Nana Aba’s First Attempt at Motivational Speech: “Success is the Audacity to Sleep and Dance to Its Rhythm”

In what sounded like a mix between a TED Talk and a late-night dream sequence, Ghanaian media personality Nana Aba Anamoah took to GHOne TV to deliver what many are calling the most lyrically confusing life advice of the year. “Success,” she declared, pausing for dramatic effect, “isn’t a race—it’s the audacity to sleep and dance to its rhythm.” Viewers were hesitant to applaud, as they checked the Google Translate settings on their phones to verify this was not a lousy translation of “Success is a journey”—from Twi to English.

Nana Aba, having waited for this motivational speaking opportunity all her life, seemed fully convinced and eager to throw in profound-sounding words like synergism to show why she's called English Madam. She explained that her entire career trajectory was built on this philosophy of “strategic stillness,” proudly revealing that it took her ten years to launch Women of Valour—not because of setbacks, but the sheer refusal to rush while waiting for the right vibrations.

“Sometimes you need to marinate in your purpose,” she advised, adding that waking up every day just to chase dreams is “peak desperation energy.” She encouraged young people to sleep longer if their ambitions felt too heavy—because, according to her, “the universe respects a well-rested visionary.” Unsurprisingly, the message sparked chaos online. Half of Ghanaian youth declared they were officially “on pause,” while unemployed graduates found fresh validation for their current lifestyle. Ghanaian aunties reportedly entered a nationwide state of panic, fearing a future of unmarried, unemployed nieces who now feel justified in “finding themselves” indefinitely.

But in case anyone found her speech confounding, Nana Aba clarified her real meaning toward the end: “Be audacious, but do it when you’re ready—not because Instagram, society, or your auntie is counting down your life milestones.” Yet, by then, most viewers were already tangled in her earlier metaphors, still wondering if they should hustle harder or take a three-day nap. Either way, Nana Aba is undeterred as she prepares to detail her philosophy in a new self-help book Sleep and Grow Rich, meant as Ghana's response to Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich.