According to the National Bureau Of Statistics in Nigeria, the total unemployment and underemployment combined rate increased from 37.2 per cent in the 2nd Quarter of 2017 to 40.0 per cent in 3rd Quarter of the same year. Meanwhile, in the last quarter of 2016, the figure stood at about 26 per cent. Now my questions are:

1. Are you still waiting for a white collar job? They are retrenching and not as secured as they used to be.

2. For how long will you continue to blame the Federal Government, others than take full respinsibility for your life.

3. If you had/have the priviledge of being sent to a University by your parents as an investment, what is their return in investment after so much financial stress to see you through school.

4. If you get to the office by the first Monday of 2018 and you get a sack letter as a New Yea's gift, what will you do?

5. Does it mean all your years of study in the University or Polytechnic you went to only succeeded in training an academic Robot who who cannot think outside the box?

6. What if Government decides today, that you MUST present a 3 year Diploma certificate from a recognised NUC accredited institution before you are admitted into the University?

7. What will be the reason you will tell your your children for your inability to provide their basic needs, such as food, shelter, clothing and qualitative education?

8. What legacy are you leaving that can be inherited or that you can pass on to your children?

9. Is the acquisition of more certificates the solution to a world of financial freedom?

10. Finally, who are you, and when will you start manifesting? You have been of service to smart working people and company. You have been a part of a bigger machine as the most important factor of production, helping to meet their sales and shareholders target, when will your own name or company be birthed.

Above are my diagnosis, but i will not only diagnose but also attempt to prescribe.

1. Don't wait for white collar jobs, create your own business. Start small and let it be foundated on the principle of integrity and best practices in customer service.

2. "Responsibility is the price to pay for greatness", take responsibility for your life and stop complaining.

3. Certificates are over-rated, think outside the box.

4. Think of all the problems or challenges that almost consumed you in 2017 and turn at least one to a business. Every problem is a business.

5. Do you really work in an organisation that promotes creativity? Will you continue to murmur and die in silence over unhappiness over your job? Start your own business, it could also be online.

6. "Poverty is spiritual blindness" said Dr. David Oyedepo. The government is still trying to find the missing puzzle in other to fix the econony. Policy mis-mach and corruption fighting back is a big big problem. We can fix this country by promting skills over certificate.

7. 1 Tim. 5 vs 8 "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." God told us what will happen to infidels, they will not make heaven. If God sees your inability to take care of your family makes you worse than an infidel, how do you intend to make heaven when infidels cannot make it as it is written? What is in your hand, multiply it and stop eating with your 10 fingers.

8. The fifth and final stage of Abraham Maslow's hierachy of needs is "Self Actualisation". Until you get to this stage, even if you have #30Billion in your account, you will still be unfulfiled, and many will still be fooled by your smiles thinking you have the world at your feet, especially fair-weather friends. You need to start NOW running your own race, which you can hand over as a legacy to others whom God have destined you to mentor directly or indirectly. Imagjne if J.K. Rowling, Steven King, Agatha Christie, William Shakespeare, James Patterson, Ernest Hermingway, Charles Dickens, John Grisham and Babatunde Raimi never wrote a book, how would you have been inspired by their art, including ths piece you are reading? Imagine if Johny Cash, Dolly Parton, Jim Reeves, Abba, Martina McBride, Alan Johnson, Lee Ann Womack, George Jones and Kenny Rogers spent all their lives in a factory, without manifesting.

Friend, it does not matter how long you might have gone round that mountain, you truly live when you live for yourself, so that you can live for others. Sometimes, it is good to be selfish with yourself, in other to help your family in the long run. Have a meeting with yourself and do not allow 2018 oass away the same way 2017 did.

Don't worry about your school mate who is already making waves in his calling, discover yourrms and start living. The day you discover that their is genuis in everyman, there is a business or idea in you, there is a giant in you yearning for expression and start running your race is when you truly start living. Did you loose your job, congratulations, you are coming back to buy that company by a simple majority share.

Over the years, you have been living for family, children, friends, don't bepoor and proud, start doing something, the world awaits your manifestation. Even if you think you are far behind time, judging by the success rate of your siblings, coursemates or colleagues, remember, life is like a parade ground, at the shout of about turn, the last becomes the first.

If you end 2018 with murmurings and complaints, it will your fault, not your family or Governments'. This is my message for you all as 2017 gradually unwinds.

I love you all. I apologise for all whom this my major post rounding up 2017 offends. My aim is to constructively criticise you, so you will be angry with you and have a meeting with yourself. I don't claim to be perfect, or have solutions to all societal ills, as i currently have my own pesonal loads of BIG but surmountable challenges.

Recently, i visited the National Conservation Centre in Lekki with my "Acada" friends, walking through the longest walkway into the jungle in this part of the world, we met some people who have already conquered the jungle said to us "Keep going, you are closer than you think". I was tired, carrying one of the coolers containing the drinks meant for the team, heavily balanced on my head, those encouraging words by those people kept me going. Finally, when we got to meet mother nature in its natural state, the result cancelled out the stress automatically, with so much to eat, drink and share with the Monkeys and Crocodies. So, i tell you too, just like i was told, don't give up, you are closer than you think.

Come 2018, i will see you at the apex of your chosen endeavour, but if you just sit there and do nothing, you wull get run over. So, i will not stop writing, until you win! Stop talking and start acting!!

Thank you as i hope with these few words of mine, i have been able to convince you, and not to confuse you, that the greatest mishap that can happen to anyone, is knowing what to do, but time is against them.

From the beautiful scenery of Canaanland, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, once again, i appreciate all my readers, friends, followers, mentors and proteges.

2018, let's do it again!!!

Kisses and hugs,

Babatunde Raimi
Author/Life Coach/Business & Entrepreneural Strategist.