Something I never told anyone (except only one close friend this year)... Invitation to AAMEA A-Talk March 2021

Something I never told anyone (except only one close friend this year)...

Five (05) years ago, in January 2016, I was elected Country Director for AIESEC in Benin (with up to 250 members, leaders and leadership-based exchange participants spread accross 4 cities and 5 Local Branches).

Then a month later in February 2016, at AIESEC's Global Leaders Summit in Marrakech, Morocco, I was elected by my peers of the African continent, Regional Chairman of the highest Decision making body for AIESEC in Middle East & Africa Region covering 33 Countries.

Everything sounded great, I selected a wonderful team, we had outstanding Local Branches Directors at their peak performance, we did a seamless transition with the previous National Team, and our term started with high expectations and great recognitions in the first few months from the global and regional network.

I was even appointed by UNFPA Benin as member of Panel Ados et Jeunes - Unfpa Bénin to represent Benin's youth in Banjul, The Gambia at African Union's regional event on the 10 year annversary of adoption of the African Youth Charter, the most important document on Youth policies in the 54 member states of the organization.

I was at the peak of my 6 year global leadership journey. And our remarkable entity's performance + my outstanding profile made me get invited to join the global executive board AI Team global planning event in Rotterdam, The Netherlands in November 2016.

With my team, we worked in partnership with local and international NGOs, impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Benin (mainly for UN Sustainable Development goal 3, 4 & 8) and hundreds of youth through our exchange programmes. We delivered powerful leadership development experiences to our volunteers, empowered them through the best conferences & seminars and weekly coaching for leaders...

After coming back from our Regional Presidents Meeting which took place in Nigeria that year December, I was fired up and ready to get to the next level: applying to join AIESEC International team for the year 2017-2018.

But then, I didn't...

You would ask Why, wouldn't you?

I thought I knew why, but now 5 years later, I know I didn't. I only thought I knew.

Back then I could have given you so many "logical reasons why I didn't take the challenge and go for it", but at the end of the day, they are just all plain excuses!

I could tell you about people from my team who resigned for personal reasons, which affected our operational performance later on: that happened, but you know what, we could have better handled it... Plain excuses!

I could tell you about our National Decision making body, which didn't approve a high performing individual I wanted to have in my team, which could have changed things for the better... Plain excuses!

I could tell you that a person whom I thought to be my esteemed advisor in the global team back then discouraged me unconsciously by constantly making me put too much focuses on my weaknesses of that moment, instead of making me see my strengths and what I could contribute to the global office. This would be also be an excuse!

I could tell you that I felt abandoned by a mentor who was too busy with his professional and personal life to work with me in that important period. That also would be plain excuses!

I could tell you that we broke up with my girlfriend of that time, and it negatively affected me... Plain excuses!

I could tell you that I went through a severe financial and material loss personally, which kept me unbalanced for a while... Plain excuses!

The truth is this - today I know... I still had the choice, but I couldn't pick myself up, though I tried reading all possible books/ motivational videos, seimnar trainings to stay afloat. Nothing worked!

It's called a burn out! and typically puts you in what is called "A victim consciousness", though trying my best to stay strong in front of my team and the public. and +80% of human beings keep falling in that trap regularly, in one or many aspects of their lives, whether it's spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, in their relationships, in family, in their career, in their finances, in their lifestyle, and even in their life vision.

With some wonderful chain of events, and most particularly 2 years of being coached by the best teachers and mentors on the planet, I debriefed what happened in that 6 month period. I learnt how our mind tricks us all the time, and how the environment around us is not always helpful as it intends. Most of the times, people around us actually make things worse.

I worked on myself to the core, learnt to set boundaries and overcame that painful period, rebuilt my self confidence, reconnected with my purpose, and embraced my life vision fully: "contributing to #africa2063 and a better #humanity2100 by empowering humanbeings all around the world to make their dream lives and #sdgs2030 a reality."

Last year, with 2 of my partners and we launched a company which made thousands of US Dollars revenue in the first 9 months while we were all working on it part time. We are now scaling up and looking forward to deploy a revolutionary platform in the weeks to come (currently in development phase). I gave a TEDx talk, coached university doctors, entrepreneurs making 10K USD per month, employees of multinationals, researchers, etc.

Our BHAG: Transform the lives of 1 million young professionals and leaders within the next 5 years so they can create a ripple effect on their organizations, families, communities, countries, and the world.

Our Limitless Life Lab Clients of all walks of life trust us from all corners of the globe and all continents, for the transformation we are able to help them create in their lives, and to me that is the best reward! help other humanbeing unlimit themselves the way I wish someone tught me to do 5 years back.

It's then my pleasure to come and share few of these deep timeless principles and universal wisdom which helped me turn my life around, in concepts that can be useful to any humanbeing on the planet, and especially to members and Alumni of AIESEC Alumni MEA in the 33 countries of Middle East & Africa Region, to whom I'm forever grateful for the growth facilitated in my life and leadership experience during my career in AIESEC..

Join the conversation this Tuesday 30th March 2021 at 07:00 pm GMT.

Register now and keep the link: *https://bit.ly/alumnitalkmarch*