Madame Ann: Welcome to MABS Book Reviews. I’m Jametta, AKA Madame Ann. Please introduce yourself.

Ekpo: Hello. I am Ekpo Okon Jr., a final-year physical medicine student and author of To Me 10 Years in the Past.

Madame Ann: Interesting, guys. Ekpo has the brains and looks, too. I think he is kind of like the lady’s man. The first time I met you, I noticed you were very confident. Where do you get your confidence from?

Ekpo: I’ll be honest. I cannot be totally sure where I get it from. I think it’s a combination of different factors. My family, knowing they have my back, gives me confidence. Whenever I do something that scares me and comes out on top, that gives me confidence as well.

Madame Ann: Hahaha. Fascinating. So, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Ekpo: Depending on my mood, I sometimes like to read, and documentaries take up much of my free time, too. I also want to take walks and am very sporty, so I enjoy playing football or basketball.

Madame Ann:  Lol, I am more of an indoor person. I read your book, and it has lots of advice. The one that stood out to me was the part about not listening to the crowd. Deep stuff. What’s the most unexpected piece of advice you’ve received?

Ekpo: It’s hard to pin down one. Being Nigerian, you never know which older person will give you advice, but my mother gave me the best advice I ever got. She said, “Listen more than you speak; you would learn more that way “

“Listen more than you speak; you would learn more that way “

Madame Ann: Bro, I think God knows when to send us the advice we need at the right time. Looking back, would you change anything about your approach to life ten years ago?

Ekpo: I am sure there are things I could have done better, but I always remember that regrets are unnecessary. Experience is usually the best teacher.

Madame Ann: True, experience is indeed the best teacher. These are challenging times, especially with inflation, Nigeria’s problems, and the need to stay up to date with tasks and social media. How do you stay motivated and positive during these times?

Ekpo: I’m not gonna lie. Staying motivated and positive on a good day can be difficult for anyone, without the added pressure of the current economic situation of our country and the world in general. I practice stoicism,” get what I can, and accept what I can’t.” That way, I always look for what is within my ability to do to make things better for me and the people I care about while minimizing my worry about stuff I can’t control

Madame Ann: Mmm, that’s interesting. I never heard about  stoicism. Would definitely read more about it. What advice would you give to someone who feels overwhelmed by the pressures of modern life?

Ekpo: Practice stoicism; it helps. I believe it’s the most objective way to look at life. It was even practiced by a Roman emperor back in the day.

Madame Ann: What inspired you to write To Me 10 Years in the Past?

Ekpo: When I got the idea to write the book, it was during the lockdown in 2020. I am not sure how long we had been locked down, but I was looking for a way to be productive. I did not know how; if I’m honest, I was instead making long-term plans for myself cause I did not see how I could be productive then. I had a friend of mine die around the same time; it occurred to me then that life is relatively short and unpredictable; we aren’t promised to live a long life, so we must try to make our mark with the time we have. So, I decided to start with the book.

Madame Ann: Awww, sad you had to go through that. Many great books were written from a place of grief. Moment of silence for your friend… Was there a specific moment or experience that made you realize the importance of the lessons you share in the book?

Ekpo: I don’t think there was a specific moment when all the lessons I shared in the book came to me. Why I called it To Me 10 Years In The Past. It was the accumulation of some key lessons over the 10 years since I was 16. I thought I would have loved to have this knowledge back then, but since I can’t go back in time, maybe teenagers around the same age could benefit from my experiences.

Madame Ann: I love that, So tell us how did your journey and experiences shape the advice you give in the book?

Ekpo: Well, I know I still have a long road ahead of me, but so far, life has been dynamic. I’ve had incredible highs and unfortunate lows as well. There have been times I have been supremely indifferent to everything around me, but in everything, I believe that makes life interesting. We all go through so many different phases, and with every new phase, you discover a new part of yourself that you might not even have known existed. I believe my experiences have shaped me to understand that life is about adapting to the various changes that come with it, facing as many challenges as possible, and having fun along the way.

Madame Ann: What was the most challenging part of writing this book?

Ekpo: Oh, that. I need to edit it again and write a part of the book to improve it. So, I need it to be as perfect as possible while fighting imposter syndrome.

Madame Ann: Haha, I feel you. You are not an imposter. Let’s talk more about other aspects of your life. You are studying physical medicine and rehab, right?

Ekpo: Yes, I am.

Madame Ann: Sweet, how do you plan to merge your writing career with physical medicine and rehab?

Ekpo: I don’t think I can rightfully call writing a career path for me; it started as a hobby. I’ve always enjoyed good books, as long as they are not academic books. So, for me, publishing a book is less about having a career or making so much money from it and more about getting my thoughts out in a subtle form.

Madame Ann: Your book is big on the topic of discipline. Did you have any routines or habits that helped you stay disciplined during the writing process?

Ekpo: Yes, I tried my best to reduce the distractions around me, including reducing the amount of time I spent on my phone and watching TV. I started reading a lot of other books and watching more documentaries to get as much inspiration as I could. I also made sure I wrote something down within the first hour of my time awake in the morning, even if it was just a sentence.

Madame Ann: Impresssssive. Your book contains a lot of advice about networking, flexibility, and learning. Which lesson in the book do you consider the most important for young adults today?

Ekpo: I cannot pick one piece of advice in particular to say it’s encompassing. The thing about life is that even good advice can be wasted if you do not have the wisdom to apply it when you should. Every topic or point I made in the book is equally important as the next, but knowing where and when to use whatever advice you get is even more critical.

Madame Ann: Have you received any feedback from readers who found your book particularly impactful?

Ekpo: I have. It felt good reading them, too, knowing that even if it’s minor, I have made a little impact in the world.

Madame Ann: I would like to know if you could add another chapter to the book. What additional lesson or advice would you include?

Ekpo: I haven’t thought about it much, you know, but if I were to pick, I’d write a chapter about self-control

Madame Ann:  I will let the readers absorb that for a minute _self control. Do you plan to write another book? If so, what would it be about?

Ekpo: I do. I enjoy having short-read books out there. Lately, I have been thinking about writing a book focusing more on Nigeria.

Madame Ann: How will your career and personal journey evolve in the next ten years?

Ekpo: I can only hope for the best, but I am excited to see what the future holds. 10 years ago, I never thought I’d write a book, but here we are now. So, that’s still a mystery to me.

Madame Ann: Are you working on any other projects or initiatives?

Ekpo: I can only speak to putting ideas on paper right now. At the moment, the most important thing for me is graduating.

Madame Ann: I wish you all the best, and I’m always rooting for you. Where can our readers find you?

Ekpo Okon: I am @ekpo_eo on instagram.  Click here to access my book

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