For Linda Ikeji And Our Collective Lessons In Vulnerability

Let me first start this short article by saying that I do not understand Linda Ikeji personally, we aren't close friends, and I've "satisfied" her only a number of times at celebrations ...


Written By:
Francesca Uriri


Published On:
24 Sep 2016


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However with all of that being said, I likewise have a deep and abiding regard for her. Is that paradoxical? Perhaps. But I've concerned comprehend that you can disagree with someone on something and still respect them. Whether you accept it or not, Linda has actually shown through her exceptional journey of being a blogger and opinion influencer, that she is a motivation to countless people all over the world. She has boot strapped her method to success utilizing a model that was once undesirable and scoffed at. She's an Outlier, and manages to influence, prompt and baffle numerous at one time, and with fervour.


I can't consider a great deal of people who have actually run a modelling firm, an occasions business, a magazine and a bunch of other companies, stopped working at them, and still kept pressing forward. I also don't know of anyone else (at least not on this side of the world), who is legally making lots of cash by blogging.
[ad] I mean, before Linda, whoever thought it was possible to purchase a house in Banana Island, and open a string of media-related businesses gained from the profits of running a gossip blog? If the United States of America has the "American dream," then Linda Ifeoma Ikeji has the "Naija Dream." Strong, ruthless in its pursuit of happiness and hope, and eventually, successful. Here's a female who struck ground zero eventually in her life, and is back to level 100. You need to respect such grit and determination, since as my Sapele individuals will say "E nor easy."


Linda or "Lin-Lin" as she's fondly called by those who are close to her turned 36 years old a couple of days earlier; and to mark her big day, she posted a 14-minute long video on her blog. Within hours of her publishing this video, social networks was buzzing with all type of remarks and remarks about it - and I knew that I needed 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 a little insincere and scripted; plus Linda looked a little uneasy dealing with the camera. However, something altered quickly after - I'm not even sure what. But the veneer of coolness broke, and something more warm, earthy, authentic and susceptible spilled out.
[advertisement] And as Linda started to discuss her failures, her desires, her relationship with God, her belief in the validity of her dreams, her utter wonder at how her life ended up, and the affirmation that she still "plans to be around for a long time," something in me likewise paved the way to the hope and inspiration that she was sharing.


And possibly it was an emotional minute, possibly that thing was fleeting, but I acknowledged it, and I felt it highly. Because it was sincere, powerful and genuine. And because one unique minute, I forgot about all the times I did not like Linda, or all the bothersome things she had done, and in that suspended area, in between my laptop computer screen and her video, I commemorated with her. I cheered her on, and I desperately wanted her to prosper.


So you can envision my irritation when people took just a few seconds of that video - of her wanting a man for an other half - and turned it into an occasion for awful small talk, senseless rhetoric and painful remarks. How do you condense ALL she said, and narrow that down to just one segment of her video? What is incorrect if she openly (and really honestly I might add), discussed what she desires? Is her desire for a partner somehow less legitimate or shameful since she spoke about it outdoors? If she had spoken about more growing her organization or buying another house - would those declarations be met derisive remarks? Exists not a peaceful strength and self-respect in such a guileless program of vulnerability? When people honestly and honestly open up themselves, the least we can do, the least we ought to do as humans is to accord them the respect and self-respect that they should have.