How Spiritual Identity Drives Progress and Competitive Advantage

What destiny commands is what the orisa will support. Likewise, what destiny forbids the orisa cannot influence. Ori is the entity that chooses destiny. It is synonymous with the head. And as the head governs the body, ori governs destiny. It is the embodiment of spiritual  identity and ultimate authority. The primacy of ORI is reflected in the common sayings:

Ori lo da ni, enikan o ' d'Ori o
It is the Head that created us; nobody created the Head

and

Ori eni, l'Eleda eni
One's head is one's creator

As these sayings indicate, the apical position of the physical head resonates in the traditional Yoruba psychology of competitive advantage.* In fact, I can assert, without contradiction, that ori IS your competitive advantage.  To align yourself ori is to gain full command over your ability to CREATE AT WILL. Ironically, ori remains one of the most commonly overlooked sources of power and progress. 

Ori is not at all about beads, pots and titles, nor is it simply a catch-phrase for "destiny." The most important value you can glean from ori is that it enables you to make a meaningful contribution to the people you're destined to serve. Here, let me emphasize the fact that this value is very difficult, timely and expensive to build. At the same time, it is quite fragile and relatively easy to destroy.

The difficulty of building, maintaining and projecting your spiritual identity is one reason why the majority of priests, priestesses and devotees refuse to spend much time or money on SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT (i.e., education and training). This is a shame, because well-managed spiritual development is so powerful that it can overcome almost any other competitive element or threat. A well-known song for ori says: 

Ko mo p'ori ni o
They don't know that it is ori
Araiye ko mo p'ori ni
The people of the world don't know that it is ori
Keni ma ni se bo ogun ni
The adversaries believe I'm using magic
Ko mo p'ori ni o
They don't know that it is ori

Hence the popular Yoruba slogan, Orilonise, "Ori is the authority." Thus the head is to an individual what Olodumare is to the cosmos and a king to the body political source of power. This one fact is the reason why the Orisa Lifestyle Academy invests considerable time and money on helping our people achieve spiritual development through ori.  

I realize that the statement above sounds pretty abstract. But practically speaking, ori serves as a shield that protects you from competitors. Developing your ori narrows your focus on what you do best; your natural gifts and talents. It gives you a unique position in the marketplace of life, so the right people know why they should choose you over your competitors. Failure to focus on ori will reduce you to the status of a mere consumer, perpetually victimized by the ever-changing whims of others and market forces.

Obafemi Origunwa, MA | ObafemiO.com

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* Babatunde Lawal