Gye-Nyame Journey Media

  The Art of Adaptation: Unveiling the Wisdom of The Bat and The Weasels “It is wise to turn circumstances to good account.” — Aesop In the world of fables, we often find animals acting out the deepest parts of our humanity. These creatures, symbols of instinct and survival, carry lessons older than time itself. The Bat and The Weasels , retold from the mind of Aesop and reimagined through the lens of Gye-Nyame Journey, isn’t just a tale for children—it’s a guide for those grown folks who still seek mastery. When the World Has You Cornered Here’s the setup: A bat falls to the ground and is caught by a weasel. The weasel hates birds. So the bat, slick with the tongue, says, “I’m not a bird—I’m a mouse.” The weasel lets him go. Later, the same bat falls again. This time, a different weasel catches him. But this weasel hates mice. So what does the bat say? “I’m not a mouse—I’m a bird.” And he gets set free again. Now, you could say the bat was being dishonest. But hold on. Let’s go de...

I Learn by Doing: A Personal Meditation on the Batak Proverb "You learn how to cut down trees by cutting them down." — Batak (Batiki) Proverb That line hits different when you’ve lived it. I chose this proverb for Day 3 of Tribal Quotes because it calls out something deep that many of us are missing: the wisdom of experience. Too often, we get stuck in thought, tangled in theory, or lost in the illusion of needing to be fully ready before we act. But this proverb cuts straight through the noise. You want to learn how to cut down trees? Then cut them down. That’s it. No Flight School for Birds Flying is complicated. Aerodynamics, balance, wing structure—it’s not easy. But birds don’t have academies. They learn to fly by flying. We learn to walk by walking. We learn to talk by talking. And we learn to live by living. But somehow, we’ve been convinced that real learning happens only in classrooms, through lectures, in books. Don’t get me wrong—I value study. But too many of...

Walking the Barbell: Tradition on One Side, Revolution on the Other I’ve been re-listening to Antifragile by Nassim Taleb—and something caught my spirit this time around: the Barbell Strategy . Taleb breaks it down as a life design where you operate on two extremes . On one side, you’ve got extreme safety . On the other, calculated risk . And in between? Nothing. That middle space is where comfort hides and where fragility is born. This idea got me thinking deeply about how well it aligns with the life we’re building through Gye-Nyame Journey —and how it could shape a political campaign if I—or one of y’all—ever decided to run for office. The Safe Side: Cultural Roots, Community Wisdom Let’s start with the grounded side of the barbell —the side that holds our traditions, values, and cultural wisdom. This is where we store our principles: Umoja, Kujichagulia, Nia . It’s the bedrock. It’s not glamorous, but it’s what keeps us whole. This side includes our: Rites of passage Community cir...

“This Generation Is Doomed!” — The Ancient Tradition of Blaming the Youth You’ve heard it before: "These kids today are always on their phones!" "They don’t go outside like we used to!" "They’re soft, disconnected, and distracted!" This chorus rings out from porches, podcasts, pulpits, and barbershops alike. But the more we listen, the more we realize—it’s not a new song. It's a remix of an ancient tune. What we’re hearing is not prophecy. It’s tradition. Not the youth breaking something sacred—but the elders struggling with the sacred breaking open and becoming something new. The Cycle of Complaint: A Timeless Pattern Every generation gets blamed for the downfall of the world. It’s almost a rite of passage. Ancient Egypt (KMT): Elders worried that young scribes were too informal with sacred texts, diluting divine knowledge. Socrates & Writing: The great philosopher warned that writing would weaken memory and destroy true understand...