NEW THINKING, NEW POSSIBILITIES?

NEW THINKING, NEW POSSIBILITIES?
By Brian Maregedze

Pursuing advanced levels at a time when there is uncertainty for future career prospects, school fees to continue with your studies for this academic journey as well as uncertainties shrouding the new curriculum in Zimbabwe may be burdensome not only to the Advanced level candidates but even to parents/guardians. As schools just opened this week, realities of problems affecting every household in Zimbabwe become more real than before. Having all these, l found an interesting read for 2018 which raises hope in these awkward circumstances. This is a practical manual guide for refreshing, re-energizing and re-thinking everyday challenges with a new spirit. Arthur Marara’s 2018 New Year publication defies the odds titled, New Thinking New Possibilities: Unleashing the Winning the mindset. What is the relevance of this e-book to an advanced level student pursuing humanities? The same question can be paused to a classroom practitioner with the same magnitude, is it worth reading and to serve what purpose? Today’s blog post seeks to situate this new reading, publication within the aspects highlighted.

Motivational books, the new Opium?

To the Germany philosopher Karl Marx, religion is the opium of the masses. In the face of crisis to whom does humanity find solace? Is it God, worldly material possession or something? Do motivational thinkers own a stake in all this quest for fulfilment? There is divided attention amongst thinkers on the importance of motivational books with some arguing that there is nothing new that these writers offer mainly African writers. It is also undisputed that there has been an ongoing increase in motivational speakers, writers despite some negative labels attached to some of them accused of failing to walk the talk. Could this be the result of the Zimbabwe’s crisis, high levels of unemployment amongst the youths? Arthur Marara an attorney, author and motivational speaker belongs to a rare breed of young people making a difference in word and practice. Many authors in Zimbabwe haven’t managed to reach his fit as they rarely offer their books for free. It has become Marara’s tradition to offer a free e-book in the month of January to all Zimbabweans. The human spirit by nature desires to have hope, faith and a belief in the ultimate, seeking fulfillment in pursuit of happiness. Marara is well known with his motto, “I want to inspire people, I want someone to look at me and say, “Because of you, I didn’t give up.” This resonates with the African philosophy of Ubuntu. Success isn’t individualistic but rather collective. In as much as there is the use of the Bible, western philosophical quotes, African value systems can be extracted from the book.

Photo caption: Arthur Marara

Motivation and Practical Examples

Personal Life

Arthur Marara orphaned at age 13 did not give in to despair, failure and surrender to life’s struggles. Candidates tend to be demotivated, alienated from their daily school routines due to failure to concentrate. Marara is a living example of persistence and determination despite odd circumstances. He is a successful attorney, public speaker as well as author. He walks the talk and l remember for the past few years Marara has been contacting Seminars for High school students for free on his birthday in an effort to empower, inspire the youths, the future leaders in our country. I have personally witnessed some candidates being offered free textbooks he authored. Interestingly, he authored seven (7) textbooks which have been useful to candidates in the humanities. Recently, on the national broadcasting ZBC Good Morning News he highlighted on his finished projects of new books addressing the demands of the New Curriculum for Advanced level candidates. ‘Success is not for a chosen few, it is for a few who choose’, opens the section on Success is a choice. This aptly informs every living person to have the courage to pursue dreams against odd circumstances.

More importantly during high school Arthur Marara writes of himself as an average student. He believes that anyone and everyone can do whatever they can despite their circumstances. What is needed is having the right mental attitude. Marara notes that he got a U-ungraded at Ordinary level in Mathematics and grade ‘C’ in English Language and even up to University, he had a 3rd class in English and Communication Skills. By using these examples, he isn’t saying those who are good at those academic subjects are irrelevant but pointing to the fact that there other avenues that one can find success in. You only need to be good at what you are doing to change the course of your life. Knowing what you are good at serves to make it a habit as Aristotle is quoted let excellence be a habit.
Arthur Marara is the CEO and founder of Greatness Clinic a non-profit organization and managed to serve Zimbabwean students. His books have revolutionized the authorship of revision guides for Advanced levels not only to students but classroom practitioners as well. In doing so, he defies the odds by inspiring candidates to think beyond attaining a law degree at university but also exploring individual abilities.

Lessons from Econet Wireless Zimbabwe

Motivational speakers, authors extract their lessons from not only their individual life stories but from other successful people, organisations. Arthur Marara is no exception as he uses the story of Econet [mobile network company] as a cut above the rest company run by Strive Masiyiwa. Instead of relying much on foreign imported successful business enterprises, Marara has a universal appeal to examples from KFC to local born gone international Econet Wireless.

Innovation

Whatever you are doing, there is need for continuous innovation to remain relevant, serve the people and in doing so improving the standards of the way businesses operate. ECOCASH is used as a point of departure whereby Econet Wireless has challenged the Banking industry into action, threatening it to be obsolete. Kwese TV again has given a serious challenge to DSTV which for years has enjoyed serious dominance in the world of pay-tv in Zimbabwe. These and other examples of exceptional thinkers are used by Arthur Marara and they are worth pursuing.

Fighting Corruption

Econet is known to be stand out against all odds in the business industry. Marara maintains that, instead of saying everyone is doing, be the exception. This is true as in another work, S. Ramakrishna Velamuri, Resisting Political Corruption: Econet Wireless Zimbabwe (Research Case Study) argues that Econet Wireless remains a classical example of good business ethics.
More lessons can be extracted from Econet Wireless which Marara deals with, it is however important to have a first-hand reading of the e-book.
Interestingly, the reader may be still asking of the new thinking, new possibilities. A collection of 204 inspirational quotes are used to assist readers to get inspiration from. Although the whole book has 298 pages, there are well written in a way that encouraged the reader to continue reading. ‘Every dreamer reading this book, do not give up on your dreams’, forms the introduction of the book and worth a read. New thinking, unlocks new possibilities.

About Writer
Brian Maregedze, author, historian and blogger writing in his personal capacity
Feedback; bmaregedze@gmail.com