A GIANT ANT-HILL

‘An ant-hill that is destined to become a giant ant-hill will definitely become one, no matter how many times it is destroyed by elephants’

An ant-hill, in its simplest form is a pile of earth, sand or clay that build up at the entrance of the subterranean dwellings of ant colonies as they are excavated. It is usually built and maintained by legions of worker-ants that carry tiny bits of dirt and pebbles in their mandibles and deposit them near the exit of the colony.

There are some ant-hills and there are some giant ant-hills. Many natural challenges usually hinder an ordinary ant-hill from becoming a giant. So, it takes only an extra ordinary, special or destined ant-hill to survive the natural struggle and challenges on its way to becoming a giant ant-hill. Our ancestors believe that any ant-hill that is destined to become a giant ant-hill will definitely become one, no matter how many times it is destroyed by elephants.

Also in life, there are some people and there are some great people. It is only the common or ordinary people who believe, understand and acknowledge that they are destined to be great who will eventually become great in life. The zeal to pursue your dreams and your ability to challenge your challenges today, guarantee your greatness tomorrow. It is either you choose to die as a common man or as a great man. When difficult challenges afflict people in life, it is only the special ones who are destined by nature that will survive and overcome the challenges to become great.

No matter what happens to you today, no matter how many times you have failed in life, if you are destined to become the giant ant-hill in your family, career, profession, society or in anything you do; someday, sometime, somehow, you will definitely see yourself on top of your troubles, afflictions, challenges, competitors or critics. No matter how the elephant in your life tries to destroy or discourage you from becoming a giant ant-hill, you will surely get there someday. May you not die without discovering your portion of greatness in life.

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WHEN A DYING MAN CRIES…

‘When a dying man cries, it is not because of where he is going which he knows nothing about, but because of what he wishes he would have done in the world he is leaving behind’

Have you ever had the opportunity to share the last few hours with a hopeless patient who is about to die in the hospital? Such awkward moments are the moments when people cry deeply with regrets and bitterness of mind. Some people wish they had never lived, some remember the steps they shouldn’t have taken, some remember the advice they shouldn’t have neglected, some remember the friends they shouldn’t have trusted and many other people spend some time to remember the things they should have done.

It is only the few people who live everyday of their life as if there are no other days ahead that can reflect and relax for living a fulfilled life. How do you live your life today? Don’t ever make the mistake of believing that you can never die. No matter how long you live on earth, someday, somehow you will die. At the point of death, what would you like to think about yourself? Whatever you choose to do with the little time that you’ve got today determines how fulfilled you would be tomorrow. Don’t postpone whatever you have to do today till tomorrow, tomorrow may never come.

Cheer up, enjoy your life, live every bit of your life with no regrets, take every responsibilities for all your actions and reactions, then endeavor to go for the best in whatever you do. Life is too short for you to remain irrelevant and idle; you may never have the second chance to make a significant impression. Remember, when a dying man cries, it is not because of where he is going which he knows nothing about, but because of what he wishes he would have done in the world he is leaving behind. What would you love to leave behind?

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PREPARING FOR DINNER

‘ It is one’s handwork that determines what one eats for dinner; for some it is pounded yam, for others it is pounded plantain or nothing’

Your handwork is simply anything you can do with your hands or whatever you can do with any skills you have got. So, whatever you get from what you choose to do with your hands determines what you will eat for dinner.

Our ancestors believe that anyone who chooses not to do anything or earn anything from his/her handwork may eventually eat whatever or nothing. You can only determine or choose what you want to eat for dinner if you can do something lucrative or worthwhile with your handwork. However, if you decide to be lazy or idle, you have no choice than to accept whatever anyone gives you or else you may end up eating nothing.

Every human on earth has a special time for dinner. Your preparation while working in the day determines what you would eat for dinner. What do you choose to prepare with your handwork? There are many people today who have hands but are unable to do something worthwhile with their hands. Instead of allowing people to dictate what, when, where and how you would eat, it is better for you to start doing something with the skills, knowledge, education, idea, strength or influence you have got.

Don’t be idle; always strive hard to do something that will help you make a living. Don’t just do it, do it well. It is natural for every hand that feeds you to influence you, so if you don’t want to live for other people, you need to start doing something good with your hands.

Remember, if you don’t use what you have to get what you want, there may not be any food for you at dinner. Many you not end up your day eating nothing.

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WHAT WOULD YOU REAP?

‘The heap of yams you will reap depends upon the number of mounds you have plowed’

Before planting a yam seed, a farmer has to plow some mounds on his farmland. A mound is a general term for an artificial heaped pile of sand as seen in the picture above.

According to the ancestors, the number of yams a farmer would reap is usually determined by the number of mounds the farmer had plowed while planting the yam seeds. It is only a foolish farmer that would plow scanty mounds and expect a bountiful harvest.

Also in life, the mounds that we plow are plans that we make today for a better future. Many of us are very careless about making reasonable plans for our future, we live our days on earth without plans or concrete steps to live a better life in future. Some of us engage in some activities, businesses or tasks that are not beneficial to us in the future. We spend a greater part of our life in doing things that can destroy our lives and render us useless in future. Many of us fail to understand that whatever we choose to do today determine what people will write, read and know about us tomorrow. It is better for you to quit or stop giving your attention to whatever or whoever that cannot help you to fulfill your desired goals in life.

The caliber of friends that you keep today will determine the man or woman who you will grow to be tomorrow. If your friends are not the kind of people that you can be proud enough to show your family or kids, your family may not be proud of you tomorrow. Any friendship that does not inspire you to move forward in life or challenge you to work harder is not worthy of your attention and commitment.

This is the best time for you to work, the harder and smarter you work today determines the rate at which you will be successful tomorrow. Don’t allow anyone to distract you from plowing more mounds in life, keep plowing and sowing more seeds. Invest your time in learning new things, meeting new people, reading new books and doing many things for people. Whatever you do for people whole heartedly today is not a waste of time, it is as good as plowing mounds…someday you will be rewarded by nature.

In whatever you do in life, always remember that the heap of yams you will reap depends upon the number of mounds you have plowed. So, have you started plowing?

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NO WORK, NO HARVEST!

‘A farmer who would not work inside the rain and would not work under the sun would have nothing to harvest at the end of the farming year’

It is natural for every farmer to face the challenge of either the rain or sunshine during the process of cultivation. It takes only a hard working farmer to ignore the challenges that are thrown at him by rain or sunshine while working on the farmland. The lazy farmers on the other hand usually hide under the excuse of nature.

Our ancestors believe that a farmer who would not work inside the rain and under the sun would have nothing to harvest at the end of the farming. This means that the farmer who usually hides under the excuses of nature would eventually go hungry and starve for food while the diligent ones would feed richly on their bountiful harvest.

Like the lazy farmer, there are several instances that we fail to perform our duties or to be active in some tasks which would require us to make a living. Many of us are usually fond of giving flimsy excuses when we are supposed to do something reasonable.

There are many people today who decide not to go to school or broaden their knowledge because they think they are poor or because they think that they cannot afford to sponsor their education. These people end up walking behind their colleagues in life while others are flying forward.

Also, there are many jobless people today in our society who feel that since they have acquired certain skills or knowledge; the government and private corporations have the right to create adequate jobs for them. These people may be right in some sense, but instead of folding one’s arm for the right job to come, it is better for one to start doing something reasonable with whatever skill or knowledge that one has acquired. If truly you believe in what you can do (depending on what you think you have acquired) there are several means in which you can let everyone around you know the stuff you are really made of. There are many people today who got their dream job as a result of recommendation from people who believe in them based on what they have done and not what they can do.

Excuses have a way of overwhelming people. If you continue to fold your arms and expect something good to come to you, you may end up living your life like the lazy farmer who has nothing to eat on the day of harvest.

We can also view the words of our ancestors for today from the perspective of relationship. A man or woman who carefully searches for a partner who is decent, clean, faithful, well cultured, civilized, educated, fashionable, hard working, humble, kind, nice, beautiful/handsome, rich and God fearing, may end up marrying nobody.

Stop hiding under flimsy excuses. There are many people out there who choose to ignore most of the things that you count as excuses for not moving forward; yet they are doing greatly in what you have failed to do. Life is not worth living if we do not learn how to tolerate and manage other people’s differences. There are no perfect human or perfect situations in life, until you break the ice and start ignoring some excuses that are pulling you back in life, there may be no reasonable harvest for you. May you not waste your potentials in the land of excuses.

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TEAR IT OPEN!

‘A farmer does not conclude by the mere look of it that a corn is unripe, he tears it open for examination’

A typical African corn is usually tightly covered over by several layers of leaves, and so closed-in by them to the extent that they do not show themselves easily until the emergence of the pale yellow silks. The silks are elongated stigmas that look like tufts of hair, at first green, and later red or yellow.

Our ancestors believe that it may be very difficult for an experienced farmer to determine whether a corn is ripe or not by just looking at the corn. The farmer has to do more than just looking at the corn from afar (or while the corn is still enveloped in some covering) but to closely examine the corn by removing its covering.

Also in life, there are many things that you cannot determine their quality, value, progress, usefulness or durability by just viewing them from afar. Until we move closer to examine the critical or essential aspects of some of the things that we do, we may not get the best from them.

A young man/lady who strives hard to marry someone because of the person’s outward appearance or glaring features (beautiful looks, attractive jewelries, welcoming smile, good job, flashy car, etc.) should not be carried away by the covering of the corn. The covering of a corn does not determine how ripen a corn is.

You cannot determine the success of any business because you have seen that other people excel in it. The fact that it works for others doesn’t guarantee that it will work for you. Also, you are not expected to easily embrace a business idea because of its juicy benefits and attractive promises. There are many business ideas that appear to be good and beautiful from the beginning but end up being fraudulent or unproductive. You need to observe the business closely and tear off the covering before you could determine how authentic it is.

An employee who wishes to leave his job for a better offer in a bigger company with attractive packages may just be carried away by the beautiful covering of the new corn. There are many attractive job openings without job security today. Unless the employee closely observes the new job offer, he/she may end up being disappointed by the actual nature of the job.

In everything that we do in life, let’s remember that a farmer does not conclude by the mere look of it that a corn is unripe, he tears it open for examination.

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LITTLE BY LITTLE

‘It is little by little that a bird builds its nest’

A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young ones. But it should be noted that it is not all bird species that build nests. Some species lay their eggs directly on the ground or rocky ledges while others (the brood parasites) lay theirs in the nests of other birds.

Today, our ancestors have chosen to talk to us about the species of bird that build nests. Our ancestors believe that bird nests are not just built in a day because birds are aware that their eggs are fragile and they wouldn’t afford to lose any of their eggs for lack of structured and well constructed bird nest. Eggs are very fragile and delicate, once they fall and scatter on the ground, the potential birds that are covered in the egg-shell are dead and gone for life. This is one of the reasons why birds take quality and special time to build their nests.

There are several things that represent a bird nest in our lives today. Whatever we use to groom or raise the things that are very important to us in life can be related to our bird nests. Our business, our job, our home, our level of education, our experience in life and our exposure represent our bird nest. The way we build our bird nest determines how we live our life and the future of our offspring.

If you don’t spend quality time in building your business or securing your source of income; your welfare and that of your children may not be guaranteed. You need to strive hard to build a reliable business, get a good and secured job, acquire quality education from school or get adequate experience in life before you could build a good home to raise your kids. If you are too hasty about building the home for raising your kids, you may not end up acquiring the essential things that would enable you to start the solid foundation of a secured future. You don’t need to wait for several years before you start a family, all you need is the right knowledge and the important things that will sustain the healthy growth of your family. There are a lot of failed marriages and broken home today because the builders built in haste or without a solid foundation.

Apart from that, your bird nest may not only be the home where you raise your kids. It may be the foundation in which your ideas, dreams and projects in life could be groomed, incubated and actualized. You need to acquire the right skills, knowledge and experience that would allow you to propel and secure your ideas beyond ordinary measure. The reason why many dreams, projects and ideas fail today is not only because their initiators fail to plan, it is because they fail to plan on a solid and secured structure. There is always a very big difference between a person who plans to do a project or launch a business idea because he feels that he is knowledgeable, wise, skillful and experienced in the field and the person who plans to go into business because he feels that he has the money (capital) or people that can do the business for him.

As from today, whenever you think of launching something that is very important to you, always remember the words of our ancestors that it is little by little that a bird builds its nest. May you not be too hasty to build your nest in life.

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DON’T JUST RUN…

‘It is not enough to run; one must arrive and know when one has arrived’

There are different reasons why people run. Some people run in order to win in a competition, some run to break record, some run away from trouble, some run for money, some run to keep a healthy body and many others run because they just feel like running.

Our ancestors believe that it’s not enough to run, one must arrive and know when one has arrived. Every race must have a targeted destination. When a man chooses to run without a specified target or destination in mind, his race becomes boring, meaningless and futile.

Also in life, there are many people who run to the extent that they get carried away with their speed or movement in the race of life. Our career, business, work, political ambition and other things that we do can be regarded as our race in life. We don’t just have to run for the sake of running the race, we must arrive at a destination and know when we have arrived.

A scholar who keeps on studying and learning everything to the extent that he/she gets carried away with the study, may end up living the rest of his life studying and researching on things, places or people that many other people have said or written something about.

Similarly, a worker or leader who chooses to work or lead for the sake of it (i.e. without a specified destination or point of arrival in mind) may end up working for nothing till his or her strength will be gone. This explains why there are many confused entrepreneurs, workers, leaders and professionals in our society today. A country without a realistic or specific vision is like a woman running to an unknown destination. How would she know when he has arrived?

Nature only celebrates and rewards those who know where they are going. People who know where they go in life do not just run anyhow or stop anywhere. In fact, they do not need anyone to tell them when they have arrived at their destination. It takes only a person with purpose, vision and clear goals in life to differentiate between a race and a point of arrival.

As from today, before you embark on any special project in your life, always remember that it is not enough for you to run; you must arrive and know when you have arrived. May you run and arrive at the right destination.

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WHEN WILL THE LEOPARD DIE?

‘When will the goat be strong enough to kill a leopard?’

Today’s post may be very funny to those who still consider the possibility of a goat killing a leopard. Let’s be patient enough to consider what the ancestors have for us today.

A goat is a very strong and unique animal. It is a domestic animal that runs no errand for anyone. People usually believe that the goat is stubborn because it personally chooses not to follow other people’s opinion, advice, instruction or belief. Unlike the dog or cat, all the goat does is to stick ruthlessly to whatever it chooses to follow. But no matter how strong a goat is, it can never ever kill a leopard.

A leopard on the other hand is a very strong wild animal. It is usually known for its ability to run at speeds approaching 58 kilometers per hour (36 mph), its unequaled ability to climb trees even when carrying a heavy carcass, and its notorious ability for stealth. The leopard consumes virtually any animal that it can hunt down and catch (the goat is not an exception). But it could be very difficult for a leopard to encounter a goat in the forest because both of them do not exist in the same world. This means that there may not be a common ground for a goat and a leopard to confront each other in a battle (no matter how strong they are).

Also in life, no matter how strong we are, it could be very difficult for us to personally pull down, castigate, overthrown or override on others who we consider as our enemies. It is always good for us to avoid trouble by remaining in our territory and allow our competitors or rivals to exist only in their world. Don’t allow the thought of conquering or killing your enemy to overwhelm you to the extent that you would forget to cross your natural boundary.

It is better to live peacefully as a king in your world than to be treated as a slave or stranger in another man’s world. Instead of asking your creator to strengthen you to kill your leopard, it is better for you to discover your individuality and unique purpose of existence. Once you have discovered your purpose, follow it thoroughly to the extent that no other persons would be strong enough to cross your path.

Hmmm, it is only the ancestors who know when the goat will be strong enough to kill a leopard.

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THE HIDDEN THORNS

‘We do not use our bare feet to search for hidden thorns which we had seen in day time’

Thorns are hard structures with sharp or at least pointed ends. They are modified versions of different plant organs, stems, stipules, leaf veins, or hairs.

Our ancestors usually believe that thorns are not just ordinary structures on plants. There are several African traditional myths that present thorns as a symbol of pain, inconvenience, danger and hardship. An early popular myth involving a thorn is that of Androcles, a fugitive slave in ancient Greece who was said to have befriended a lion by pulling a thorn from the lion's paw.

Anyone who searches blindly or carelessly for hidden thorns is eventually inviting danger, pain, inconvenience and hardship to his/her life. Your hidden thorns may be excessive drinking of alcohol, unprotected sex, reckless and careless driving, crime, idleness or anything that can endanger your life or the lives of the people around you. If you keep searching carelessly for your hidden thorns in life, you may soon be inflicted by the pains of the hidden thorns which you had seen earlier in life.

Nature usually allows you to see the thorns in your life during the day time in order for you not to carelessly get pierced by the thorns during the night. Be cautious of how you attend to dangerous things that are happening around you, if you get hurt, you can never blame anyone for what you have allowed to happen to you. Always adhere strictly to warnings and precautions that are given to you by the elders. Remember, you are not expected to use your bare feet to search for hidden thorns which you had seen earlier in the day. May you walk and never step on the hidden thorns in life.

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MOVING WITH YOUR SHELL

‘It is only the tortoise that moves and carries its shell about, which it calls its house’

 

The most visible part of every tortoise is its shell. A tortoise may choose to hide every other part of its body but not its shell. There is no tortoise without a shell; if it’s without a shell, that means it is not a tortoise. Apart from being the most visible part of a tortoise, a tortoise’s shell also serves as its shelter, shield and symbol of strength.

Our ancestors believe that the tortoise is a very shy animal despite the fact that it is very sensitive and usually assumed to be the wisest animal. Also, a tortoise may be too shy to show people its bald head or its tiny legs but it is always proud to move majestically with its shell everywhere it goes.

There are a lot of things that you can learn from the lifestyle of a tortoise. Instead of concentrating on your weaknesses and physical challenges in life, it is better for you to focus on your strength and be proud of your uniqueness in life. You determine how and what people see, say or know about you. If you focus on your weaknesses, problems, challenges, abnormalities, deformity or natural inabilities in life; many people will see you from the same lens that you view yourself. Like the tortoise, you need to concentrate on your strength, skills, talent, intelligence, inner beauty, character and good will in life.

Don’t allow people to castigate, mock, disgrace, embarrass or bully you because of some things that are irrelevant or intangible in your life but be proud of yourself and concentrate on the things that make you different from others. Remember, some other animals may see a shell as a burden, but a tortoise calls it its house. People will value and appreciate you based on the way you see and present yourself. If you see yourself as a poor man, it will be very difficult for anybody to see you as a rich man because everything about you will reflect who you claim to be. There is no way a foreigner will see your country as a developed country if you think, act, move and behave like a developing country. You need to let the world see and appreciate you based on your strength and remain focused on it.

It is only the tortoise that moves and carries its shell about, which it calls its house. You too can be the only person that is proud of your skin color, your language, your family, your country, your status, your character, your good looks, your talent, your profession, your husband, your wife, your children etc. Remember, whoever you tell the world you are is who they will say you are.

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DON’T BOAST YET

‘A farmer does not boast that he has had a good harvest until his stock of yams lasts till the following harvest season’

A farmer may determine if a crop is bad on the day of harvest but it is usually very difficult for any farmer to determine if a crop is good or strong enough on the day of harvest. There are many bad crops that appear to be good on the day of harvest but with time, they turn out to be bad. It takes a patient and tolerant farmer to wait for some time before concluding that a particular crop is good or not.

Our ancestors believe that a farmer does not have the right to boast that he has had a good harvest until his stock of yams lasts till the following harvest season. Yes, the success of every farmer cannot be determined on the first day of the harvest, the ability of the harvested crops to last till the next harvest season is what determines a good or successful harvest.

Also in life, you cannot determine the success of any marriage from the way the union is being celebrated, you cannot determine the success of your business based on its mode of establishment, you cannot measure the intelligence of a student from his/her first grade in school, you cannot measure the performance of an employee based on his/her first assignment in an organization, you cannot determine the integrity and commitment of our political leaders based on their first year in office…the list goes on.

Out of every expensive and elaborate wedding ceremonies organized in a year, it is unfortunate that only few of them have the strength to last till the next five or six years. There are many businesses that started greatly some few years ago but now, we only hear and read that they had existed. We have heard about many students who used to be very brilliant and intelligent in high school but later became dull while in college or university to the extent that they struggled to graduate. An employee who is active or productive today may disorganize your organization tomorrow. A celebrity who is known and celebrated by people today may be a nobody tomorrow. Also, a leader who is assumed to be responsible, brave, generous, eloquent, civilized or sensitive to the basic need of his/her people today may turn out to be the worst political leader tomorrow.

Don’t boast about your good works yet; wait till the next season before you jump into conclusion. Be patient and tolerant to study your achievements before you start boasting about them. Also, don’t start praising or condemning people from the start (at times, your appreciation or criticisms may be baseless if they are not subjected to the principle of natural timing).

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ARE YOU STRANDED OR NOT?

‘The fish that can see that its water is getting shallower cannot be stranded’

It is natural for a fish to swim, eat, mate, reproduce and live in the water.  Any fish that suddenly finds itself on a dry land can be regarded as a stranded fish.  This means that a stranded fish is not only a fish that has nothing to eat but a fish that is deprived of its source of livelihood.

Our ancestors believe that it is not all the fishes in a river that are sensitive to their environment. Some of them do not bother to know when the water in the river gets shallow or otherwise. It is only the fish that is sensitive enough to understand that the water in the river is getting shallower that can never be stranded.

Many of us live our lives like the fishes in the river. We eat, drink, merry, play around, socialize with people and enjoy swimming in the river of life without being sensitive to the source of the water. Some of us cannot easily differentiate when our river becomes shallow from the time that it becomes deep. Some of us are easily carried away with the fun and enjoyment in life that we forget to be sensitive to the source of our livelihood; and at the end, we become stranded.

A stranded person is not only the person that has no money or food to eat but a person that has lost his/her source of livelihood. You do not become stranded in a day; before your river runs dry, there must have been some indications that would alert you about the impending danger ahead of you. If you choose not to be sensitive to your source of income and start living your life according to what you have, you may soon be stranded.

As from today, always endeavor to study your source of income, develop some principles for yourself and watch the way you expend your resources. Remember, it is only the fish that can see that its water is getting shallower that cannot be stranded.

May the ancestors give you the eyes to see and understand your environment and may you not be stranded in life.

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ARE YOU BRUTALLY OUTSPOKEN?

‘It is the brutally outspoken man that earns enmity’

It is normal for someone to be outspoken but it becomes a problem when one becomes brutally outspoken. A brutally outspoken person is the person that talks carelessly without considering the consequences of whatever that is being uttered.

Our ancestors believe that there are some words that can kill, some can demoralize, some can discourage and some horrible words can worsen some already depressing situations. Whatever you choose to utter with your mouth determines what you attract to yourself. This means that you attract more friends if you choose to be kind, respectful, friendly and careful with your speech and you attract more enemies if you choose to be brutal with your utterances.

People who are easily angered or provoked are prone to being brutally outspoken. When you are at the peak of your anger or provocation, you need to be very cautious of the way you speak and what you say to people. Words are like eggs, once they are broken, you can’t restore them any longer. It is better to remain silent when you are angry, provoked or irritated about what people do to you than to be brutally outspoken. You may never have the opportunity to reverse your speech or redeem your image after you have presented yourself as a brutally outspoken person, so you need to be very careful when you relate with people.

On the other hand, people who criticize others or those who engage in thorough arguments are also likely to be brutally outspoken. Many of them say whatever comes to their mind without considering the effects it would have on other people. Some people lie, insult others and violate other people’s right in order to win an argument.  What shall it profit a man who becomes hostile in order to win an argument?

As from today, if you want to live peacefully with others, it is better for you to watch how you speak, what you say and when you express your feelings. Remember, it is not enough for you to be outspoken, you need to be polite and rational with what you say to others.

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NO GOING BACK!

‘One cannot go back to the farmer from whom one borrowed seed-yams to plant to say the beetles have eaten up the seed-yams’

 

In the olden days, farmers used to assist one another by borrowing or exchanging seeds for planting. A farmer who plants only groundnut on his farm may demand cassava seed from another farmer with the promise of exchanging with groundnut seeds or paying back with some ripen cassava after a bountiful harvest.

Our ancestors believe that no one can tolerate a farmer who chooses to give flimsy excuses or fails to fulfill his promise. One cannot go back to the farmer from whom one borrowed seed-yams to plant to say the beetles have eaten up the seed-yams. No excuse at all.

Also in life, whatever you have today are not directly yours. They are like the seed-yams that the creator borrowed you. We are not expected to use or treat them carelessly because if the beetles eat them up, they become useless to us and to the creator. We are never expected to go back to the creator with flimsy excuses that our seed-yams had been stolen or eaten up by the beetles of life.

The children we have, our business, our ageing parents, our projects in life, our career, our talents and our potent ideas are like the borrowed seed-yams that are expected to be treated with care so as to germinate healthily. If we don’t take care of our seed-yams, any beetle may come to eat them up.

The homeless and unruly kids, the failing business, the isolated parents, the abandoned projects, the neglected career, the unused talent and ineffective ideas in our society today are examples of the borrowed seed-yams eaten by beetles.

Remember, you will face the consequence of every seed-yam that you carelessly allow the beetles of life to eat up. You have no excuse to fail.

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DON’T GO THERE!

‘It is wisdom to prevent someone from whom one cannot accept repayment to have access to one’s valuable possession’

 

There are some people that you would not challenge or demand anything from when they mishandle or destroy your property. It may be because they can’t afford to fix what they have destroyed or because of the respect you have for them.

It is advisable that you prevent these people from having free access to your valuable possessions. Anything that is very special to you should not be given free accessibility. There are many people who would carelessly handle what you consider as your special or valuable possession because of the free access they have to it. So, it is always good to be wise while dealing with people.

Never allow everyone to have easy access to your valuable possessions in life. Whatever that is valuable to you should be prevented from the reach of those who do not appreciate its value either directly or indirectly.

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THE YOUNG SHALL GROW

‘When a palm-branch reaches its height, it gives way for a fresh one to grow’

Either it likes it or not, it is mandatory for every living palm branch to give way for a fresh one to grow when it reaches its height. You do not need to forcefully cut a palm-branch that is not fully grown because you want a fresh one to grow. At times, when a farmer is very anxious to grow a fresh palm branch, he may be tempted to cut or add some chemical to fasten the growth of the old palm branch; hence, he opens the new branch to the risk of natural death or slow growth.

Our ancestors believe that no one can force or cheat nature. Change comes naturally; if you choose to wait, it will come in due season. It takes patience, perseverance and wisdom to understand the principle of natural timing. A farmer who is not patient enough to understand the principle of natural timing may be at the risk of killing the whole tree.

In life, your palm-branch symbolizes your career path, your profession, your dreams, your goals, ambitions and commitment in life. Once your palm-branch reaches its height, you need to allow fresh ones to grow. No matter how forcefully you try to prevent the people behind you from growing up, there will soon be a natural transformation. Whenever you approach the natural height of your career or ambition in life, nature expects you to start raising other young ones who would thread your path and do greater things that you failed to do. You need not to be selfish about what you have, it is a free gift of nature (remember, it has an expiry date).

Also, it is wrong for a young person who is new in a field to rival with the older ones because he/she wants to grow quickly. A fresh palm-branch can’t grow healthily if the old one has not reached its height. As a young person in any field of your interest, you need to patient, tolerant and wise enough to understand the principle of timing in nature.

Keep doing the right thing at the right time, one day you will grow and you will reach your desirable height. But remember, don’t be selfish, prepare other young people to grow. May your palm-branch never run dry.

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REMOVING THE NUT

‘A mouse that removes the palm-nut that turns out to be the bait of a trap, would already have known that palm nut does not ripen on the ground’

Naturally, palm nuts do not get ripen on the ground, they grow on palm-branches. Whenever any mouse encounters a trap in the farm, it takes only a sensitive or smart mouse to remove the palm nut that is set as the bait of the trap. It is not all mice that can easily understand the technicality behind every trap found in the farm. Some mice are very insensitive to their environment, they desire and dream to eat the best palm nuts but they fail to study and know where and how palm nuts get ripen.

Also in life, our palm nut could represent anything that is very important to us. Your palm nut may be your dream job; it may be your hope of financial breakthrough, your targets, goals, projects, business, your life partner etc. You may not connect your palm nut (your heart desire) if you don’t know anything about it.

You need to dedicate adequate time to learn about the things that are very important to you in life. Study and do extensive research on whatever you choose to do, know it thoroughly and aspire to be the best in it. Remember, you may be a victim if you are not very careful about removing the palm-nut that turns out to be the bait of the trap. May you not be carelessly captured by the trap of life.

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BEWARE OF THE ELEPHANTS!

‘A man who is trampled to death by an elephant is a man who is blind and deaf’

An elephant is not just like any other animal you can easily find in the forest. It is big, massive and terrifying.  Whenever and wherever an elephant walks in the forest, everything falls apart. It is only a man who is blind and deaf that would allow himself to be accidentally trampled to death by an elephant.

Elephants don’t just kill people or trample people to death suddenly, their magnificent status, majestic movement and scary looks while they thread on any path in the forest are enough signals that alert everyone in the forest to keep off.

Also in life, our ancestors believe that there are several things that do not happen to us suddenly. It is only a blind, deaf and insensitive person that would allow himself/herself to die of an ailment which ought to have been prevented. A sick man who ignores the prescription and medical advice of a physician may soon be trampled to death by the sickness when it becomes critical. A student who refuses to prepare and study for an exam may soon get trampled by failure when others are being promoted to the next level.

Whenever you find yourself doing something that could provoke the wrath or anger of the creator; you are expected to be conscious of the existence of an invincible elephant that may soon trample you to death. Whenever we hurt, humiliate or deceive people in life, nature has a special way of alerting us about the consequences that such negative actions bring along; if you choose to be blind and deaf to the alert of nature, you may soon get trampled to death by the force of nature.

So, as from today, be sensitive to nature and carefully consider the consequences of your actions and reactions in life before making any decision. May you not be blind and deaf when your elephant approaches in life.

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GOING WITH YOUR CHARACTER

‘Wherever a man goes to dwell, his character goes with him’

 

No matter how secretive or reserved you are, you can never hide your character from people for a very long time. As long as you are alive on earth, your character remains a perfect representation of your true identity, personality and image in the sight of people and even the creator. Your character determines who you are.

Our ancestors believe that human character is inborn but it may also be built and developed by the society and the people who are very close to us (our parents, our friends, our religious leaders, the elders etc.) So, if a child chooses to exhibit bad character; the society, family and friends around the child may help to discourage the child from being bad. This means that in most cases, the caliber of people who are in a particular society or family determine the caliber of children that are being raised in such society or family.

Your character attracts several things to you. If you possess a negative character, the people around you, your desire, your goals, your ambition, your expectations, your thoughts, your works and your principles in life are likely to exhibit negativity. On the other hand, if a man possesses a positive character, he is likely to be attracted to positivity in terms of people, goals, dreams, thoughts and ideas in life.

As from today, start associating yourself with the people who possess the good character that you have always desired. If you dwell with people of good character, your character becomes better and you will be happy and fulfilled in life. Remember, wherever you choose to dwell in life, your character goes with you.

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NO CULTIVATION, NO HARVEST!

‘Knowledge is like a garden, if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested’

 

Before anyone could think of harvesting any fruits, crops or vegetables, there should have been a proper cultivation or tilling of the ground.  The process of cultivation is usually targeted towards preparing, developing and raising crops for harvest. There is no way a farmer can harvest any crop which was not cultivated.

Our ancestors believe that we can relate the acquisition of knowledge and its application to the way crops are being cultivated and harvested in a garden. We can acquire knowledge by observing, studying, learning and understanding things that we see or experience around us. Every day, every human being is expected to experience and learn something new which really has to add to our knowledge in life. If we fail to learn from our experiences in life, we may not have anything to cultivate or harvest in our garden.

Knowledge is useless if it is not properly applied for the benefit of humanity. The act of cultivation of crops can be related to the practical application of knowledge for human benefit. If you don’t use your knowledge, it means that there will not be any reward for the knowledge you have acquired. There is a very big difference between what you know and what you do.

There are many people in the world today who claim to know several things but are unable to apply their knowledge to solve human problem. Instead of inventing, discovering or producing things that would be useful to the humanity, they keep on learning and knowing several other things that they do not know.

No matter how knowledgeable you are today, people will not appreciate, value or reward you for what you know but for what you choose to do with what you know. No matter what you know today, don’t be deceived, there are many other people who know exactly or almost the same thing that you know. The only difference between you and the other persons who know what you know is your ability to cultivate your knowledge and apply it to solve people’s problems.

Do you want to be known as one of the numerous knowledgeable people in your field of interest or do you want to be among the few achievers who choose to cultivate their knowledge? Remember, you wouldn’t have known what you think you know today or seen what you see around you today (cars, computers, phones, etc.) if everyone only knows how to create them but none could do something about activating the knowledge to reality.

Knowledge is like a garden, if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested. May you not die with your knowledge!

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WALKING RESTLESSLY

'Restless feet may walk into a snake pit’

There are many people with restless feet living in the world today. Are you one of them? Please, don’t say no until you finish reading this post. Unfortunately, majority of the people who fall into this category do not usually know they possess restless feet until someone else tells them. After reading today’s post, you are expected to examine yourself whether your feet are restless or not.

Someone is assumed to possess restless feet if the person is not satisfied to be at rest or in peace; unable to be still or unsteady; uneasy or continually moving. People with restless feet are never tired of going to several places within a very short period of time for no special reason. They spend the greater part of their life walking without reaching a fulfilling or comfortable destination. Most people whose feet are restless do not usually know where they are going, they only believe in walking to almost everywhere. Hence, our ancestors believe that people with restless feet may mistakenly walk into trouble (like the snake pit or even a more dangerous place) since they practically walk everywhere with no restrictions.

Also in life, many of us crave and clamor for freedom in whatever we do. We want to be free, we want our kids to be free and we want our race, continent, country or society to be totally free. At times, we may be right to compare a free person to the person with restless feet because he/she has the right to move anywhere. We fight for freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of movement and freedom from whatever that holds us down but we forget to acknowledge that the only free people are the dead ones. As long as man is still breathing on earth, there is nothing like total or true freedom. Either you like it or not, everyone is a slave to nature. No matter how you struggle to be free from nature, there are some natural controls that are meant to pull you back until you finally accept to die.

A child who believes he/she is free to talk anyhow (without control) to his/her parents or the elders in the society may be actually free (according to the law) to abuse the elders but the child should not forget that the elders are also free to rain potent curses on whoever that crosses their path. A student who thinks he is free to make friends with whomever that he likes (without control) may eventually find himself among criminals and terrorists. The man who thinks he is free to drink as many bottles of beer as possible with his money may end up ruining his life. A young lady who feels she is free to do whatever she wishes to do with her body all in the name of fashion may end up damaging her body. A scholar who chooses to study whatever that exists everywhere he goes may end up getting confused in life. A business man who feels he is free to do any business or invest in any juicy opportunities that come to him may end up in penury. An employee who works restlessly because of certain reward from her employer may soon break down and endanger her health.

Freedom is good but too much of it leads to restlessness. There is a very thin line between a free man and a restless man. As from today, start examining what you do and how you do it. Be careful of whatever you enjoy doing in life; they are common traps to walking restlessly. Remember, freedom don’t always make you a man, your ability to liberally control yourself during some critical moments in your life makes you a man. Be careful, your restless feet may soon lead you into a snake pit. May you never fall in life.

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RAISING A CHILD

‘It takes a whole village to raise a child’

It takes only two people to produce a child but it takes more than two people to raise the child. Once a child is born into the world, many people come to celebrate with the family of the child. From the moment of the celebration, the child is exposed to different faces apart from the face of its mother or other family members.

Then, the child would grow up to learn about the environment and the people in the neighborhood. Later, the child would go to school and meet new friends from different background and with different upbringing. While relating with the new friends, the child may choose to influence the new friends or allow himself/herself to be influenced by them. The teachers and the school management also play a very special role in raising up a child while at school. Then outside the school; the society, the social and electronic media, the government and the religious organizations are also responsible for raising up a child. Whatever a child chooses to learn from any of these mediums while growing up is likely to determine what the child would become in life.

Like the child described above, it takes only the creator to create us but it takes the whole world to raise us (i.e. it takes more than our parents or family members to raise us). So, as long as you are in the world, you can’t run away from being influenced by the world. You can only determine if you want to be influenced positively or negatively as you grow up in life.

There are many distractions in the world today that may distract you from moving farther in life. You need to set some principles for yourself and endeavor to strictly adhere to the principles. If you choose to listen to everybody in life and do everything they ask you to do, you may end up spending the rest of your life in the asylum. Your principles should help you to determine what you accept into your life, who you relate with, where you go, what you do and how you do things in life.

Apart from that, you are expected to know that it takes more than your parents to determine your success in life (though they constitute the major part). Your friends, your colleagues at work, your employees, your employer, your partners, your political leaders, your religious leaders, your landlord, your tenants, your house help, your janitors, your relatives, your neighbors, your critics, your competitors and of course your enemies are all created by nature to raise you in life.

If you fail to start seeing everyone around you as your destiny helper (especially your critics, competitors or enemies) you may never move ahead in life. Don’t run away from your enemies and don’t embrace them but be yourself. At times, your enemies may be your best teacher in life. You are not expected to follow or accept everything that your critics throw at you, you are only meant to learn from them. Remember, it takes a whole village to raise a child.

May you never die in ignorance.

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WHAT DO YOU KNOW?

‘He who does not know one thing knows another’

It is almost impossible for someone to know everything in life. You may know a bit of many things but it is impossible for someone to know everything about everything in life (except if you are the creator of yourself and everything in life).

Our ancestors believe that a person cannot be called a fool because he/she does not know something. A fool is someone who does not know anything but claims to know everything. It is not compulsory for someone to know everything, but it is necessary for one to know at least one thing and endeavor to know it well.

So, learn how to identify what you know, appreciate it and strife to know it well. Experts, professionals, specialists are not people who know many things; they are ordinary people who choose to study and do one thing, then spend the rest of their life by applying their knowledge( in a particular field) to solve many things.

People who claim to be intelligent or wise because they know many things are usually not very effective in life. They spend the greater part of their life in studying many things and fail to apply their knowledge to life. It is better to know one or few things that would reproduce or transform many things than to know many things that are practically equal to nothing. There are many people in the world today who are so anxious about knowing everything to the extent that they end up knowing nothing.

What do you know?

How knowledgeable are you in it?

How beneficial is your knowledge to humanity?

These three questions should be the major factors that influence your achievements in life. You are not yet an achiever if you fail to answer any of the questions positively.

An African who does not know how to speak good English should not be seen as an idiot or illiterate because it does not take only English language to be a literate. If you choose to study and speak your language, it is advisable that you study it thoroughly and speak it stylishly or eloquently so as to encourage others to learn it. The English that you study, read and speak today had once been seen as an inferior language by several scholars, but the inability of some people to see the language as inferior makes it the global language of today. American English had once been considered as substandard English, but today more people speak and use American English than the Queen’s English.

Whenever people castigate you for what you don’t know, instead of being angry or discouraged, show them what you know and let them respect you for what you know. Remember, he who does not know one thing may be an expert in another.

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THE SUGARCANE'S JOINT

'Sugarcane is sweetest at the joint'

 

Have you ever tasted any bitter sugarcane before? Yes, I mean very bitter. Even if it is spoilt or rotten, it is naturally impossible for any sugarcane to have a bitter taste. The taste of sweetness in sugarcane starts from its name (i.e. the cane that is naturally sugary).

However sweet any sugarcane is, our ancestors believe that its sweetest part is its joint. The body of almost every sugarcane is usually divided into segments which are separated by a joint. Each joint has a very high level of concentration of sugar that encourages one to move to the next segment. So, every joint indicates the end or beginning of another segment of the sugarcane. The natural irony behind sugarcane is that its toughest part (the joint) is usually the toughest, hardest and sweetest part.

Also, the toughest and hardest moments of our life are the most enjoyable and most beneficial to us. The best time to learn how to live a better life and how to move to a greater level of happiness in life is the time that we consider as the toughest or hardest for us. People that have passed through hardship or challenging situations in life are usually considered as the wisest, bravest and greatest people in life because they have decided to learn from each trial, challenge and misfortune they encounter in life.

You may never value the essence of live if you had never been critically sick. You may never appreciate the creator for the provision of money if you had never been poverty stricken. You may never appreciate the value of food if you had never been terribly hungry. Also, you may not understand the depth of friendship or relationship if you had never been isolated by people.

A student may never know that the time of examination is the sweetest part of schooling until he/she graduates from school. We need to learn how to embrace our challenges in life and tackle them severely until we move to the next level. Whatever we go through in life today is like the sugarcane joint that will definitely lead to a greater level. Don’t be afraid, don’t complain and don’t relent, enjoy every bit of your sugarcane in life.

Life is like sugarcane, enjoy the sugar and endure the strokes of the cane!

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