Lola Adeyemo

90 Years of Wisdom: Lessons from Wole Soyinka’s Journey

Reflecting on Purpose, Growth, and the Art of Dreaming at Any Age

Thanks to #LarryMadowo’s clip post on LinkedIn, I was wholly engrossed in Nigerian Prof. Wole Soyinka’s 90th birthday interview with CNN, and I watched it twice with pauses as I reflected on my journey. A relocation to the USA that was never an actual dream, a transition to entrepreneurship and embracing creativity in my work, a parenting phase without my parents that I never envisioned, and so much more. It was true nostalgia watching this chat and seeing this literary giant, his wit as sharp as ever, reflecting on nine decades of an extraordinary life! As I watched, I couldn’t help but smile and chuckle along. I was also quite fascinated by the discussions and different sentiments on the LinkedIn post thread. There are various reactions and perceptions of a single individual’s life, including his impact vs. accomplishments and everyone’s take.

And so what started as a post turned into an article.

I turned 40 this year, so the entire year has been reflective for me. I’ve been thinking a lot about my legacy for my children and my work, authenticity, and purpose. Seeing an icon that I have viewed as one since childhood and thinking 50 years from now got me thinking, and I’m glad I had some…