THE BIG IDEA

At most of our G.I.S.T [Great Ideas for Starting Things – an acronym Guy Kawasaki created] sessions, I am often asked the Very Good Question. “How do I find an idea/plan? How do I discover what I was ‘Meant To Do’?”

Like I said, A Good Question. Which I can’t answer...

“What?! What kind of consultant are you?”

Consider this; have you ever felt like you were meant to do something MAJOR on this planet? You have? Good for you...

“What about the rest of us who have No Idea At All?”

How do you find that One Big Idea? Good Question, especially now that you are sick of all these motivational speakers and all these ‘secrets of success’. As a matter of fact they can keep their secrets!!! And those seminars are so empty of content that the only thing you’re motivated to do is throw up...

“Details! Details man! Give Us Specifics! Okay we’re blank – we have NO plans. We’ve suppressed our dreams so much that we’ve lost them. YOU know so much Mr. Speaker, so go ahead and give us a dream. Go ahead, roll up your sleeves and deliver to each of us that custom made built-just-for-us One Big Idea!”

Paradox

Know what that means? Paradox = ‘a statement containing two OPPOSITE ideas that make it seem impossible or unlikely, although it is probably true’

That’s what that request is – and I get it all the time.

Let me clarify something; I am NOT a ‘motivational speaker’

I don’t speak to motivate you. My goal is to motivate you to speak. To stand up to, for and to be yourself.

I cannot give you your idea. That’d be cheating. I could shrink-wrap an idea and put it in your hands already ‘pre-cooked’ – but what good does that do you? How have I helped you?

You will NEVER hear me say anything about ‘success’.

I DON’T teach or preach ‘success’

I preach self discovery. We teach EVOLUTION

So, back to the basics. Back to the One Big Idea. There are some of us who have a plan already. One that we think just might be the Big One. But how do you know for sure?

You Don’t

“Say what?”

I said, You Don’t...

Nobody can tell you if what you’re doing is good, meaningful or worthwhile. The more compelling the path, the lonelier it is...

So naturally you ask yourself, if and when you finally come up with The Big Idea after years of toil, struggle and doubt, how do you know whether or not it is ‘The One’

Answer = You don’t

There is no ‘glorious swelling of existential triumph’. That’s not what happens.

All you get is a rather kvetchy voice inside you that seems to say;
“This is totally stupid. This is utterly moronic. This is a complete waste of time. I’m going to do it anyway”

And you go do it anyway...

Hugh MacLeod

Very Good Answer

Obviously this article was inspired by the above quote and the numerous people who have asked me that question over the years

Well that’s my answer and you heard it here first. I cannot sit here and tell you that I know what your future holds. I can’t tell if you are on the right or wrong path...

That is for you to know.

If the path leads to places that you don’t expect or particularly like – well, what did you learn from it? Experience has been defined as what you get whenever you don’t get exactly what you wanted...

And if the path takes you where you should go?

That’s for all of us to find out, and marvel at...

So here’s One Big Idea; To Do Everything [or attempt to] is way, WAY better than To Do Nothing.

Doing Something Right Now is even better. Much better.

Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits
Henry Ford

So quit using Waiting for the Big Idea as an excuse for your Analysis Paralysis. Do something! Right Now!

If you don’t have a Big Idea, FORGET the Big Idea! Focus on the multitude of Smaller Ones all around you and do whatever you can. Do the utmost you can

Right Now!!!

If you already have a plan – make a vow starting now...to Never Ever Again Talk About It.

Start doing!

Don’t hesitate, CREATE!

Sure you’re not ready, sure you’ll probably fall on your face – but that’s how we learn

That’s how we prepare to turn the world upside down when the time is right. And the time is right...

RIGHT NOW!!



Victor Sanchez Aghahowa

Return Of The Prodigal

And....I'm back --

After a lengthy absence in which I'm sure maybe ONE person truly missed me, I am back scrawling my thoughts on the walls of cyber space

How've y'all been doing? I'm just chilling, especially after having the most emotionally wracking few weeks of my life. I know I may have flippantly mentioned the fact that I recently came out of a very serious relationship. I have made it a rule not to discuss that here or anywhere else, but I'll say this much, this last two weeks? That's when it really HIT me

HARD

Still reeling, bloodied, bowed, but still on my feet. I decided to move on. In every single facet of my life. Like a line I heard before - there is a big difference between deciding to change your life and actually doing it (hey, I think I got that quote from the first season of Nip/Tuck)

So I find myself preparing to move to a new place, a new job, a new personal project, a new album. I guess that's the main theme in my life right now - reboot

Start over - but no by pretending that what came before didnt exist or matter. But by admitting that it wasn't working and it had to stop and restart

As I glance over my recent posts, it seems that they've gotten rather personal and rather gloomy...hmm, that wont do - that won't do at all, LOL

Hey, you know what I just realized? Sometimes its a trip to just wake up in the morning and not recognize a damn thing. It reminds you that there is a tommorow you know NOTHING about and that your present routine is just a snippet of the tapestry that WILL be your life

It's just not there yet. Whereever you are right now? You're just not THERE yet...

This is the part where I quit my binging on junk food and put down the PS2 controller. Life goes on - to where? I don't know. But that's two thirds of the fun right?

I shall post again soon...

Victor Sanchez Aghahowa

The Morning Blues...

Hey, Hi, Hello there - I am having a mental melt down because seemingly everyone around me is having one

It's like a flash drive, the new fad, everyone HAS to have one, whether you own a computer or not - it's just kinda cool

The melt down thing isn't kinda cool - I was talking about flash drives

I have a long list of movies and stories in development and the such, and right now I dont send them. I am an hour behind on my shooting schedule, in fact I should be with my crew right now - am at the desk in the office writing this...

I DO NOT know what I want for myself, or from the rest of my life - I am finally man enough to admit that I do have a vague idea

Why is it that we have the nagging need to act like we know EXACTLY what we want from or to do with our lives? We don't. The problem is that admitting it scares us...

Think about it, every thing that's happened, didn't you just sort of 'stumble' into it? Sure there was the one thing leads to another cumulative effect and the feeling that 'one thing leads to another' - but wasnt all that good news (or bad news for that matter) COMPLETELY unexpected?

Just blabbing - who knows what will happen and the direction that my life will take in the next 24 hours, I just have the feeling that all things have led to this point...

We'll see...

Goodmorning...


Victor Sanchez Aghahowa

HOMEWORK!

Lol! Check this out - mere seconds after I put that post up, I ran into this quote on a site I was reading

"Most artists have to hack through a tangled thicket of negativity, logic, and procrastination on the way to creating anything."

True or False? What are your experiences and your thoughts in relation to the above

Have it or have it not do you before? (Lol)

Discuss...


Victor Sanchez Aghahowa

SCREW IT!

Hey, Hi and Hello there - been gone for a minute, hope you missed me, lol

I read a lot. Let me rephrase that, you see I read A LOT! And right now am working my way through Richard Branson's expanded version of his 2006 bestseller 'Screw It, Let's Do It'

For those who know me well, the title alone is enough to give them a good belly laugh. I am one of those people who are a fountain of ideas - and am a complete klutz when it comes to implementation/execution

I sit on my hands, I hem and haw, second guess myself, prevaricate and display equally amazing creative talent in inventing reasons why my previously sure fire world changing GREAT idea, just WONT work! LOL

Then I met a few people who seem to have been born with nitro blasters in thier lower bellies. These fellows don't even need a cause, just point 'em at where to go and they'll let it rip! Laughable business plans in hand or not

I have long envied these people and wondered why they didn't pause long enough to get thier hands on a truly great plan before expending all that energy slamming through doors trying to make things happen

These people have long thought I was insane, to come up with such great ideas and then toss them under my bed (It's getting pretty crowded under that bed these days, lol!)

It's little wonder that most companies are founded by two people or more - the heads in the cloud dreamer and the pragmatic, step by step no frills execution guy - even Richard Branson admits that he needed Nik Powell

But back to the core idea, that it's a trip for me to read this book that doesnt really contain all the usual 'nuggets' of business sense, but is simply a call to action - you have an idea that you love? One that tickles your fancy? Then toss the business plan aside and for once don't overthink it. Find someone whose talents you need along for the ride, and when he/she starts to play Devil's Advocate, close your your eyes, plug your ears and childishly yell "Screw it, Let's do it!"

Maybe it's the thought that you might really not need all the talent, luck, whatever, only just the silly ability to trust in yourself enough to say "What the hell, even if we fail, WE HAD FUN!!!"

Hmmm - I don't have any idea why I'm so tripped by the thought, maybe cos it resonates with something in my personality...

But I do think it's a nice idea to mull over - but hey, how has YOUR week been?


Victor Sanchez Aghahowa

AS YOU WORK, STUDY AND PLAY…

…consider this Tom Peters quote,

“the ‘surplus’ society has a surplus of SIMILAR companies, employing SIMILAR people, with SIMILAR educational backgrounds, coming up with SIMILAR ideas, providing SIMILAR things with SIMILAR prices and quality.

To succeed we must stop being so [stupidly] normal. In a winner-takes-all-world,

NORMAL=NOTHING.”

Here’s hoping you have a day full of tasks that are far from normal. Instead, like Stephen Jobs [Founder and CEO Apple Computers] famously advised,

“Let’s make a dent in the universe”

Victor Sanchez Aghahowa
22.08.05

Good Morning!

Okay, please tell me you have had one of those days. When you make a really organized list of where you're going to go and what you're going to be doing there for the day...and then you step out of the door, one phone call and EVERYTHING goes haywire

I had one of them days yesterday. The call that started it all? How I suddenly ended up doing a verse on a friends song before 10 am

Low point? Having to visit 3 different branches of the same bank before I could cash a cheque

High point? The night - oh the night - what can I say about it except = if you can see the cheshire grin on my face you would just leave it like that (actually now i think of most peoples tatafo reflex, your response might be quite the opposite)

Its really wierd how in the space of 24 hours one can go through so many different emotions, highs and lows...and then no matter what mood you hit the pillow in, the next morning is a complete do over...

Hmmm...deep thoughts to be having before 8 am

For all those who posted comments up here - thanks! Those nit-picking on my typos, thanks a lot! For real, makes me feel I have someone watching over me.

Am almost done on yet another script I'm working on - LOL! I laugh because I reflexively was about to post the title, but I remember certain comments where I have been urged to quit over publicizing myself - lol!

But its a brand new day, no coffee (yet), but the sky is amazing, I'm in a GREAT mood, breakfast was good, there's cash in my pocket, EVERYTHING is all good (and for those who will ask, no thanks I didnt smoke anything, lol)

Do you ever get that? Get hit with the joy of a do-over. When nothing is THAT serious, compared to the joy of being ALIVE...

I just read through. What have I now posted about? Just checking in I guess to say - thank God everyday for the gift of life, and the miracle of the 24 hour do-over

Will write again when my shoot is done, my crew is here...


Victor Sanchez Aghahowa

Brain Wave!

Okay! I just has a brilliant idea! Or then maybe its the caffiene and the lack of sleep talking. After all, it's after 9 at night when I write this while gulping down cup of coffee number 3. I'm at that warm and fuzzy place where every idea seems like the one that shall change the world

Wait first! Kai! LOL! I need to go and sleep - abeg, follow me re-read that first sentence. Did I actually say that I 'just has' a brilliant idea? See how I am embarrasing myself on the WORLD wide web?

Anyway, back to the idea - which I realize that I fully can't tell you about - oh, and yeah, here I must pause to tell you that if movies and listening to someone babble about screenwriting and story theory is not your cup of tea (forget tea, coffee - mmmm, cooooffffffeeeeeeeeee.......) then please skip this post

There's this script I've been pulling out of the back of my mind, dusting off, polishing and then pushing back there for a few months now. It's called 'Walking Into Walls' and I JUST realized what the heart of the story is!

I had been battling with it - it has a GREAT opening, an AMAZING end, but it just lacked a little, okay, a LOT of something. It had no heart. The story/script I had forced you brain to nod in agreement but left you largely unmoved - until now

I am excitedly scribbling away on Final Draft as I bounce back and forth between computers - light at the end of the tunnel. I just might have another great movie to try and get made for 2008! Who know? As long as I leave it in God's hands, He gives me the ideas, He'll show me what to do with them...

But the main reason that the script keeps getting pushed into the back of my head is that it's a romantic dramedy - leaning more towards being a romantic comedy. And the thing is following 'Letters to a Stranger' I really didn't want to do another romantic drama or comedy and get pigeon holed - but now, I really don't care - for now

Should I really care either way? Is there the danger of being pigeonholed? Or am I just being paranoid and trying not to admit that it's really because I dont want to be labelled a wuss and have people question my sexual orientation, when I keep making all these sappy love something something films?

Drop me a line and let me know - thanks!


Victor Sanchez Aghahowa

The Definition Of Me…

This is a rather personal post. The main reason I’m writing this is that even though over time I have developed a rather thick skin, I have recently been under attack by a bunch of closed-minded people who cannot understand why I do what I do.

I wish I could simply ignore them or flame them back...but some of these people are those I call(ed) my closest friends...

I understand their ‘concern’...

For those who wonder what I’m up to? Fear not dear friends, I’m doing what I do best. On a mission, with all the wrong weaponry and at the worst possible time

But then again that’s how God loves to set us up isn’t it? I know that you will never fully understand me and that hurts on a very personal level, but I just ran across this quote which I feel best describes the task I have been assigned;

“If I had an epitaph that I would rather have more than any other, it would be to say that I had…disturbed the sleep of my generation”
Adlai Stevenson

Here are two more thoughts that define my frame of mind perfectly and I shall say no more on the topic of me.

“I don’t think there’s anything worse than being normal”
-From the motion picture “American Beauty”

And,

“Consider the Wright brothers. They went around telling people that they’d very much like to fly…I wonder what the townsfolk said? Do you get the feeling that a sense of overwhelming pride was NOT the first feeling to cross their mother’s mind?

And yet the brothers persisted determined to figure out a way to make science fit their lofty ambitions. They didn’t let naysayers convince them that it couldn’t be done.

Yes they failed many times, but… The last time I checked, there were about 50,000 of these harebrained crazy flying machines operating in the US everyday…”
Jason Kotecki from “Escape Childhood”

I understand your worry, but accept it. I AM NOT NORMAL, I don’t expect you to understand the urge to fly that drives a few of us...and love it or hate it, I WILL disturb the sleep of my generation – or I will die trying

Why?

Because that is who I am... That is why I am –

Victor Sanchez Aghahowa

P.S

I wrote the above post on my first blog (which recieved in its entire run only ONE comment - LOL!) in 2003. Then I had just dropped out of school and was trying to find my feet and what I wanted to do with my life...hmmm...quite a lot has changed since then. But then it still remains unbelievably apt - guess that leads me to end with yet another quote

"It seems the more things change, the more they stay the same"...

The Day That Was ToDay...

So here I am, sitting at a desk at the office after 9 pm on a Sunday evening. My shoot is wrapped for the day and the adrenaline high is wearing off - and I'm exhausted. And even worse I am emotionally F*D up!


Okay - take a deep breath. Let it go...it's been a long day...


Let me tell you a funny story. At work today, a few friends of mine (in reflection of my new single status - new, because I was engaged for close to two years and I am recently single. Don't ask for details, thats a story for another day) decided to 'help' my social life by printing notices that said - and I quote - wait hold up, I might as well just put a picture of it up -

That was just one of many - lol! In all fairness I was warned, and I said that I didnt care and all that...and so the signs went up

The oddest part? The Line Producer shows up, and I expect 'Ah sanity prevails!' - his attention was drawn to the signs - one of which was fluttering on the office notice board

"Look what these jobless people are up to (nervous high pitched laugh), imagine in a place of work! See how bored your staff are?"

He gave a sagely nod like - 'Hmm, we can't have that, something has to be done' And he DID do something

Like - Take yet another copy of that sign and stick it prominently OUTSIDE the office! And THEN in biro he added my phone number and e-mail address!

Well thank goodness I was distracted by my shoot - but now, after its all over. Sitting here in the empty office...it's all very funny in a not funny manner, shey you understand?

Anyway the odd thing is that I DID get a phone call and two different potential hook ups from those posters. LOL!

Anyway here I am in the grips of depression, emotionally semi frozen and wondering why I am not burning this midnight oil writing my next great master piece? Awww shucks, who cares anyway? I had a long hard day when I worked at what I love with a great team of professionals - I really can't complain about my life right now 'Victor is for practically for sale' signs or not...

Look at me all whiny about me - hey, how was your day?

Victor Sanchez Aghahowa

Tatafo HQ!

Oh and by the way, to explain the address of this blog, the 'tatafohq' thing? Where I'm from 'Tatafo' = 'Amebo' which is = 'Busybody'. And thats the name of my production company. Lol! Don't ask me why - at least not yet!

Hey, anybody who has seen any episodes of The Apprentice Africa on TV can drop me a comment about it here - I'm so swamped with work and romantic issues that I never have time to watch it. lol! yeah I said romantic issues, what? Like you dont have any?

Easy!

The First Day

Okay, right down to business. Today is the first day of the rest of my life - today I shoot a boardroom sequence for The Apprentice Africa in my capacity as Assistant Producer/Director - but that's not the main thing right now

The main gist is that after my first film 'Letters to a Stranger' which I wrote in 2003/4 and Fred Amata and the great guys at Ecobank picked for one of the Project Nollywood releases for 2007, finally got released this year...well after that became like a major success? - I had a bit of a nervous melt down

I HAD dreamed of getting a movie made all my life, but with Genevieve and Yemi Blaq headlining? Alongside Fred Amata who was directing and producing? Throw in the AMAZING Elvina Ibru with Ibinabo Fiberesima - and top it off with cameos from the likes of Eucharia Anunobi, Segun Arinze and the force of nature that is Joke Jacobs - all in my first movie?

WOW...

Then I cramped up. What now? Sure I had a couple of stories and scripts lying around...but a worthy follow up?

Then came Day Zero - December 26th 2007 (the day before my birthday incidentally) - a friend (ineffablewater, I'm talking bout YOU!) dragged me out of my deppression and sat me down in front of a PC, logged on to the internet and viola! NAIJARULES.COM forums and there was this whole thread arguing the merits (more) and the demerits (haters! lol!) of LTAS

WOW...

It made my day, my month, my year - my life...and so I logged on and after weeks of watching the talk go back and forth, I logged on and dropped a few comments...

Hmm - dont know if that was a smart or dumb move, but after a few comments, I mentioned the next script I was planning to write called Deleting Bisi. Imagine my surprise when I logged back on that night to find a whole seperate thread called - - - you guessed it, 'Deleting Bisi'! LOL

Naija no dey slack!

Anyway - after a huge amount of ambivalence, I finally finished the first draft of the Deleting Bisi (and the rough outline of 2 other movies) and the search for a producer began

In all honesty, the 'search' wasnt exactly door to door - but a producer who would let me direct? And keep the vision the way I wanted it? Hmmm - tough sell...

So this blog? Is a little account of my day to day attempt to not go crazy as an uber-creative type in Naija. And a sort of diary while I try to get my film made!

Every nasty little titbit, goof or pshyco Idumota marketer I have to meet with? You'll hear about. Every star, starlet or wannabe who turns me down? Right here baby - and for all the producers who throw me and my wacky movie out? Hall of Fame here too

Get an umbrella in case it rains, an icebox, in case it gets too hot and come along for the ride!

Victor Sanchez Aghahowa

Welcome! Welcome!

Hey People!

This is the blog of all blogs. LOL! Yeah right - this is just the opening salvo. Victor Sanchez Aghahowa speaking. and this is my blog.

In case the name is strange, I'm a rapper - signed to Roc-A-Lot Records from BENIN CITY baby! The album 100% BC album dropped in 2007, the video 'Pick it Up!' went CRAZY on local TV! and MTV and Channel O - nominated for the 2007 Channel O awards under Best New Artiste and the Amen Awards (cant remember the what category)

In case you're wondering that you know the name but not for that reason - then I'm a screen writer - creator and writer of the Guinness sponsored TV show 'Bachelors'. I've written three seasons of that show and still love the heck out of it cos it was my first born - Ruke and Gilda Amata, God bless you for giving some skinny kid from Benin the chance

In case the name looks familiar for any other reason, I am the screenwriter and the assistant director of the best selling Ecobank sponsored Project Nollywood movie "Letters to a Stranger"

right now? I'm Assistant Producer at The Apprentice Africa while moonlighting (?) as a staff writer on MNET's 'Tinsel'

okay! okay! enough with the self hailing! LOL!

Now you know who I am, what I'm about? Guess you'll find out later!

Stay tuned! Why? Hell you just might be bored enough to come back...

Victor Sanchez Aghahowa