Some years ago, an opportunity came my way & I hurriedly prepared my application.

I didn't tell anyone. I wanted to share the outcome as a surprise.

After receiving the rejection letter, I shared with a friend. It turned out that she had applied a year earlier, successfully.

Retrospectively, she pointed out all the things I did wrong. I was flabbergasted.

"If your yam sprouts, cover it with your hands."

This is a Yoruba proverb that encourages us to keep our business private.

Apparently, there was a caveat.
I had to learn and grow.

1) Seek advice from relevant & credible people.

People may be credible but not relevant to what you're working on. They don't need to know.

People may be relevant to what you're working on but they're not credible. They don't need to know.

Find the right people for the task.

2) Give people a chance to prove themselves, one way or the other.

"Ha. People are wicked. The only way to safeguard ur secrets is to tell no one".

Who your secrets epp?

"If you close ur eyes for bad people to pass by, good people will also cross your path." Open ur eyes.

Recently, I have had to take a leap of faith and reach out to senior colleagues, who I wasn't close to before now.

To my surprise, they went over & beyond. They gave me vital info that helped me clinch the deal.

Without asking, they linked me up with more people & resources.

One of them leaked my plans though.

He told someone. They, innocently, 'congratulated me in advance'.

Initially, I freaked out. On further reflection, I realized it was worth the risk, overall.

Next time, I will plead for some discretion, hoping it will be honored.

#SundayThoughts