Insights From A Man Who Carried Death In His Pouch

Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti was a Nigerian musician, multi-instrumentalist and political activist. He was born on October 15, 1938, and died on August 2, 1997. Fela was a genius at creating captivating and entertaining music. He used his music to educate his fans and criticize the Nigerian government. He influenced modern-day Afrobeat artists like Wizkid and Burna Boy. In this article, I’ll share four quotes from Fela. These quotes will give you a glimpse through the eyes of the Nigerian Legend.

1. “The Secret Of Life Is To Have No Fear.”

We all have fears. It’s difficult not to be afraid. Our brains are designed to shield us from uncertainty, which is when anxiety arises.

To have no fear doesn’t mean your worries will vanish. What Fela is saying is to not give in to your fears. Fear comes when you desire to do something, like, fight for your rights. But you’re too afraid to stand up for yourself because you’ve given in to your fears and feel you’re not strong enough. Fela got into trouble with the Nigerian government. He was arrested over 200 times for his activism. Yet, he continued to use his music as a weapon to attack the government. Facing your fears in life is the secret to achieving what you want. What are you afraid of? What do you want to achieve?

2. “To be honest and truthful in all endeavours is an experience, not a regret.”

How honest are you with yourself? What mindset do you have daily?

This man was known for calling out the bullshit and oppression of the government. They brutalized him for telling the truth. But he continued to speak his truth. He continued to be honest with himself. He was fighting for the rights of his people. He wanted freedom for his people.

What are you fighting for? What do you want to achieve in life? You must be honest about the path you want to walk and what you want to dedicate your life to. You must see each of your endeavours as an experience to learn from. You have to let go of regret from your past actions. Use those experiences to shape your mind so that no matter what you encounter, you will come out of it with a lesson.

3. “ To be spiritual is not by praying and going to church. Spiritualism is the understanding of the universe so that it can be a better place to live in.”

Religion and spirituality are different things, but we’re not going into all that.

Fela saw spirituality as an understanding of the universe. He knew so much evil was going on, and the world could be better. This is why he stood up for his people against oppression, using music as his weapon.

What is your view of the world? How can you make it a better place? Nobody is asking you to stop praying or going to church, but what can you do during this short time we have on earth? Understand that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. Decide what role you can play in making the world a better place to live in.

4.“ I want peace. Happiness. Not only for myself. For everybody.”

Yes, happiness. We all crave satisfaction, but how can we live in a world full of sad people?

You can’t make everybody happy, but you can do things to make people happy. For Fela, it was making music and fighting for his people.

What can you do to make people happy? What are you passionate about? There are many ways to put a smile on people’s faces. You decide how you want to go about it, as long as peace is the goal.

5. “ I hold death in my pouch. I cannot die.”

Fela was a Yoruba man. His name, Aníkúlápó, means ‘I have death in my pocket’.

He often said, ‘I will be the master of my destiny and decide when it is time for death to take me.’This applies to you too. You are the master of your destiny, and you can decide when it is time for death to take you.

You can create the life you want for yourself. Understand and take control of your life. What do you want your life to be like? What impact do you want to have on the world? Start crafting your destiny and living your life to the fullest. Do the things you love. When death comes, you will face it knowing that you lived a life of your design.

Takeaway

Fela’s legacy lives on because of the impact he had on the people who experienced him during the time he lived.

Face life fearlessly and understand you are the master of your destiny. Be honest with yourself about what you can do in life. Take lessons from every experience and think of ways to make the world a better place.