Building A World Changing Mentality

Isaac Newton once postulated that, “if I have seen farther, it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” The essence of this write up is to help you cultivate and activate the World changing mentality in you; showcasing the feats of the movers and shakers of the World, as well as making you the next world changer.

Who are the World changers? They are men and women that have suffered hardship and trying time, and have the determination of ending it. They are those who, on the course of their research and undertakings, have discovered that the World is battling a series of problems and have devised means to solving the problems. They place global development, peace and progress as their first priority. World changers are World builders, they may not build an empire, but they can transform empires. They are those who influence others with their lifestyles and affect others positively. Give me hundred World changers and I will show you hundred inspiring and motivating feats. Give more and I will show you more. They create feats, make landmarks and set paces. They are the crusaders, they move for anything that can make the World a better place. They are men and women who believe in the potentialities and power of their dreams.

George Simon Ohm was one of the great pioneers of electricity. He was born in the Bavarian city of Erlangen in 1787. Ohm’s father was a locksmith for the University of Erlangen, with a taste for Mathematics. He was brought up with training in two lines, but he liked Mathematics better than locksmithing. He was a dedicated school teacher nearly all his life but his good teachings though appreciated, but there was never any promotion.

The only way he knew to receive a hearty welcome at the Universities was to write and publish a paper on some original scientific studies. He opted for electricity; he decided to experiment in this field in the year 1824. He built a simple apparatus and his joy was hinged on the skills he had acquired as a locksmith. He arrived at an important law by 1827, and in that year, he published the book, The Galvanic Circuit Investigated Mathematically.

Ohm’s book attracted a lot of criticism, the book was bitterly criticized. Ohm earned barely enough to live. He spent his days in teaching Elementary Mathematics to boys who detested the work. There was even less chance of an appointment to a University Professorship. Ohm could not even return to his place at Cologne. He resigned of his own will, his long-hoped for success was a miserable failure, and instead of being called to a University, he was driven to private tutoring in Berlin. Life that had long been disappointing was now utterly discouraging.

A marked improvement came when King Ludwig I of Bavarian was interested in the Polytechnic School in his City of Nuremberg, and he was anxious to increase its importance and enlarge its faculty. At about this time, some word of Ohm’s book began to spread among the Scientists of France, from there, it became known in England. And even from the beginning, a few German Scientists had accepted it as valuable work. From some of these, word reached the authorities of King Ludwig’s School that a first class Mathematician and Physicist could be obtained for their faculty, and Ohm was appointed Professor of Physics at Nuremberg.

Ohm stayed at Nuremberg for sixteen years during which he began to receive honour that had been so long delayed by the Berlin Scientists in 1827. First was the Copley Medal from the Royal Society of London. Then memberships in English and French Societies, And finally, the last honour from His own Country. Ohm was invited to be Professor of Physics in the University of Munich. He was sixty-five years old when called to Munich. Recognition of his work had been delayed for twenty years too long. He lived to teach at the University of Munich for two years, and by that time, his law was known and accepted throughout the World.

Are you doing something that can shape this World positively? Do not relent in your efforts. Despite traumatic experiences and disappointment, George Simon Ohm in company of the Faradays of this World became one of the great pioneers of Electricity. He became a light that brightens every dark nook and crannies of our World. Thomas Edison discovered the light bulb amidst failure and many trials. Philip Emeagwali, a Nigerian was profiled as an Internet Pioneer despite discouragement. Hafsat Abiola-Costello becomes a crusader of democracy. Abraham Lincoln amidst failures and disappointment became the 16^th president of the United States of America, and he issued the law that freed the black slaves in America. Isaac Newton invented telescope, introduced the law of integral calculus, the law of motion, law of gravity and other works he masterminded that benefited the Whole World. He imprinted his name on the annals of the World Builders. Martin Luther King Jr once said that “if a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Ludwig Van Beethoven composed music or William Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that man and angels will pause and say,” Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well”.

Tips to become the next World Changer

– Discover your dream. It is what you discover that you will recover.

– Do not share your six feet (dream) with somebody that sees Lilliputian in you.

– Harness your innate potentialities and power.

– Possess a strong belief in your beautiful dream of affecting life positively.

– Do not procrastinate. You have something to offer the World, do it now and never post pone it.

– Learn from the foot-prints of those who have passed the same way. Henry Ford once said that the moment you stop learning, you start dying.

– Do something every single day towards your goals, start where you are with what you have and in due course, your dream will bring you into limelight.

– Possess a positive attitude. Always remember that your attitude determines your altitude in life.

– Do not be distracted by past failure, be a change!

I remember the words of Chidi Opaluba. He said, “Before you can achieve what has not been achieved before, you have to be what you have not been before.” I remember a question my friend asked me, “Is there anything one can invent again?”. He was thinking if there is anything to create again as much of what we need has been invented. I answered him that if someone discovers an atomic bomb, you discover its detonator, if someone discovers guns, you discover bulletproofs, and if someone has a weapon of mass destruction, go and invent a weapon of mass construction and always remember, “we can make the World a better, safer place for all. You are the next World Changer.