"The challenges are not in the marketplace. They are in the mind"....... Jean Bernard

As we progress into year 2005, it is time for the professional and business class to "charge your imagination" for greater exploits this year. Take this message from IMAGINATION himself. Is IMAGINATION a person you ask? Yes he is, and he wants to address you, this season. It would be worth your while to listen. His sentences are short and language in the first person. This is the preamble of his message.

I am in your mind, your regular companion. I am of divine origin. You cannot see me, but I am always with you. You do not always acknowledge my presence and person. That is why you have not tapped into my power. I inspire people, motivate them and propel them to achieve the extra-ordinary. I am available. You can use me for great exploits. I am a good shepherd. I have the ability to make you form mental pictures, generate new ideas and show you things beyond your sight.

I give creative ability to a writer, and the power to see things which do not exist. I take people beyond their natural limits. Those who tapped into my power have made impact on humanity- the great scientists, inventors, writers, war veterans, statesmen, world leaders, sports legends, industrial barons and multinational corporations. I am IMAGINATION. I help you see the hidden, not only the distant. Great people have used me, you too can use me. I am easy to manage. I have creative powers. I give wisdom and can help you catch you your vision. I activate your faculties. I am not perishable, but you can perish without me.

I am ageless, yet I am like a baby. You need to nurse me to get the best from me. I am never in a hurry. You need patience, humility, and sound mind to use me. Be persistent and steadfast, I will put the world in your pocket. Neglect me; you will live a mediocre life. I activated the lives of great men and women. I can activate yours too. Who am I? I am IMAGINATION.

Now this is my message:

What would the world of business be like in the year 2030? You can only figure it out if you use your imagination. Let's go! Imagine this. You go shopping at a shopping plaza. A product catches your attention. It is well packaged and branded. The name: Peoples Bank. You wonder, how a bank can be on a supermarket shelf. Your attention has been arrested by something unusual just like the biblical Moses and the burning bush. Your curiosity is aroused. You want to find out what kind of bank is this? No bank has done this before. People's Bank is the first to do so. A bank on a supermarket shelf? This is just an imagination for now, but it may not be so in year 2030 given the rapid development in information technology and E-business. I am IMAGINATION...I inspire people.

Dear professional, I have a message for you. With imagination, you can form a mental picture of the world of business in 2030. Time separates us from 2030, but imagination can take you 26 years ahead or bring it to the present. I am a mental supersonic aircraft. I travel faster than light and sound. But unlike commercial jetliners, I cannot crash. But you can crash if you do not use me. Listen to me and give me your attention. You need me to see the nature and volume of business in 2030. Without me, you cannot do so. As you read this message, you are embarking on a Vision Flight to Business in 2030 which exists in the realm of imagination. Estimated flight time is 30 minutes for reading the three part message, and we shall be cruising at an altitude of 3000 words above writing level. You are traveling on Infomedia Writing Line. Your pilot is IMAGINATION.

Please listen carefully to the information about the place we are flying to -the Business World in 2030. People's Bank is already giving an insight of what to expect in 2030 when technology will put banks on supermarket shelves, chain stores, and even in homes. Technology will take man beyond the earth to put life in other planets. Are you surprised? You better believe me. In 2030, the world's commercial airlines will be making commercial flights to the moon. Man would have completely subdued the earth with science and technology. I am IMAGINATION, I inspire people.

Take British Airways for instance. It prides itself as the - world's favorite airline".. Airlines are already forming alliances to go global. There is the Star Alliance, the alliance network for earth. There is the Qualifier Group. British Airways belongs to One World. It is a pointer to what air travel would be in 2030.

The world in 2030 would be one big world of diversity with each constituent part, race, and gender and markets contributing to a unified world. God made the earth one world, but man turned it into many worlds. What is the key to one business world? Alliances, mergers and acquisitions, common markets and currencies. It is already happening. The EU is here. European countries have merged into a common market served by a single currency, the Euro. By 2030, the United States of America and Canada would have completely fused into a single market ruled by a new Dollar. Asia will evolve into a continental whole. Germany is now one country. The two Koreas are courting each other after more than 45 years of separation, while the Asian Tigers are evolving into a Super Tiger. I am IMAGINATION, I inspire people.

Eric Okeke is a motivational speaker, business writer, copywriter, and corporate storyteller with more than 20 years writing experience . He is one of Nigeria's most experienced financial journalists. His strengths are creative writing, humor, publicity, professional speaking, and storytelling. His E-mail: ericosamba@yahoo.com Eric lives and works in Lagos, Nigeria. He runs Infomedia, a media consulting, writing, and speaking outfit.

I recommend that you read this fantastic e- book, "How To Tell A Great Story" that is dedicated to teaching people just like you about the famed "R.P.I. principle". Go now to http://www.howtotellagreatstory.com