“Madụ bụ chi ibe ya”

(Mankind is god to his fellow man)

Welcome to Step 13. If we were to journey back to a traditional compound (ezi) in Igboland, we would observe that a place usually at the center, which was the most important building. This place, known as the obi, was where the owner of the compound lived. And it’s no coincidence that the same word for obi is also used for the heart.  Of all of your organs, the heart is the most critical to life itself. When it stops beating, your life literally comes to an end. The emotion usually associated with the heart is love, which in Igbo is known as ifunanya, and that’s also the name of this final step.

What is love? A whole library could be filled with literature, music and arts about this topic. Whether it’s love between human beings, love of objects, love is something that everyone has an opinion on. For this step, the type of love that we are going to focus on is human love. And  two of the main ways that human love is expressed: in a more selfish way, and a more selfless way.

Those whose expression of love is mostly the selfish type have love of self as their primary (and sometimes sole) motivation. Self centered humans develop a false belief that the world revolves around them. When it comes to anything they do, their main motivation is to satisfy their needs and wants. Even if they are engaged in activities that can be of benefit to others, it’s almost never for the right reasons. 

Overly selfish people often usually care more about ideas and concepts than other people. If they even know what consequences are, they don’t care about them so long as negative ones don’t impact them personally. Humans who are stuck at this level of love have the capacity for the greatest destruction of both themselves and others. 

“It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed” – Napoleon Hill

Those who operate at a much higher level of love are those who have love of others as their primary motivation. They engage in more selfless thoughts and actions and are usually described as having empathy. If they don’t want something done to them, they try not to do it to others. They try to remember how the consequences of their actions will impact others, even if it doesn’t negatively affect them personally. 

People at this higher love level have realized that the Chi na Eke that resides in them also is connected to the Chi na Eke that resides in others. Therefore, anything that they do to others will have an impact on them, whether they acknowledge it or not. When their Ikenga is in a position of authority, they desire to serve, guide and lead, instead of ruling over. When their Ikenga is one of a fighter, it’s the type of fighter who does it for others, especially those who are unable to fight for themselves. 

The dreams (nro) that they are working into turning into reality are the types that benefit more than just themselves. And the destiny (akaraka) that they have chosen involve them having a positive impact on others.  They always come to the conclusion that they don’t know everything, and that it’s much better to learn from the experience of others than to try to experience everything on their own. And they are happy to share whatever wisdom they have. That makes them lovers of wisdom, which we know as being in the state of Ako bu Ije. 

Those at this higher love level realize that the same air that fills their lungs during their ume ndu practices has been inhaled and exhaled by others; and that increasing the abundance (aku na uba) of others helps them increase their own abundance, rather than diminish it. They recognize those who came before them, as well as those who helped them get to where they are today. And when they engage in any transformative process, they’ll make sure it’s not at the expense of others.  They forgive themselves and also forgive others. They are patient in their own affairs and are also patient with their fellow human beings.

Have you noticed that a fair amount, if not most of the “greatest” things you have done were usually for other people? Those that engage in labors of love are usually operating at the highest level. They are the true elites. Their primary motivation isn’t fame, fortune or even greatness. However it’s not uncommon for them to gain these things anyway. If you truly want to maximize your life, consider what you can do out of the love of other people. Whatever path you choose, do it with the higher level of love. Stay blessed and remain loved. 

Step 13: Above all, love is key. I strive to do things with love. And to love others as I love myself. 

“Ife na-azo na-egbu, ife na-egbu egbu na-dzo azo”

“What saves also kills and what kills also saves”

Welcome to step 10. By completing the first nine steps, you’ve now entered into some of the higher lessons. And as a result of you making it this far, I’d like to give you a few gifts I’ve prepared for you. The name of this step is  “Ọgwụ”, which is usually translated as medicine, but that is just scratching the surface of its meaning. For the purpose of this step, I’d like to give you an additional translation for ọgwụ, which is “change agent.” To those familiar with chemical reactions, the word “catalyst” is also a good synonym. 

Ọgwụ is something causes a measurable change. It can be in the form of an object or an action that is performed. The change from ọgwụ can be slow or it can be quick; it can be positive or negative; it can be subtle or very pronounced. Most of the time, it is associated with a change in one’s health (going from a state of disease to a state of wellness), but the type that I am imparting to you also has to do with your mind, spirit and overall situation in life. So take time to reflect on each bit of ọgwụ that you’re about to receive. 

Nke Ọgwụ Mbụ: The Magic Medicine

For millennia, humans have searched far and wide for a “magic pill.” Sometimes they called this a panacea. Othertimes it was known as the “elixir of life” or the “philosopher’s stone”. Regardless of the name, the magic pill was a singular item or action that one could take and magical results would happen. In some stories, planting magic beans would sprout a stalk that reached to the heavens. In others, ingesting it could give a person superhuman abilities or remove all of the ills in their life. Given its purported benefits it should come as no surprise that countless hours and lives have been spent in its pursuit. And I’m here to give you nke ọgwụ mbụ: There is no magic pill. 

Ironically, if you’ve made it all the way up to step 10, this shouldn’t come as a surprise to you should it? Whether it’s in the form of a particular “ism”, a spiritual practice, charm or sacred object, there is nothing that will be a solution to all of your personal (or societal) problems for all time. Furthermore, there are few good things in life that come extremely quickly. In fact, the good things in life that come quick, be they fortune, money, etc., can leave just as quickly, and usually do. Just about everything that’s truly worth in life is a process. And again, if you’ve made it this far, you’re already aware of this, and this bit of nke ọgwụ simply served as a reminder. 

Nke Ọgwụ Abụọ: The Bitter and Sweet Medicine

The vast majority of ọgwụ used for medicinal purposes is the edible variety. Now when it comes to the ọgwụ that one consumes with their mouths, we are going to focus on two tastes: Sweet, which is pleasing to the tongue, and bitter, that which is not pleasing to the tongue. Pretty much everyone has a sweet tooth to some degree, meaning they enjoy consuming things that are sweet. And while things that are sweet aren’t by themselves bad, too much of such things will cause a number of negative side effects, including rotting of teeth as well as destruction of one’s health. Likewise, when ọgwụ is consumed via the ears, one can fall into the trap of hearing what they want to hear. Over time, this will result in one digging themselves deeper into delusion until they have an inability to tell verifiable reality from their fantasy. Being optimistic is actually very beneficial to one’s success, but excess optimism can be harmful and cause ruin. 

Now, regarding the bitter medicine, one will observe that those ọgwụ that are not sweet to the tongue usually have the biggest positive impact on one’s body and mind. Usually bitter things are associated with poisons (nsi). However, the idea that poison must be bitter is a misunderstanding. I’d argue that most of the poisons that people ingest (through the eyes, ears and mouth in particular) are indeed the sweet kind that will kill you slowly over time. With that being said, one can also ingest too much bitter ọgwụ, and slowly turn into a person with a bitter mindset and demeanor. 

What are the takeaways of this nke ọgwụ? That even good things can be overdone and turn into bad things. Many things that taste sweet are poisonous and bitter medicine is often the best type. 

Nke Ọgwụ Ato: The Medicine Given After Death

Most of the time ọgwụ comes with instructions, not only how much to take but when to take it. It goes without saying that taking medicine early is almost always better than taking it late. Furthermore, when one takes a small amount of particular ọgwụ on regular basis, it becomes preventative medicine and minimize or outright keep certain misfortunes from occurring. One can have the best medicine on the planet, but the longer the delay in taking it, the less effective it will be. In this particular case, procrastination and delay are poisons that neutralize nearly every ọgwụ. At some point, even the most potent ọgwụ will be too little too late, and effectively would be like administrating medicine after death; which of course is ridiculous isn’t it? 

With all of that being said, however you desire to take your ọgwụ , just take it! You’ve already been introduced to several types of ọgwụ in step 7, as you learned about umu ndu. 

Step 10: There are no magic pills, everything is a process. What can harm can also heal and what can heal can also harm. I will not delay, and won’t wait for tomorrow what I can begin today.

Action items: 

Take an honest self evaluation with your current life and decide what changes you’d like to make. Secondly, assess the current things you’re doing that are either slowing down or outright blocking you from those changes becoming your reality. Afterwards, assess the things that you’re currently not doing, that if you were, would bring you closer to your dreams becoming reality; and then start doing them, without delay! And stay tuned for Step 11, which is coming out the next new moon, which is June 10. Yagazie! 

“Abundance is something you already have. You simply must learn to change it from one form to another.” – Omenka Egwuatu Nwa-Ikenga 

A few years ago, a book came out that took the world by storm. Entitled “The Secret”, the book taught people how they can manifest what they desired through something called the law of attraction. Now the purpose of me mentioning this isn’t to analyze the message expressed by that author, but rather draw your attention to an bigger secret that happens to be right in front of your eyes. 

In the last step, you learned the importance of breath. The next step we will focus on the next most important thing, which is water. Humans can survive for minutes without air, but days without water.  And if you were born and raised in Igboland before boreholes, you had two ways of getting water: Fetching or catching.

Let’s first begin with fetching water. The instrument of fetching water would be a clay pot. You would carry this pot on your head as you walked to and from the stream or lake that your community depended on. Now if it was rainy season, you can leave other types of pots outside and let the rain fill them for you. 

You can could utilize this water in several ways. You could utilize it to water your crops during the dry season, or let it happen automatically during rainy season. Of course these crops once harvested would be the main source of food, which is your nourishment.

You could utilize this water for bathing, either in a designated river or in the comfort of your own home. You could use it for washing your hands before and after a meal. You could directly use this water for drinking, or to prepare other drinks or other various meals. The list goes on and on. 

For the purpose of this step, let us define water as a metaphor for the various blessings (ngozi) in life. Good health, wealth, wisdom, etc; Your talents, resources, achievements and so forth. What if I told you that there was an unlimited source of blessings that you could access anytime and anywhere? How much would your life change? How generous would you be with your various blessings if you knew that you had an unlimited supply of them?

Well my brothers and sisters, I have supremely good news to share with you. Circling back to your previous lessons, you’ve learned the importance of your Chi na Eke being in sync with one another. And I’ll give several reminders of why. 

What would happen if you tried to pour one pot into another but they weren’t in alignment? Most of the water would end up on the floor, and go to waste.  Another question is what would happen if the pot you carried to fetch water from the stream had a hole in it? By the time you return back home, it would be empty. Likewise, if the pot you laid outside was covered up by something, then it would be unable to catch water from the sky, and remain empty.

Your Chi na Eke being out of sync is equivalent to the negative scenarios I mentioned above. The Chi, which if you recall was your potential energy, is the source of the water (blessings). And your Eke is the pot that receives the water.  If you recall, your Chi is unlimited. If they are in sync, you will be able to catch all of the water you need. If you decide to either increase the size of your pot or the number of pots you utilize, you will be able to receive more water. If you share the water from your Chi, you can always replenish it because it never runs out. Isn’t this amazing?

The igbo phrase for abundance is Aku na Ụba and that is the name of this step. And the secret that I want to share with you is that abundance is something you already have. And once you learn how to tap into it, you can turn it from one form to another. For most of human history, crops were one of the main forms of wealth, and this continues until today. Its no coincidence that most festivals are agriculture related and involve food and drink.

A seed once planted in healthy soil and given adequate sun and water will eventually grow and yield a harvest. That is one form of abundance by itself, but does not have to stop there. I’d love to give some examples of other forms of plant based abundance that each of you are familiar with.

The edible part of crops when properly cooked and prepared can be transformed into fantastic meals. If you can think about some of your favorite foods and drinks, you will know how much of a blessing it truly is to be able to enjoy them. Some of those edible parts can also be turned into medicines. And when you or a loved one is sick, having the right medicine available can truly be a matter of life or death. 

The non-edible portions can be utilized in a number of ways. The clothing on your body contains fibers that came from a plant, as did the dyes that give it color. Every building you’ve ever seen has plant based materials from various trees or bamboo stems. And of course, paper, musical instruments, books, etc. None of these things would be possible without an abundance of water. 

And once you understand the abundance you already have, you can utilize it to get the type of abundance you want. How do you do that? I’d like to tell you about the 3 phases of abundance:

Phase One: Igbako Ngozi (Counting blessings)

The first phase is taking an inventory. I call this counting your blessings. And I do mean this literally. Take an assessment of your life and take note of all of the good things you have going for you, no matter how trivial or mundane it may seem to you. For people who don’t posses that thing you have, you are indeed more wealthy than they happen to be in that particular area. 

For example, a person who has happy healthy relationships is indeed wealthier in that area than a person who has alot of money but extremely toxic relationships. A person who has fame and fortune but bad health is actually not better than a person that has great health even if they aren’t very wealthy or well known. I will now remind you of some of the forms of abundance that you already possess.

If you are reading or listening to this, then you are literate in at least one language. That is a form of wealth and it opens you up to being able to acquire information, knowledge and information from others. If you recall, we covered this in step 6, which was Ako Bu Ije. And of course, you must have access to the internet, which means you can find information about pretty much anything you can imagine.  If you recall the lessons from Step 4, Nrọ, information and knowledge are actually revealed to you every night when you sleep, including important parts of your destiny (Step 5).

“Peace and blessings manifest with every lesson learned. If your knowledge were your wealth, then it would be well-earned” – Erykah Badu

The next type of abundance is your community, which includes your friends, family, and colleagues. They are the main source of the abundance you have but did not earn. This is the type of abundance that has been given to you as a gift from others. Those of you who grew up in a healthy home environment often don’t realize how much of a blessing it was until you encounter people who did not. The same applies to growing up and living in a safe and friendly environment. Having friends who can be there when you need them, as well as tell you what you need to hear, rather than what you want to hear. And there doesn’t seem to be a greater joy in the world than having a loving partner and sharing your love with children. 

 “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour than silver or gold” (Proverbs 22:1)

“Nwakego” (Children are better than money) – Igbo name 

Another type of abundance is one’s health. Your body is mostly water and not drinking enough will have adverse effects. If you are blessed with the 5 main senses, you are abundant compared to people who are not. People in good health are more productive, accomplish more and usually live longer more fulfilled lives than unhealthy people. 

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Phase Two: Mgbanwe (Transformation)

The type of abundance I’d like to discuss is one that is not the type you have, but the type you can do. If you recall the lesson from the last step, your main task involved things that energized you either after or while you were doing them. The activities that energize you while you’re doing them are usually the same as your talents. And the activities that energize you afterwards are often utilized by successful people before they perform a particular task. Now both of these tie into the next phase of abundance, which is the transformation phase. And also includes the lesson from Step 3, which was Ikenga.

Besides being your self image, Ikenga is also the source of your drive, as well as the tools you need to accomplish your tasks. Its not a coincidence, that in ancient Igboland, Ikenga was associated with blacksmiths. The same way that blacksmiths turn iron ore into various types of objects, you too can turn your time, talents, knowledge, etc. into money, prestige, power, etc. However one has to be willing to take the initiative, endure through thick and thin, stay the course, etc.

Ikenga also teaches you that you can achieve tasks quicker and easier if you work with others rather than trying to do everything yourself. Being able to work together with others will result in something known as synergy, which is energy that is greater than the sum total of all of your individual energies. And just like the blacksmiths utilize a tremendous flow of air in their forging process, if you utilize your umu ndu practices to supercharge your Ikenga, you can now turn the abundance you have into the types of abundance you want.

Phase Three: Inye (Giving)

And the last phase and one of the most overlooked of them all is that of sharing. As I said earlier, the blessings that come from your Chi are infinite. It’s not just a coincidence that the infinity symbol is the number of this step turned on it’s side. 

If you are tapped into something that has an unlimited supply, isn’t that more than you can possibly utilize for yourself? And if you have more than you need, why not share with someone who needs it more than you? My brothers and sisters, actively sharing your abundance in a sincere and wise way will not only keep the waters from your Chi flowing, but also increase the amount you can receive.

Sincere giving is one done without expectation of a return. It’s when you give not because you want attention, control or a favor in the future. A very simple test would be whether or not you would still give if you didn’t get any credit for it (i.e anonymously). Wise giving is when you give in such a way that it helps further the growth of those who receive it. For some people, receiving too much or too soon can be detrimental to their growth, especially if they need to eventually learn to be independent. Utilize your judgment (Ako bu Ije).

Regardless, the key thing to remember is that increasing the abundance of others does not have to diminish your own. In fact it can do the opposite, in ways you may not expect or realize until afterwards. Despite what you may have heard, life is not a zero sum game. A person does not have to win at the expense of others. Win-win scenarios are what you should strive for.

As a recap: If your Chi na Eke is in sync, you can tap into an infinite source of abundance. You first must take inventory of what you have by counting your blessings, and then utilize what you have (blessings + talents) to get the things you desire. You will have better success if you work well with others than if you try to do everything on your own. And of course along the way, give sincerely, wisely and cheerfully to those who need more than you do. 

Step 8: I recognize that I already have abundance, and must learn to change it from one form to another. Increasing the abundance of others does not diminish my own.

Action Items:

Engage in regular practice of igbako ngozi. Whatever the frequency, make sure you keep up with it. I recommend a journal or a visual representation that you can look at frequently (Such as a vision board but for your blessings)

Take initiative on a task if you haven’t already done so

Find ways for collaboration on tasks you have already started

When the need arises, give sincerely, wisely and cheerfully, without any expectation of getting anything in return

Stay tuned for Step 9, which is coming out the next new Moon, which is April 11. Yagazie! 

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“Remember to breathe. It is after all, the secret of life” – Gregory Maguire

Welcome to step 7. In the last step, you learned what your spiritual GPS was, and what can happen when you are in the state of “Ako bu Ije.” In the journey called life, one can say that “Ako bu Ije” is the closest one can get to your vehicle (Ikenga) being in “self driving” mode. As I stated in the second step, you were born with your Chi na Eke already in alignment, but along the way, you’ve fallen out of sync and now you need to remember (ncheta) how to get back them in sync. 

You’ve learned the importance of  understanding your dreams (nrọ) and by doing so, higher paths for your destiny (akaraka) can be revealed through them. And you’ve also learned that strengthening your intuition (Agwu) is the key to unlocking the state of “Ako bu Ije.” Now the next question is how does one strengthen the intuition, which helps bring Chi na Eke back in sync?

The great news is that the answer is something that you’re already currently doing without thinking about it. Let us go back in time to the first thing you did after you were born. Your first impulse would be to say that you cried. And while that may be true, there’s a crucial action that preceded that. In order to cry, you first had to breathe. Once you entered this new state of  existence, breathing on your own was the first thing you learned to do. You took the breath of life, which is the name of this step.

Take a few moments and make an observation of the activities that you have engaged in in the past that make you feel “energized” either while you’re doing them or afterwards. An extremely important point is these must be energizing activities that do not have a “crash” afterwards. Now pay close attention to your patterns of breathing.

If you notice that this energizing feeling comes from you breathing rapidly, then you should consider regularly engaging in activities like exercise (i.e running, weight lifting, boxing, etc). People who engage in these sort of strenuous activities often describe something called being in “the zone” or in a “flow state.” Those who engage in competitive sports may also describe this feeling as being “on fire.” Whatever the term used, the result is you fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, clarity of mind, and enjoyment in the activity you’re engaging in. You not only know what to do, but how to do it well. 

Another highly physical activity that can lead to a similar state would be dancing. If you happen to be of African descent, you have likely observed that dancing (ịgba egwú) is one of the primary ways that folks “catch the spirit” or get filled by the power of the “holy ghost”, especially at religious ceremonies. Of course, people (usually) don’t dance without music, which brings me to the next practice of ume ndu, which is playing a musical instrument. If you have an affinity towards a particular instrument, play it! Not just by the book, but to your own melody, rhythm and beat. You may be surprised with what you may come up with if you do.

And the last musically related ume ndu activity I’ll recommend is singing. This practice also utilizes the breath, but in a less intense way than the aforementioned activities. And while many of us may be not be the best dancers, all of us are great singers in our own minds, especially when we are by ourselves. I’d say that for some people, singing (especially in groups) is not only the primary way we get our Chi na Eke in sync, but also supercharge our Agwu (intuition) and engage in high levels of healing body, mind and soul. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that folks describe certain people as “singing from the soul”, nor that there is an entire genre called “soul” music. Now as I stated earlier, pay very close attention to how you feel when you engage in any of these activities. Use your discernment to select music that uplifts you and others.

Very closely related to song and dance is the theater. Now, with this practice of ume ndu, one can either be a participant (actor or actress) or a spectator. For the purpose of this step, we will focus on the spectators. Theater can mean a live action play, movie or television series, but all 3 can have the same impact. Now, the predominant themes in theater are comedy and drama. Let’s begin with comedy. There’s a saying that laughter is the best medicine. After you laugh, you definitely feel much less burdened and stressed than you were before, maybe even lighter.  I personally feel that laughter burns away negativity like few other things. And the great thing is that you can engage in laughter whenever you want. While laughter dramatically increases your breathing, drama on the other hand can take your breath away.

Watching a drama puts you in a state of “suspension of disbelief.” This means that you temporarily suspend your reason and logic and believe what you’re watching. This is the reason that you respond with sadness when a particular character dies, even though you’re fully aware that the actor or actress portraying them is alive and well. The wonderful thing about dramas is that the really good ones have a lot of important symbolism, which if you can successfully notice and decode, can teach you extremely valuable lessons without having to go through the experience yourself. But again, use your discernment to find the right types of comedy and drama to watch or participate in. 

Of course it goes without mention that prayer (ekpere) is an act of ume ndu, and so I won’t expound upon it. However, if prayer is talking to spirit, then meditation (ịgo chi) is the act of listening to spirit, and in my opinion, too many people engage in the former while neglecting the latter. Many folks have a preconception that meditation has to be a silent, solemn activity whereby one has to “empty” their mind for long periods of time, and a result, people often struggle to do it regularly and get any benefits from it. However I am here to tell you that there are many ways to meditate, and you simply have to find a method that works for you. You can choose to engage in what I would like to call a “moving meditation”, which may be walking outside, or engaging in disciplines such as yoga, qi gong, tai chi or pilates. For many people, they meditate while listening to music (especially instrumental). I’ve personally written a few of these articles while in a meditative state, usually listening to ogene (Igbo classical) music. 

“I write for the same reason I breathe because if I didn’t, I would die.” – Isaac Asimov

And speaking of writing, I will conclude my list of ume ndu practices with the very one I’m engaging in. Countless people utilize writing as a meditative practice, which allows one to not only get “in a zone”, but also have a record of the result. Writing each article has benefited me as much as it has benefited you, the reader, if not more. And I am extremely blessed to be able to share the light that I have been receiving over the years. If you haven’t already been doing so, I encourage you to keep a journal of the progress you’ve been making in each step. 

Step 7: I will find and regularly engage in activities that strengthen my intuition, get my Chi na Eke back in sync, while uplifting myself and others. 

Action items: Engage in an ume ndu practice of your own choice. Do not feel the need to limit yourself to anything I’ve mentioned. Explore and experiment and you will discover things you’re naturally intuitive at. Feel free to share your experiences in the comment section. And stay tuned for step 8, which is coming out the next new moon, which is March 13. Yagazie!