Eagle is one of Nigeria's most important national symbols. Today, for the first time, I realized how much meaning we should attach to that as a people.

A Facebook user identified as Rose Onah shared a post entitled "SIX SUCCESS PRINCIPLES TO LEARN FROM AN EAGLE". After looking at the POWERFUL LESSONS, I found myself growing up in 3 minutes more than I probably did in 30 years.

Then, I imagined, "what if more Nigerians learn these lessons, how wonderful would that be?" (because, you know, communal change will always boil down to the cumulative of individual changes in a community). So, here are the 6 lessons as I have adapted them for Nigerians:

1. EAGLES FLY ALONE AND AT HIGH ALTITUDES - They don't fly with sparrows, ravens, and other small birds.

MEANING - Stay away from narrow-minded people, those that bring you down. Eagle flies with Eagles. Keep good company. For instance, if you are a tribal or religious bigot, you can very hardly ever make any impact beyond your tribe or religion. You can't be a Nairaland or Facebook founder.

2. THE POWER OF FOCUS - Eagles have the ability to focus on something as far as 5km away. No matter the obstacles, the eagle will not move his focus from the prey until he grabs it.

MEANING - Have a vision and remain focused no matter what the obstacles and you will succeed. Imagine that a sizeable number of Nigerian young people had this quality, We could become resolute enough not only to turn around our personal fortunes but also to lead the national economy. Today, the Silicon Valley tech gurus are leading not only the American economy but also the world. They are all young people.

3. EAGLES DO NOT EAT DEAD THINGS - They feed only on fresh prey.

MEANING - Do not rely on your past success, keep looking for new frontiers to conquer. Leave your past where it belongs, in the past. We should learn to do this both as individuals and consequently as a nation.

4. EAGLES LOVE THE STORM - When clouds gather, the eagle gets excited, the eagle uses the storm's wind to lift itself higher. Once it finds the wind of the storm, the eagle uses the raging storm to lift itself above the clouds. This gives the eagle an opportunity to glide and rest its wings. In the meantime, all the other birds hide in the branches and leaves of the tree.

MEANING - Face your challenges head on knowing that these will make you emerge stronger and better than you were. We can use the storms of life to rise to greater heights. Achievers are not afraid to rise to greater heights. Achievers are not afraid of challenges, rather they relish them and use them profitably.

5. THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING - They remove the feathers and soft grass in the nest so that the young ones get uncomfortable in preparation for flying and eventually flies/ when it becomes unbearable to stay in the nest.

MEANING - Leave your Comfort Zone, there is No Growth there.

6. THE EAGLE REINVENTS ITSELF - When it gets old, the eagle's feathers become weak and cannot take him as fast and as high as it should. This makes him weak and could make him die.

So he retires to a place far away in the mountains. While there, he plucks out the weak feathers on his body and breaks its beaks and claws against the rocks until he is completely bare; a very bloody and painful process. Then he stays in this hiding place until he has grown new feathers, new beaks, and claws and then he comes out flying higher than before.

MEANING - We occasionally need to shed off old habit no matter how difficult, things that burden us or add no value to our lives should be let go of. Final secret: (whisper) If you read to this point, you are a wonder waiting to happen.