Breaking the Cycle of Limitation: The Future First Lady

Some time ago, I found myself at Tafo Government Hospital for a routine check-up. As I joined the queue, I was drawn to the woman sitting next to me. She had a beautiful young daughter who was energetic, and moving around as most children do. However, the way the woman referred to her daughter caught my attention even more. Time and again, she called her “Future First Lady.” The phrase piqued my curiosity, and I couldn’t help but wonder why she kept referring to her daughter with such a specific title.

Unable to contain my curiosity, I struck up a conversation with the woman.

Me: “Madam, I can see our future first lady is keeping you busy. May I please help you with her?”
Her: “Oh bra! I’m even tired of talking and trying to control her.”
Me: “That’s fine, let her be free. But if I may ask, why do you keep calling her the future first lady?”
Her: (sighs) “Bra, you see how beautiful she is? I don’t want her to marry anyone but a president so she can be like Rebecca Akufo-Addo.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the woman’s dreams for her daughter. Yet, something inside me urged me to push the boundaries of her thinking.

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Me: “You have great dreams for her, but why not call her the future president? She could become the first female president of this nation.”
Her: “Eei braa yi paa, you know in this country no female can ever become president.”

Her response hit me hard. At that moment, I realized that this was more than a conversation about titles and aspirations; it was a reflection of the limitations we often place on ourselves and others. The woman’s words echoed a deep-seated belief, a belief that had likely been passed down through generations—one that dictates that certain roles are off-limits, especially for women.

As I left the hospital, this conversation stayed with me. It saddened me to think about the countless children who, like this little girl, grow up with dreams limited by societal expectations. What kind of future can we hope for when we inject limitations and impossibilities into our children’s minds from a young age?

Shakespeare once wrote, “There is nothing either good or bad, except that thinking makes it so.” This quote resonates deeply when considering the impact of our thoughts on our lives. The young girl’s mother might believe that marrying a president is the highest aspiration her daughter could achieve, but that belief comes from a place of limitation, not possibility. That mindset, if left unchecked, could shape the young girl’s life in ways that prevent her from achieving her full potential.

Imagine this young girl growing up, believing that her ultimate goal is to marry a president. She might spend her life chasing after politicians or waiting for a president to appear out of thin air, instead of realizing her potential to become a leader. What could happen if, instead of being told to become a “first lady,” she was encouraged to become the president herself?

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Growing up with an orchestrated mindset can keep many of us from achieving greatness. We are often confined by societal behaviors and beliefs, which tell us that our destiny is outside our control, that fate governs our lives, and that we should abandon our dreams in favor of simply accepting what life gives us. This belief system is harmful because it teaches us that we are powerless and that we have no agency over our futures. It tells us to forget about big dreams, to settle for less, and to let life control its seasons.

But we do have a choice. We can choose to maintain that limited mindset, or we can choose to break free from it and embrace a mindset of possibility. As John Milton wrote, “The mind is its place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.” In other words, it’s not our external circumstances that determine our success or failure, but our internal mindset. We have the power to shape our lives by changing the way we think.

So, from this day forward, let us cultivate the habit of thinking big. Let us believe that we can succeed, regardless of the limitations that society tries to impose on us. Let us build confidence in our abilities and strive for greatness. Second place should never be an option. When we think of doubt, we invite failure. But when we think like victors, we set ourselves up for success.

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This mindset shift is not just important for us as individuals—it’s crucial for the next generation. We must encourage our children to think beyond the limitations that society places on them. We must show them that they are capable of achieving anything they set their minds to, whether that’s becoming the president or breaking new ground in their chosen field. When we cultivate a mindset of possibility, we empower future generations to create a better, more inclusive world.

So let us choose to think big. Let us believe in the power of our minds. And let us never allow the limitations of others to define our futures.