Sunday, January 20, 2013
' The wealthiest spot on earth is not the oil fields of Kuwait, Iraq or Saudi Arabia; neither is it the gold and diamond mines of South Africa, the uranium mines of Soviet Union, or the silver mines of Africa. Though it may surprise you, the richest deposits on the planet lie just a few blocks from your house. They rest in your local cemetry or graveyard.
Buried beneath the soil within the walls of those sacred grounds are dreams that never came to pass, songs that were never sung, books that were never written, paintings that never filled a canvas, ideas that were never shared, visions that never went beyond the drawing board of the mind, and purposes that were never fulfilled. Our graveyards are filled with so much potentials that remained only as potentials.
What a tragedy!'
A statement of Myles Munroe
Culled from Jimi Tewe's
"Free from Corporate Slavery"
2011...
How deep the father's love for us
A real touching story I must say. Saw it somewhere and couldn't but share. How deep the father's love for us indeed...
After a few of the usual Sunday evening
hymns, the church's pastor slowly stood up,
walked over to the pulpit and, before he gave his
sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a
guest minister who was in the service that
evening. In the introduction, the pastor told
the congregation that the guest minister was
one of his dearest childhood friends and that
he wanted him to have a few moments to greet
the church and share whatever he felt would be
appropriate for the service.
With that, an elderly man stepped up to the
pulpit and began to speak. "A father, his son,
and a friend of his son were sailing off the
Pacific Coast," he began, "when a fast
approaching storm blocked any attempt to get
back to shore. The waves were so high that, even
though the father was an experienced sailor, he
could not keep the boat upright, and the three
were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized."
The old man hesitated for a moment, making
eye contact with two teenagers who were, for
the first time since the service began, looking
somewhat interested in the story.
The aged
minister continued with his story. "Grabbing a
rescue line, the father had to make the most
excruciating decision of his life: to which boy he
would throw the other end of the life line. He
only had seconds to make the decision. The
father knew that his son was a Christian, and
he also knew that his son's friend was not. The
agony of his decision could not be matched by
the torrent of the waves. As the father yelled
out, 'I love you, son!', he threw out the life line
to the son's friend. By the time the father had
pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his
son had disappeared beneath the raging swells
into the black of night. His body was never
recovered."
By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up
straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the
next words to come out of the old minister's
mouth. "The father," he continued, "knew his
son would step into eternity with Jesus, and he
could not bear the thought of his son's friend
stepping into an eternity without Jesus.
Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the
son's friend. How great is the love of God that
He could do the same for us. Our heavenly
Father sacrificed His only begotten Son that
we could be saved. I urge you to accept His
offer to rescue you and take hold of the life
line."
With that, the old man turned and sat back
down in his chair as silence filled the room. The
pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and
delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at
the end. However, no one responded to the
appeal. Within minutes after the service, the
two teenagers were at the old man's side.
"That was a nice story," politely said one of the
boys, "but I don't think it was very realistic
for a father to give up his only son's life in
hopes that the other boy would become a
Christian."
"Well, you've got a point there," the old man
replied, glancing down at his worn Bible. Sorrow
began to overtake the old man's smiling face as
he once again looked up at the boys and said, "It
sure isn't very realistic, is it? But I'm here
today to tell you that I understand more than
most the pain God must have felt to give up His
only Son. For you see, I'm the man who lost his
son to the ocean that day, and my son's friend
that I chose to save is your pastor."
Folks, please let's not allow the sacrificial death of Jesus be futile over our life. Days are flowing fast, the end of time comes fast, people are dying by the second too. It's high time we took that decision, of where we wanna spend eternity. Please give your life to Christ today, 2mr might just never come.
Iowa Couple Married 72 Years Dies Holding Hands, an Hour Apart
A devoted Iowa couple married for 72 years died holding hands in the hospital last week, exactly one hour apart.
The passing reflected the nature of their marriage, where, "As a rule, everything was done together," said the couple's daughter Donna Sheets, 71.
Gordon Yeager, 94, and his wife Norma, 90, left their small town of State Center, Iowa, on Wednesday to go into town, but never made it. A car accident sent the couple to the emergency room and intensive care unit with broken bones and other injuries. But, even in the hospital, their concerns were each other.
"She was saying her chest hurt and what's wrong with Dad? Even laying there like that, she was worried about Dad," said the couple's son, Dennis Yeager, 52. "And his back was hurting and he was asking about Mom."
When it became clear that their conditions were not improving, the couple was moved into a room together in beds side-by-side where they could hold hands.
"They joined hands; his right hand, her left hand," Sheets said.
Gordon Yeager died at 3:38 p.m. He was no longer breathing, but the family was surprised by what his monitor showed.
"Someone in there said, 'Why, then, when we look at the monitor is the heart still beating?'" Sheets recalled. "The nurse said Dad was picking up Mom's heartbeat through Mom's hand."
"And we thought, 'Oh my gosh, Mom's heart is beating through him,'" Dennis Yeager said.
Norma Yeager died exactly an hour later.
"Dad used to say that a woman is always worth waiting for," Dennis Yeager said. "Dad waited an hour for her and held the door for her."
The inseparable couple was engaged and married within 12 hours in 1939 on the day Norma Yeager graduated from high school.
"She graduated from high school on May 26, 1939, at about 10 a.m., and at about 10 p.m. that night she was married to my dad at his sister's house," Sheets said.
The vibrant duo had a "very, very full life."
They worked as a team. They traveled together, they were in a bridge club together and they worked in a Chevrolet dealership, creamery and other businesses together.
"They always did everything together," Sheets said. "They weren't apart. They just weren't."
Dennis Yeager described his father as an "outgoing" and "hyper" man who was still working on the roof of his house and sitting cross-legged with no problem at age 90.
"The party didn't start until he showed up," he said. "He was the outgoing one and she supported him by being the giver. She supported Dad in everything. And he would've been lost without her."
Dennis Yeager said it is strange today to go into his parents' home and see the "two chairs side-by-side that they sat in all the time," empty. He said it was in those chairs that his parents cheered on the Arizona sports teams they loved and rarely missed an episode of "Wheel of Fortune" and "The Price Is Right."
According to their obituary, besides their children, the Yeagers are survived by her sister, Virginia Kell, and his brother, Roger Yeager, as well as 14 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
Their grandson Randy Yeager said he has been inspired in his own 13-year marriage by his grandparents' loving and lasting marriage.
"Grandpa and I were talking this summer about all of the people getting divorced for this reason or that and he mentioned that nobody stays together anymore," Randy Yeager wrote to ABCNews.com in an email. "I told [him] that my wife Mara and I would never be getting a divorce and he said, 'That's because you're old school, like me!'
"That was one of the greatest compliments I could have ever received and one I will strive to live up to for the rest of my life," Randy Yeager said.
The couple were put in a casket together holding hands for their funeral this week, but are being cremated and will have their ashes mixed before burial.
"All their life has been together," Sheets said. "So, when it came to the funeral home, the family asked, 'Can we have them put in the casket together holding hands?' Because that's the way their life was."
(Culled from abc news, Aug 28, 2012;
Original Story by: Christina NG, Oct 24, 2011)
Thursday, December 8, 2011
ODE
Life, as said and as agreed by many, is in phases,
And its prices and prizes also, in stages,
The man with the least chance of success is the one who never started,
So our hearts leaped with joy, at the qualification to climb another of life's major ladders,
'Only the strong will survive, Only the wise will excel....', so we brimmed with confidence in our physical strengths and mental vigour,
Onward we moved like Soldiers matching off to war,
Every pace bringing about a new phase, in our quest for the ultimate prize,
Like the proverbial dog of old, we refused to yield to the warnings from our major haunter- failure's whistle,
Together we rolled adventurously and happily like a school of whales with a sole target,
But beyond all the ranting,
There was this gradual freezing out that I noticed,
A constant leaking of ultimate fitting,
A natural grain-shaft separation mechanism,
A once-a-while outbreak of some major inferno,
Extinction thus became inevitable for the few who get burned,
So we got acquainted with some good fire fighters,
To the fire-fighter's house we ran at the slightest of gentle fires,
So the arduous task was being carried out enjoyably,
Because as soldiers, we knew when to attack and defend,
And of course when to flee,
Reality however dawned on us when we found out that even the fire-fighter has his own fire to deal with at times,
Our hearts groaned because prophecy caught up with even the most fervent of prophets at some time,
So this spurred us to learn to solve our own issues by ourselves independently of external help...
The journey was a bittersweet experience,
Filled with highs and lows, ons and offs, pluses and negatives, goods and bads,
And every other description you can give to a double-edged sword,
Like pencil marks on papers, we were constantly threatened with erasers,
Today we look back happily, though exhausted,
We have finally made it to the pinnacle of the ladder,
Against all odds, we have surpassed even the mountain top,
And I cannot but thank all and sundry for all supports in all forms,
I take the opportunity to apologize for all wrongs committed, both willingly and unwillingly,
To everyone with whom I ran the race, I say 'May God renew your strength, for there are still many more mountains to climb and rivers to cross,
May the good Lord keep us all, amen...
But shortly before I cap my ink,
I pay a tribute out to the fallen foliages,
I remember the fallen stars,
I pay another respect to the fallen souls,
The ones with whom we set-out but couldn't make it to the end,
May their souls be granted eternal tranquility,
Nonetheless, it has been a journey worth it,
I weep for the lost dreams and dashed hopes,
For the loss of directions and backwards movements, I drop a tear,
For the circumlocutory gyrations and the ceaseless perambulations,
For the number of times my dog went back to its vomit,
For the amount of re-ensnaring that my extricated prey did to itself,
For the times when my 'bull's eyer' acted dumbly blind,
And for the days of foolish longing for some good old days,
I tender myself a big apology, Accepted?? Sure!!..,
Today our eggs have become fathers to the hens, who laid them,
Once we were sons, but today, even our sons are fathers,
With nothing else to say, I will only ask that you be on the look-out for us,
Because another star has just been sent into the galaxies,
With just one purpose: to light up the nations...
And its prices and prizes also, in stages,
The man with the least chance of success is the one who never started,
So our hearts leaped with joy, at the qualification to climb another of life's major ladders,
'Only the strong will survive, Only the wise will excel....', so we brimmed with confidence in our physical strengths and mental vigour,
Onward we moved like Soldiers matching off to war,
Every pace bringing about a new phase, in our quest for the ultimate prize,
Like the proverbial dog of old, we refused to yield to the warnings from our major haunter- failure's whistle,
Together we rolled adventurously and happily like a school of whales with a sole target,
But beyond all the ranting,
There was this gradual freezing out that I noticed,
A constant leaking of ultimate fitting,
A natural grain-shaft separation mechanism,
A once-a-while outbreak of some major inferno,
Extinction thus became inevitable for the few who get burned,
So we got acquainted with some good fire fighters,
To the fire-fighter's house we ran at the slightest of gentle fires,
So the arduous task was being carried out enjoyably,
Because as soldiers, we knew when to attack and defend,
And of course when to flee,
Reality however dawned on us when we found out that even the fire-fighter has his own fire to deal with at times,
Our hearts groaned because prophecy caught up with even the most fervent of prophets at some time,
So this spurred us to learn to solve our own issues by ourselves independently of external help...
The journey was a bittersweet experience,
Filled with highs and lows, ons and offs, pluses and negatives, goods and bads,
And every other description you can give to a double-edged sword,
Like pencil marks on papers, we were constantly threatened with erasers,
Today we look back happily, though exhausted,
We have finally made it to the pinnacle of the ladder,
Against all odds, we have surpassed even the mountain top,
And I cannot but thank all and sundry for all supports in all forms,
I take the opportunity to apologize for all wrongs committed, both willingly and unwillingly,
To everyone with whom I ran the race, I say 'May God renew your strength, for there are still many more mountains to climb and rivers to cross,
May the good Lord keep us all, amen...
But shortly before I cap my ink,
I pay a tribute out to the fallen foliages,
I remember the fallen stars,
I pay another respect to the fallen souls,
The ones with whom we set-out but couldn't make it to the end,
May their souls be granted eternal tranquility,
Nonetheless, it has been a journey worth it,
I weep for the lost dreams and dashed hopes,
For the loss of directions and backwards movements, I drop a tear,
For the circumlocutory gyrations and the ceaseless perambulations,
For the number of times my dog went back to its vomit,
For the amount of re-ensnaring that my extricated prey did to itself,
For the times when my 'bull's eyer' acted dumbly blind,
And for the days of foolish longing for some good old days,
I tender myself a big apology, Accepted?? Sure!!..,
Today our eggs have become fathers to the hens, who laid them,
Once we were sons, but today, even our sons are fathers,
With nothing else to say, I will only ask that you be on the look-out for us,
Because another star has just been sent into the galaxies,
With just one purpose: to light up the nations...
Monday, January 10, 2011
PERSPECTIVE OF LIFE
Hi Peeps, I thought it will be nice to share this with you to begin the week with. I guess we have seen this before, but bringing it anew cannot be so much of a bore.
One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.
They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"
"It was great, Dad."
"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.
"Oh yeah," said the son.
"So, tell me, what you learned from the trip?" asked the father.
The son answered:
"I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.
We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.
Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.
We buy our food, but they grow theirs.
We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."
We Live in Constant fear not to lose what we have, but they have nothing to fear about.
The boy's father was speechless.
Then his son added, “Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."
Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have...
Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your family and friends!
"Life is too short and friends are too few."
Wish you all a very wonderful week
One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.
They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"
"It was great, Dad."
"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.
"Oh yeah," said the son.
"So, tell me, what you learned from the trip?" asked the father.
The son answered:
"I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.
We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.
Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.
We buy our food, but they grow theirs.
We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."
We Live in Constant fear not to lose what we have, but they have nothing to fear about.
The boy's father was speechless.
Then his son added, “Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."
Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have...
Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your family and friends!
"Life is too short and friends are too few."
Wish you all a very wonderful week
Monday, July 27, 2009
Hope for the future
LA ESPERANZA SER POSIBLE!!!
Wondering what the above phrase means, well it is just a Spanish phrase used to show that there is still hope, despite various unfavorable circumstances; possible an English translation to light at the end of the tunnel. Well this article simply points out that there is still hope of a bright future for the youths of this generation. May be you are among the various youths out there who are really worried about the future ahead due to the many challenges that we are being faced with in this generation, then hey!, this article is intended for you. But the fact is that every young person out there who has a good vision and a plan for his life should be concerned with the way things are going around us. In fact, we should start examining if dreams still come true at a time like this. The world finds itself presently in a situation where barely everything is done through the wrong means, things that used to be seen as ‘vulgar’ are now been displayed and accepted openly, and our leaders are very much leading the way at setting bad examples to the generations that follow. Good virtues of the past are no longer celebrated and in fact, it’s so strange that the bad deeds are even getting some good reward. Can we say the world is going mad? No! We should rather ask if the world is.!!!
The youths of this generation are living in a world where money is power, money speaks, and in fact money does is all. Even Aphra Behn said it that money speaks sense in a language that all nations understand. Youths out there are under the pressure of also wanting to get money by all means they can, be it through the front or backdoor. If we examine into the choice of courses student go for when applying to colleges, it’s no longer a matter of where their heart lies but where the money is. In fact, in a country like Nigeria, it’s a course like Medicine or Law that used to be seen as the quick money maker but nowadays, the attention has shifted towards petroleum and gasworks, we need no explanation for that scenario for it is so glaring that everyone is looking for the job that pays off monetarily quick. Our parents are not even helping matters as they used to do; in fact they are adding more fuel to the present fire. If we examine five fathers out there, the one with the successful child is likely to have more respect than others. Their children are even sometimes, their theme of comparison at pubs or even bars. The good child is the pride of his parents, they used to say back then but now, with close observation of things , the successful child is the pride of his parents, in fact, we might not be to wrong if we proclaim that the child with a lot of money is the pride of his parents. With every child wanting to please his or her own parents, he goes every mile so as to be successful in life and be deemed ‘a good child’ by his parents.
Well, not the parents alone, the press and media houses are also not easing the issue for the youths. What we now celebrate on televisions are celebrity figures who have really got the money without really examining how he or she got that hell of money. You sometimes wonder if it’s the two albums that a hip-hop musician has dropped, that makes him billion-dollar rich. Celebrity cribs display a very high level of luxury that even the pope might want to consider twice and rappers brag openly about how many girls they’ve got and how they get money through the wrong means; funny isn’t it? High profile parties where money has been excessively sunk are displayed on our screens and someone out there is also wishing to have the same. Our politicians are not left behind in the issues around as they also present themselves as celebrity figures, travelling and touring around instead of thinking of progress for the nation. No wonder the next person running for the next important political post has also drawn his own plan of selfish exploits when he assumes office.
Another situation which has become increasingly alarming is the continuous decline in the standard of education in various economies worldwide. The students, who happen to be the victims, do not make the matter better as the interest in academics and education worldwide is also on the decline. Youths out there are increasingly becoming more interested in shady means of getting money and those who are still devoted to their academics are in it with the hope that it says off with a fat salary when they start work. Many youths find themselves under pressure to cheat during the examinations so as just to meet the required cut off or accepted grades in industries. In fact, the primary aim of schooling has really been disrupted as instead of being a place to get some good level of training before one goes out there to develop whatever he or she has learnt, it’s only seed as a yardstick or a kind of standard before one can be seen as a person to reckon with in the society. Back in the years, people who didn’t have a chance to get a high level of education still had the time to invent useful things and eventually became people to be reckoned with in the society. I’m not willing to mention names but just have to take the case of Bill Gates, the founder of the Microsoft Corporations who was a college dropout but eventually invented one of the primary instruments of computer development today. The fact is that not all of us have a high mental capability to become successful by virtue of the educational status or even background but every one of us has his own unique talent with which he can make a good and responsible living. Some have the gifts of singing, others various sports and so on with which we can make a good name.
Now, this article does not aim to divert our interest as youths from getting money, but just encouraging us to get it through the right means. Many a youth out there is involved in internet frauds and scams so as to dupe people of some huge amount of money and this issue is so contagious that you only need to be a friend of a scammer before you also become one. Lack of discipline and good moral background is also a major factor is the increase in the rot around us. In fact, the decadence is so alarming that very young girls now go to the extent of sleeping with men old enough to father them so as just to get money. It’s so disheartening that many of these issues above are not seen in the society as bad but rather something we have to accept because there is believed to be no way out.
This article is therefore put up to encourage those youths who are striving to get things done the right way. Do not be weary; the reward of good will come at its right time. To those of us still struggling to make a breakthrough due to the fact that that our parents are not rich, it’s just a matter of time before the tables will turn to favor us. For those of us still in school in one field of study or the other, let us learn as much as we can and make what we have learnt the basis of our own research and probably our own invention in the nearest future. *Please, we have had enough of trying to specialize in the works of some heroes of the past. There are still a lot of issues waiting to be discovered or invented.
Learning has to be a continuous process no matter where we find ourselves. Remember the brighter you are, the more you have to learn and if you feel you are not bright enough, openness to learning can be a key factor in turning a dull person to a brilliant one. Also remember that he who adds not to his learning diminishes it, and learning should not be something to be proud of, but simply a way of life. Jeremy Taylor once said that to be proud of learning is the greatest ignorance which is the fact.
When we find ourselves in opportunities where we have to lead a group of people or where a huge sum of money is kept in our care, let’s handle things with the fear of God and respect for humanity. If those ahead of us have set a bad example for us to follow, let’s not follow, instead let us do things the right way and set the right path for the generations coming after us to follow. Thomas Jefferson said and I quote, ‘I have ever deemed it more honorable and more profitable too, to set a good example that to follow a bad one’. Let money not be our leader but let’s lead wisely the money we possess. Benjamin Franklin made a statement that he that is of the opinion that money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money. Hey friend, put not your trust in money but it’s good to put your money in trust. Even the Holy Bible says it clearly that the love of money is the root of all evil.
Having said all this, I might not be the great inspirational writer out there but I believe that I’ve been able to come out in clear terms some guides by which we can lead a good life irrespective of the decay in our society. Remember the greatest gift we can bestow on others is to set a good example for them to follow, and also that the rotten apple spoils his companion so let’s not be a black sheep wherever we find ourselves. The repair of the world begins at an individual level and if each of us can take the decision to do things only the right way, then the dream of a ‘whole new world’ stops from being a mirage but becomes gradually a reality. The responsibility is on each and every one of us and begins individually from each ones closet. Remember there are no problems that we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves.
OLABISI SIJIBOMI A
Wondering what the above phrase means, well it is just a Spanish phrase used to show that there is still hope, despite various unfavorable circumstances; possible an English translation to light at the end of the tunnel. Well this article simply points out that there is still hope of a bright future for the youths of this generation. May be you are among the various youths out there who are really worried about the future ahead due to the many challenges that we are being faced with in this generation, then hey!, this article is intended for you. But the fact is that every young person out there who has a good vision and a plan for his life should be concerned with the way things are going around us. In fact, we should start examining if dreams still come true at a time like this. The world finds itself presently in a situation where barely everything is done through the wrong means, things that used to be seen as ‘vulgar’ are now been displayed and accepted openly, and our leaders are very much leading the way at setting bad examples to the generations that follow. Good virtues of the past are no longer celebrated and in fact, it’s so strange that the bad deeds are even getting some good reward. Can we say the world is going mad? No! We should rather ask if the world is.!!!
The youths of this generation are living in a world where money is power, money speaks, and in fact money does is all. Even Aphra Behn said it that money speaks sense in a language that all nations understand. Youths out there are under the pressure of also wanting to get money by all means they can, be it through the front or backdoor. If we examine into the choice of courses student go for when applying to colleges, it’s no longer a matter of where their heart lies but where the money is. In fact, in a country like Nigeria, it’s a course like Medicine or Law that used to be seen as the quick money maker but nowadays, the attention has shifted towards petroleum and gasworks, we need no explanation for that scenario for it is so glaring that everyone is looking for the job that pays off monetarily quick. Our parents are not even helping matters as they used to do; in fact they are adding more fuel to the present fire. If we examine five fathers out there, the one with the successful child is likely to have more respect than others. Their children are even sometimes, their theme of comparison at pubs or even bars. The good child is the pride of his parents, they used to say back then but now, with close observation of things , the successful child is the pride of his parents, in fact, we might not be to wrong if we proclaim that the child with a lot of money is the pride of his parents. With every child wanting to please his or her own parents, he goes every mile so as to be successful in life and be deemed ‘a good child’ by his parents.
Well, not the parents alone, the press and media houses are also not easing the issue for the youths. What we now celebrate on televisions are celebrity figures who have really got the money without really examining how he or she got that hell of money. You sometimes wonder if it’s the two albums that a hip-hop musician has dropped, that makes him billion-dollar rich. Celebrity cribs display a very high level of luxury that even the pope might want to consider twice and rappers brag openly about how many girls they’ve got and how they get money through the wrong means; funny isn’t it? High profile parties where money has been excessively sunk are displayed on our screens and someone out there is also wishing to have the same. Our politicians are not left behind in the issues around as they also present themselves as celebrity figures, travelling and touring around instead of thinking of progress for the nation. No wonder the next person running for the next important political post has also drawn his own plan of selfish exploits when he assumes office.
Another situation which has become increasingly alarming is the continuous decline in the standard of education in various economies worldwide. The students, who happen to be the victims, do not make the matter better as the interest in academics and education worldwide is also on the decline. Youths out there are increasingly becoming more interested in shady means of getting money and those who are still devoted to their academics are in it with the hope that it says off with a fat salary when they start work. Many youths find themselves under pressure to cheat during the examinations so as just to meet the required cut off or accepted grades in industries. In fact, the primary aim of schooling has really been disrupted as instead of being a place to get some good level of training before one goes out there to develop whatever he or she has learnt, it’s only seed as a yardstick or a kind of standard before one can be seen as a person to reckon with in the society. Back in the years, people who didn’t have a chance to get a high level of education still had the time to invent useful things and eventually became people to be reckoned with in the society. I’m not willing to mention names but just have to take the case of Bill Gates, the founder of the Microsoft Corporations who was a college dropout but eventually invented one of the primary instruments of computer development today. The fact is that not all of us have a high mental capability to become successful by virtue of the educational status or even background but every one of us has his own unique talent with which he can make a good and responsible living. Some have the gifts of singing, others various sports and so on with which we can make a good name.
Now, this article does not aim to divert our interest as youths from getting money, but just encouraging us to get it through the right means. Many a youth out there is involved in internet frauds and scams so as to dupe people of some huge amount of money and this issue is so contagious that you only need to be a friend of a scammer before you also become one. Lack of discipline and good moral background is also a major factor is the increase in the rot around us. In fact, the decadence is so alarming that very young girls now go to the extent of sleeping with men old enough to father them so as just to get money. It’s so disheartening that many of these issues above are not seen in the society as bad but rather something we have to accept because there is believed to be no way out.
This article is therefore put up to encourage those youths who are striving to get things done the right way. Do not be weary; the reward of good will come at its right time. To those of us still struggling to make a breakthrough due to the fact that that our parents are not rich, it’s just a matter of time before the tables will turn to favor us. For those of us still in school in one field of study or the other, let us learn as much as we can and make what we have learnt the basis of our own research and probably our own invention in the nearest future. *Please, we have had enough of trying to specialize in the works of some heroes of the past. There are still a lot of issues waiting to be discovered or invented.
Learning has to be a continuous process no matter where we find ourselves. Remember the brighter you are, the more you have to learn and if you feel you are not bright enough, openness to learning can be a key factor in turning a dull person to a brilliant one. Also remember that he who adds not to his learning diminishes it, and learning should not be something to be proud of, but simply a way of life. Jeremy Taylor once said that to be proud of learning is the greatest ignorance which is the fact.
When we find ourselves in opportunities where we have to lead a group of people or where a huge sum of money is kept in our care, let’s handle things with the fear of God and respect for humanity. If those ahead of us have set a bad example for us to follow, let’s not follow, instead let us do things the right way and set the right path for the generations coming after us to follow. Thomas Jefferson said and I quote, ‘I have ever deemed it more honorable and more profitable too, to set a good example that to follow a bad one’. Let money not be our leader but let’s lead wisely the money we possess. Benjamin Franklin made a statement that he that is of the opinion that money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money. Hey friend, put not your trust in money but it’s good to put your money in trust. Even the Holy Bible says it clearly that the love of money is the root of all evil.
Having said all this, I might not be the great inspirational writer out there but I believe that I’ve been able to come out in clear terms some guides by which we can lead a good life irrespective of the decay in our society. Remember the greatest gift we can bestow on others is to set a good example for them to follow, and also that the rotten apple spoils his companion so let’s not be a black sheep wherever we find ourselves. The repair of the world begins at an individual level and if each of us can take the decision to do things only the right way, then the dream of a ‘whole new world’ stops from being a mirage but becomes gradually a reality. The responsibility is on each and every one of us and begins individually from each ones closet. Remember there are no problems that we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves.
OLABISI SIJIBOMI A
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Reality
Our future is nothing but a series of probability:-*, made up of the decisions we make today:-(. These decisions lead to certain events into the future;-); but everything we'll be has this capability:-); some are just more intune than others:-(.
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