The Grey Spot...

Good day dear friends, trust y'all are doing good?  Today, I'll like us to ponder on a few things that we usually take for granted but are really important...

- Have you ever wondered why your gate man who by the way is quite young (mid 30s) decided  to take up such a job and probably not something else? How he is able to feed his 2 kids, wife and pay his rent from his salary?       
* The next time you are about to complain about how your husband isn't taking care of you because he didn't let you go shopping in Dubai or how your N200,000 salary can't take care of you, wife and one toddler, remember it could have been worse! Count your many blessings....

- Do you remember the day you shouted at your driver because he showed up late for work looking disheveled only to find out later that his child fell ill that morning and he had to rush him to the hospital and still come to take you to work? Think before you act...
* As humans, we all have our own issues. So before we judge, let's take a minute to figure out what the possible options are. When in doubt, listen before you speak...

- Your house help mistakenly breaks a plate whilst washing it, you beat her up  and send her to bed without food; Only for you to find out the next day that when the plate broke, she had a deep cut on her hands and lost a lot of blood. So what's more important, a life or an object? Admonish with understanding...
* It's amazing how quickly we forget that everything we have was given to us. How no condition is permanent and how we are all someone's' child. No human being is better than the other in God's eyes. He loves us all equally

All I'm trying to say is that we all have a story, things are not always what they seem. Life isn't just black or white, there's always a grey spot. That spot everyone tends to ignore but matters a lot. I have learnt a lot happens in the "grey spot" so I have decided to move on with life paying more attention to the things not said, the reason behind the action, the thought behind the gift, the truth behind the lie, the words behind the silence, the tears behind the smile, the life within the grey spot.

I know it's easier said than done but let's make a conscious effort to treat ourselves with respect knowing that every one has a story but not everyone is willing to tell that story. The grass isn't greener on the other side and no problem is bigger than the other. It is our ability or non-ability to handle these problems that determine the level of difficulty. We are all made in HIS likeness and image, so we may look different on the outside but on the inside, we are all the same to HIM.

So before you act, react and speak, remember things aren't always what they seem. Pay attention to the "GREY SPOT"


Stay Strong

The Nigeria of my dreams...

My people, I hail oh! I hope we had a splendid weekend? It's another Monday and the hustle continues for most of us... but God dey sha. :))

Today, I am going to be discussing on a topic that is very dear to all Nigerians irrespective of our beliefs, cultures or tribes. We all know the current situation of the country and how it's been getting worse with each passing day. The newspapers carry headlines that will make even the heartless weep, the government is still playing the blame game, our youths (who by the way ought to be the future of our country) are going haywire, adults are clueless on how to raise their kids, the economy is in disarray, the country as a whole is in total confusion... I could go on and on but I guess we already have a clear picture of what I'm on about. It is indeed very sad and if care is not taken, I'm afraid the worst is yet to come

 I remember as a child how safe and peaceful Nigeria was, how happy I was when I was reminded by my teachers that I was "the future" of my country, how even as a little kid, I looked forward to that day when I could contribute my own quota to the society but now... Our youths are looking for the fastest way out of the country, they will denounce their citizenship at the "drop of a hat", those who are left behind indulge in crimes such as Kidnapping, Robbery, Murder... It has become a country where there is no more value for Human life. We now have terrorism, bombings, assassination... It's amazing how these evils became a part of our society so suddenly. However, there is one thing that hasn't changed since I was a kid; our love for prayers. Nigerians can pray!!!! I mean, if prayer was all that was needed to be done to make our country a better place; that would have happened a long time ago. Unfortunately, it will take much more than prayers to deliver us from our current predicament

 We can all decide to play the blame game but ultimately the truth is, to have the Nigeria of our dreams; we ALL have to work for it. The government alone isn't capable of solving the current problems in the country. After all, the kidnapping and murder of our citizens are carried out by our own citizens. These people aren't ghosts, they are fathers, uncles, neighbors, sisters, friends.... they are Nigerians! The government has its role to play but we also have ours... It is in everyone's interest to restore Nigeria's past glory, if not for us; at least for our children, grand children, nieces, nephews... etc. Sitting around and complaining of how bad the situation is, hasn't solved the problems and I can assure it won't

Let's start from the basics, from the beginning, from our identity, from our pledge;

Pledge
I pledge to Nigeria my country
To be faithful, loyal and honest
To serve Nigeria with all my strength
To defend her unity
And uphold her honor and glory
So help me God

If we could all just act out what our pledge says, wouldn't more than half of our problems be solved? The other day, I was watching a TV program which showed that most of our citizens do not know how to recite the pledge and this cuts across board (adults and children). I wasn't surprised because if we could recite it and understand what it means and act on it, we won't have some of the problems around today. Some may say that knowing how to recite a pledge doesn't guarantee putting it into practice, I agree. However, how about reciting the pledge every morning after our prayers or before we start work/school? Remember I mentioned that we are a praying country, so let's recite the pledge as often as we pray. Once we've done that often enough, some of the words may get stuck in our memory such that they'll put us in check when we are about to do something evil.

Imagine the Pledge recited at EVERY government meeting, function, gathering... With time, it'll be a reminder to our leaders on how this country should be run. I know this may sound as a "long shot" to some people but what do we have to lose if we try? Let us not be deceived, the problem of Nigeria is every Nigerians' problem. We have no other country to call home, you can acquire other passports/citizenships but that doesn't change the fact that you are a Nigerian. When" push comes to shove", home remains the best place ever. It is wise for us to remember that and start working on repairing what is left of our country.

I bet most of us aren't aware that Nigeria has a motto; I bet some of our leaders don't even know what it is.... How can we act on something that we don't know?

Nigeria's Motto
Peace and Unity, Strength and Progress

So if I were to write an essay of the Nigeria of my dreams, it will be something like this;
 A country that has Peace and Unity, filled with faithful and loyal people ready to serve the country with all their strength... However, the change starts with me...

I have started the change by writing this post, I will continue by reciting my pledge and acting on it, I will sustain it by treating my fellow Nigerian with respect and dignity. At the end of the day we are all Nigerians; Muslim, Christian, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa,... and no one is better than the other!

Stay Strong!

MY GOD OF SEVERAL SECOND CHANCES!

There are so many things in life that I'm unsure of, but I'm sure of one thing; there is a God! I am also sure that this God is way superior than human beings His ways are not our ways, neither are His thoughts ours How can you explain the fact that we hurt Him severally but for every time we apologize and return to Him, He forgives us wholeheartedly Personally, I can't count the number of times I have wronged Him but He keeps taking me back He keeps me, leads me in the path of righteousness, protects me from the snare of the fowler, provides for me, blesses me, prospers me, loves me unconditionally... Yet I sometimes stray, I act like a child that is homeless or fatherless But when I return to my senses, I run home like the prodigal son and like the loving Father He is, He hugs me, tells me how much He missed me, gives me a clean slate and says, 'My darling daughter, let's start afresh like nothing ever happened' No human is capable of doing such What manner of love is this? I do not take His love for me for granted For when everyone thought I was worth nothing, He saw something in me When everyone wanted something from me, all He did was 'give' me He is the God of all gods, the Lily of the valley, my Redeemer, my ever present help, my Father.... He is my God of several second chances and I love Him with every bit of me! Stay Strong!

New beginnings...

Wow! Two years... It's been two long years and I must confess I've missed blogging. As expected, a whole lot has happened in those years. I have become older, wiser, stronger and... I'll share a few of my experiences as we go on. Today's blog is all about NEW BEGINNINGS! I look at where I am today and remember where I was 2years ago, and all I can say is; I'm not where I want to be but I'm pretty damn close. At least closer than I was years back. I remember when all that mattered to me was to get good enough grades to get into the University. Afterwards, all I wanted was to graduate in flying colors but now I have new goals, new challenges, new aspirations, new beginnings. I have learnt that there is a huge difference between what I "want" and what I "need". That maturity is the ability to let go of the former and be content with the latter. Believe me, it's easier said than done. Life has also taught me how scaling one hurdle doesn't guarantee one's immunity from others. That everyday I wake up, I should be open to learning new things because no day is the same as the last one. I have been constantly reminded that when our lives stop being an inspiration to others, when we don't affect/influence other people's lives positively, when we live like we own our lives, when we go about life with reckless abandon, when all that matters to us is 'us' and no one else,... Then we no longer live but exist. Life is not a 'dress rehearsal', you have only chance to make it what you want it to be. The mistakes we make are the wealth of knowledge we need to make it through life. A man who has gone through life without difficulties, is a man who is yet to know what life is really all about. At the start of this new phase in my life, I have carefully chosen the tools I need and they are; - The Bible ( the only manual there is for a successful life) - My past mistakes (experience and wisdom) - Prayer (how on earth does anyone want to succeed without discussing with the Creator of the Universe?) I believe that when I have the above in place, every other thing will follow and fall into place. New beginnings can happen anytime. If you are not satisfied with the 'status quo' in your life, you can decide to change the situation. New beginnings can happen as often as you want but be careful that in so doing, you are not being unstable. Have a goal for your life, chart out the vision, get the tools that will help you get there and follow it through. No one should live his/her life without purpose, that's a recipe for disaster. My New beginnings start now... How about yours? Stay Strong!