Me...Smiling!

EDUCATION.

Uche silently approached the black jeep in the middle of the convoy. With his tray of bread on his head and his mind at full alert, he knew he had barely 30 seconds before the traffic begins to move. He has been waiting for this moment for months but now, his legs felt heavy. 

Still, he dragged himself to the owner's side of the vehicle and rapped on the tinted glass. The glass was wound down and for the first time, he came face to face with the Senator. 

With a shaky voice, he began to ask the questions he had rehearsed for so long.
"Tell me why I cannot go to school? Tell me why I am carrying bread and not books? Tell me why you are not helping me?..."

Three things happened simultaneously. Two strong hands pulled him forcefully away from the jeep displacing his tray of bread. A hot slap from one of mobile policemen sent him reeling on the ground and the echo of his clanging tray resonated in his ears. 

When he stood up from the side of the road, he noticed the convoy had stopped few metres away. He saw some men in suits motioning him to come. As he approached, he heard the Senator admonishing one of his mobile policemen. The door of the jeep was open now. He could still see the pallor on the Senator's face.

"Young boy, who are you and what were you saying back there?" the Senator queried.
"I'm just a Nigerian boy fed up with the system," Uche began. 

"I lost my parents in a car crash a year ago and started selling bread to stay alive. I've been thrown out of school. There are ten bread hawkers aged between 7 and 15 along this road. I am the oldest and I try to give them hope, to make them believe that their country has not forgotten them. But it is becoming so hard."

He broke down into sobs.

"You tell us day and night that we are the leaders of tomorrow. We just want to know your efforts to end our sorrow."

By now Uche was crying profusely. He felt a nudge on his arm and turned to see all his friends, trays on their heads standing beside him... Dele, Obi, Ije, Efe, Muyiwa, Junior, Ada, Oluchi and Ade. They had watched everything and have come to show their support. Uche smiled.

"Ok. Children," began the Senator," I'll give my message to Uche here."

He gave Uche his card. 

"Just call me." 

He reached into his agbada and brought out some money.

"For your tray of bread that fell."

Uche paused to look at the crowd. 

"That is my story. This is the legacy of the man we've all gathered to celebrate. The seeds he planted twenty-five years ago have borne so much fruit. I am a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Dele, Junior and Muyiwa are currently Medical doctors. Obi and Efe are lawyers. Ije is an aeronautical engineer with NASA. Ada is finishing her doctorate degree programme in Havard. Oluchi and Ade are accomplished bankers.
We would have remained bread hawkers if not for this man. He is gone, but his spirit will remain with us. We are his legacy. May his gentle soul rest in peace."

THERE ARE NO MISTAKES.

Mistakes come in various shades and colours.

A ruined relationship.

Wrong choices in the past.

A failed exam.

But believe me,there are no mistakes:only opportunities.

You see,life is not one straight,smooth ride.

A ride that smooth is seen only in our dreams and fantasy.

Definitely,not in reality.

Funny to think that even the smooth roads in developed countries have road signs that tell you to slow down.

And traffic lights that order you to stop.

Life is indeed a journey through a rugged terrain.

Through hills and valleys.

Every up as important as every down.

All working towards one goal:to make you a better person.

An experienced fellow in the school of life.

So what we do call mistakes are in fact essential ingredients of life.

Golden opportunities for our growth.

Our expansion.

Our evolution into better beings.

Growth is naturally painful.

And stretches you beyond your limits.

Only to set new limits.

New frontiers.

Remember the hustles of examinations?

They were necessary for you to move to the next class.

Remember the pains of exercise and keeping fit?

They were necessary for you to have that trim,healthy body.

Remember the stress of that degree exam, those unending days of project work and project supervison?

They were necessary for you to become a graduate.

In a movie I watched some time ago,the gym has a sign that said "What does not kill you,makes you stronger." 

So excellently put.

Our so-called mistakes are there to empower and embolden us.

They are opporunities for learning.

Learn from them and move on.

Life is too short to be spent in one class.

The past is there only for one purpose:to instruct us.

Not for us to dwell in it.
So when next you feel you have made a mistake,don't cry unceasingly.

Yes,be sorry for it temporarily.

But then,wipe your tears.

Force a smile.

And say out loud:

"There are no mistakes...only opportunities. Opportunities for growth."

And move on.

YOUR LIFE IS NOT YOUR OWN.

What?I hear you scream.But it is true.Your life is not your own.Just as the money in a bank is not the bank's but the depositors'.Understanding this fundamental truth will change your life.
You see,we own what we either purchased or inherited.Those shoes.That TV.That land in the village.And we have absolute control over what we own.We can determine how long they last.We can kill that fowl today or leave it till Easter.We are not accountable to anybody on how we use anything we own.You can smash your laptop and nobody can question you.But not so with your life.You neither purchased nor inherited it.Guess you were absent-minded when the 'miraculous' fertilization took place.You can only control about 10 percent of what happens in your life.You cannot prolong it as you wish.You don't even know when it will end.Still claiming ownership?And here come the one none of us likes to hear:We will account for every second of this life.Every single thought,word and action of yours will be answered for on that 'final exams' day.Now tell me,are these terms for ownership?
We are like banks.A bank cannot determine how long it will last.The depositors determine that.If they pull out their money from the bank,the bank crashes.Our lives,yes,every moment of it,are like raw cash given to us for safekeeping and profit-making.Guess who is the depositor?God.Supreme Being.Infinite Intelligence.Go by any name your religion permits.But never forget the central truth:We are here to make profit.Profit! A bank that fails to make profit is doomed.A bank that makes profit is celebrated.So lead a fruitful,profit-oriented life.And your life business will flourish.Like GTB.Like Zenith.Like UBA.And always strive to maintain a warm relationship with your Depositor.It is not only good for business.It is good for a happy,healthy,love-filled,fruitful and blessed life.
So,when next you are tempted to squander time,when next that silly thoughts pop up,just before that careless word escapes your lips,remember:You will account for everything.Your life is not your own.It was given to you to make profit.To bear fruits.Fruits that will last.

TIME IS TOO SHORT.

I was discussing with a sick friend yesterday.

At one point, I told him that he will be well soon.

He smiled, nodded with conviction and said softly,'I know'.

His response made me to realise that this guy knows what most of us don't know: that time is too short.

Soon is always sooner than we think.

I can still vividly remember, just like yesterday, the day I entered junior Secondary School.

I was wondering,'When will I finish this? Six years time? Too long.' It has been twelve years since then.

A doctor friend called me last year, and told me that he will be coming for a residency exam at our Teaching Hospital.

He came. We saw. He went back.

About three weeks later, I received the news that he had a car accident.

And he died three days after.

This was nine months ago but that call just seemed like yesterday.

Time is too short.

Time flies.

Today speedily becomes yesterday.

This year fast becomes last year.

The world moves at a supersonic,neck-breaking speed.

So,how do we cope? How do we utilize this fleeting time that is barely in our hands?

The answer is straightforward: 

Live in the moment. 

Savour every second.

And be constantly aware that time passes swiftly.

Any unused time is lost and gone forever.

Refuse to be sucked into the whirpool of the past.

And never lose your head in the mirage of the future.

For between the past and the future, you only have one time: The present.

This very second.

Real time.

Therefore,make every moment count.

Do any good that it lies in your power to do.

Smile. Laugh. Love. Play. Work. Create. Relax.

And like Benjamin Franklin said,'Never leave for tomorrow that which you can do today.'

We have all been allocated a portion of history to fill,and this is our very lives.

And it comes one day at a time.

So, carpe diem, sieze the day.

Attack it boldly. Courageously. Happily.

And have fun while it lasts because it can as well be your last day.

Time is too short.

Too short to self-destruct.

But long enough for one to live a happy and fulfilled life.

PLANNING vs. DOING

Many of us love planning.

We are usually thrilled by elaborate plans of the future or an event. Some call it 'positive dreaming'. Others call it 'goal-setting'.

Planning is important. A good plan serves as a map, a guide. 

But planning should be a means to an end, not the end itself.

Planning is good,doing is better.

Your plans do not count as much as what you do.

Having all the maps in the world does not guarantee your getting to any destination.

You must move.

Humanity does not judge you by your plans but by your actions.

Hitler may have had some good plans, but what we remember is his extermination of six million Jews.

Some tips that will help in 'Action-Oriented Planning' includes:

1. Plan with 5% of the time,Execute with 95%: 

Most of us spend the bulk of the allotted time planning, only to find out that we have little or no time to execute those beautiful plans.

Some spend up to 6hrs planning their day!

Spend more time doing than planning.

2. Keep your plans simple: 

Complex,complicated plans usually paralyse every muscle fibre in our body thus inhibiting action.As a rule,simplify,simplify and simplify.

3. Make your plans breakable:
Your plans should be such that you can break it up into simpler,doable pieces.

4. Always measure your progress:
A good plan enables you to measure your progress.

Vague plans like 'To be happy','To be rich' are really not good plans, but good ideas.

Be specific. And measure your progress.

5. Stick to your plan: 

Don't deviate. Don't procastinate. Just execute your plans to the letter.

To the last drop.

Christ had a very simple plan: To do the will of His father. 

He spent each day doing things: healing, teaching, doing good. 

He stuck to His plan to the very end.

He concluded with the definitive statement of a master planner and doer,'It is finished'.

Plan and execute like Him.

Good plans do not work by themselves.

You must make them work.

Plan less,do more.

And you will leave a lasting trail of achievements.

MAKING DREAMS REAL.

Most of us have beautiful dreams. Series of ideals we aspire to. Goals. Ambitions. Beautiful plans about the future. But to our chagrin and utter dismay, many of these plans don't happen. Why? Do we have a cruel fate dealing us an unwanted hand? Or do we not try hard enough? The ensuing frustration has made many lower their expectations or abandon dreaming or goal-setting entirely.

From time immemorial, great thinkers and great achievers have acknowleged the wide chasm between our various ideals or dreams and the reality. And only few persons have mastered the art of making their dreams and ideals come true. Consistently. This same art can be learnt. In some reproducible steps. But let me warn you before hand. Making your dreams come true is a continuous, non-stop process. Just as you take your bath daily to feel good, and begin to stink when you stop bathing, frustration may set in if you deviate from these simple steps.

Making your dreams come true is central to your happiness. It makes your self-esteem grow. Knowing how to do this consistently makes you the perpetual achiever and co-creator with God who has imbued you with countless abilities to make all your dreams come true. And learning this art is simpler than you think. Just follow me up these five steps.

1. HAVE UNSHAKEABLE FAITH: Faith in God, your ever-present guide and faith in yourself is the starting point of every achievement. Believe in your dreams and their relevance. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

2. BEGIN: Beginning a task is half the job. Once you have dreamt and planned, leave that stage and DO! Remember, the world remembers you by what you DID and not by what you planned to do. Start it. Do it. Or forget it.

3. GAIN GROUND EVERY MOMENT: Every masterpiece was accomplished on little step at a time. Brick by brick. Hour after hour. Your dreams, whatever they may be, is composed of parts which make up the whole. Accomplishing each of the parts leads to accomplishing the whole. Keep pushing steadily until one part is done then move to the next. Don't pause. Any break diffuses previous efforts, making the job harder the next time.

4. FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND: Once you've started working on a project, put your whole mind to it. Don't deviate from your plan. Other interesting side projects calling for your attentions are simply distractions. Focus on one thing and do it perfectly.

5. WHEN IT GETS TOUGH, STICK!: Every worthwhile goal has some element of difficulty embeded in it which we are sure to encounter sooner or later. And this is when many abandon their dreams or projects. Unknown to many, these difficulties present themselves just when success is lurking around the corner. Only those who stick to the task and bring it to completion receive the ultimate reward.

Put these steps into practice. Remember that excellence is not an act but a habit, what we do repeatedly, constantly. Keep dreaming. And then do your best to make those dreams real.