We have seen time and again that we live in a world where history tends to repeat itself. Spend enough time around people who have spent a number of decades walking the face of the earth, and you will quickly notice there isn’t much happening today they haven’t seen or experienced before.

We all know the future is unpredictable. I don’t think there is anyone who can accurately predict the future or how things will turn out, but more often than not, that is a positive and reassuring thing to know. To me that simply means we all have an equal chance at it; the future isn’t pre-written for anyone, it is built and created by what you do today.

This reminds me of a famous quote by the iconic Nelson Mandela: “The future belongs to young people with an education and the imagination to create”. Essentially, the future belongs to anyone who can plan and imagine and work for it.

From a young age, my parents always told me that if you don’t work today, you will suffer tomorrow. I never understood it or liked it for that matter, but as I grew their words started taking on a more truthful meaning. Little did I know the work that was being done today, was the education one would need to be better equipped to build a brighter future. Maybe they listened to Madiba too.

History repeats itself and those who have been deemed as visionaries throughout history, are simply ordinary people who planned to build a future that they believed in and wanted. They didn’t just sit idle and indulge in daydreaming and wishful thinking, they planned and designed a future they could one

day be proud of or one they wish to share with the world, even if they wouldn’t be part of it.

The fact that no one’s future is predetermined, is simply one of the greatest equalisers of all time. That means we are all capable of making the world a better place than we found it. It also means that your situation is not permanent; with careful planning, you can always change your situation or simply write a totally different story.

As kids, we were always told the world is yours and the future is in your hands. Who told you that wasn’t lying, it’s as true today as it was back then.

- Olavi Popyeinawa

- Twitter: @olavipopyeinawa

- Email: olavipopyeinawa@gmail.com