days back; and to mark her big day, she posted a 14-minute long video on her blog. Within hours of her posting this video, social media was buzzing with all sort of comments and remarks about it – and I understood that I had to see it for myself. 3 minutes into the video, I wasn’t quite sure whether I liked it or not, since it came off as somewhat insincere and scripted; plus Linda looked a little uneasy facing the video camera. However, something altered soon after – I’m not even sure what. But the veneer of coolness cracked, and something more warm, earthy, authentic and vulnerable spilled out.
[ad] And as Linda started to discuss her failures, her desires, her with God, her belief in the validity of her dreams, her utter wonder at how her life turned out, and the affirmation that she still “plans to be around for a very long time,” something in me likewise paved the way to the hope and motivation that she was sharing.<br>
<br>And possibly it was a psychological minute, perhaps that thing was short lived, but I acknowledged it, and I felt it highly. Because it was sincere, effective and sincere. And because one special minute, I forgot about all the times I did not like Linda, or all the bothersome things she had done, and because suspended area, between my laptop screen and her video, I celebrated with her. I cheered her on, and I desperately wanted her to prosper.<br>
<br>So you can envision my irritation when people took simply a couple of seconds of that video – of her wanting a remarkable man for an other half – and turned it into an event for awful banter, ridiculous rhetoric and upsetting remarks. How do you condense ALL she said, and narrow that down to simply one sector of her video? What is incorrect if she freely (and extremely honestly I might add), spoke about what she wants? Is her desire for a husband somehow less legitimate or disgraceful because she discussed it outdoors? If she had spoken about further growing her business or purchasing another house – would those declarations be fulfilled with derisive remarks? Exists not a quiet strength and self-respect in such a guileless program of vulnerability? When individuals honestly and honestly open up themselves, the least we can do, the least we ought to do as human beings is to accord them the respect and self-respect that they are worthy of.<br>

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