NO DISCUSSION!

‘When the snake is in the house, one need not discuss the matter at length’

Snakes are long, legless, carnivorous reptiles.  Naturally, snakes possess some venom that is potent enough to cause painful injury or death to humans. So, in most cases, our ancestors refer to snakes as human enemy.

Whenever a snake is found in the house, there are always two things involved. It is either you kill the snake or you allow it to escape till it stings you with its venom. Our ancestors believe that it is abnormal to find snakes at home since they are not domestic reptiles.

A snake may symbolize many things in our lives today. A snake is anything or anyone that can destroy your life or easily send you to the grave. This means that a snake may come in form of human, habit, job, food, drugs, belief, thoughts or just anything deadly.

If your relationship with someone is a threat to your existence in life, you don’t need a fortune teller to tell you the consequence of such relationship. If what you enjoy doing or eating in life is detrimental to your health, why not kill it before it soon sends you to the grave? You can always do without that bad habit, lucrative job, delicacy or drug that is targeted towards destroying you and making you become useless in life. Anybody, job, habit or belief that does not add value to your life is nothing but a poisonous snake. It is either you kill it today or you allow it to continually kill you slowly.

There are many snakes depriving people from achieving their greatness in life today. So whenever you feel stagnant in life, whenever you notice that you have lost your focus in life, whenever you notice that things are just working against you; beware of snakes. It may be that there are some snakes you need to kill before you advance in life.

If you notice a snake in your life today, don’t discuss about it. Kill the snake, but don’t kill somebody.

Don't start your day without a word from the ancestors...remember, a word is enough for the wise. Sign up with us for a daily feed. Follow @our_ancestors on twitter or email: wordsofourancestors@gmail.com. May your days be plenty!

WHY WASH WITH SPITTLE?

'A man who lives on the bank of a river does not use spittle to wash his hands'

Have you ever tried to wash anything with your spittle? I’m sure you wouldn’t want to try it. Your spittle is the watery mixture of secretions from the salivary and oral mucous glands that lubricates chewed food and moistens the wall of your mouth. So, it is ideal to wash with water and not spittle.

A man who lives on the bank of a river is like someone who has more than enough. You do not go to the river only for washing your hands; you can fetch some water, bathe yourself, drink, and store enough water from the river for yourself and other people. These means that if you live on the bank of the river, you should not be deprived of water or you should not deprive yourself of water. No matter how you see it, your spittle shouldn’t be an alternative to water when it comes to washing your hand.

Our ancestors believe that every human on earth has a bank of river inside of him. Whatever you choose to do with what you fetch from the fountain that flows within you depends on you. Your brain is a practical example of the river that flows within you. The depth of the river is not determined by the size of your brain or the shape of your head but what flows from the river (i.e. what you do with your brain). Do you only wash your hands or do you do other things with the water from the river within you? If all you do is to wash your hands in the river, please wash it thoroughly.

Unfortunately, there are many people in life who refuse to discover the river within them. Some even die without drinking from the bank of river that flows within them. There are some miserable men who would prefer to wash their hands with spittle instead of water. There is another group of people who enjoy washing their hands with the water that flows from other people’s bank without discovering their own river.

Are you deprived of water? Don’t wash with your spittle, start searching for the fountain that flows within you. Don’t settle for the inferior when you have the best within your reach.

Until you discover the river within you, you may not realize that you don’t need to wait until your country changes for good before you start making yourself relevant to your country. Until you identify the fountain that flows within you, you may not realize that you don’t need to be a college graduate or university professor before you start exploring the potentials in your brain.

In whatever you do today, remember that a man who lives on the bank of a river does not use spittle to wash his hands.

Don't start your day without a word from the ancestors...remember, a word is enough for the wise. Sign up with us for a daily feed. Follow @our_ancestors on twitter or email: wordsofourancestors@gmail.com. May your days be plenty!

ARE YOU REALLY TOO BUSY?

It is a lazy man who says ‘it is only because I have no time that my farm is overgrown with weeds’.

Nowadays, many people struggle to do different things in life. We struggle to make money, we struggle to be known, we struggle for power, we struggle for knowledge, we struggle to survive and we struggle to live. To be more precise, you would observe that while growing up, we struggle to make good grades at school; we struggle to graduate from school then struggle to get a good job. While on the job, we struggle to make a good career in life. On our path to sustaining a good career, we struggle to select a future partner, and then struggle to ensure that our kids get the best part of life which we never had. At the end of the whole struggle in life, most of us would realize that we had never lived a life.

But life goes on.

Our ancestors believe that a hardworking man is not the man who is usually too busy. Instead of being busy on too many things that would latter amount to nothing, a hardworking man focuses on one task at a time. To be a successful man or woman in life, you need to be too steady than just being busy. The busiest people in the world today are often the least effective because busyness is common to those trapped in the complexity of their existence and core values in life. If your visions in life are grounded, you will live and lead a life centered on the principles of quality, patience, authenticity, mindfulness, self knowledge and comfort.

The excuse of being busy is one of the major problems of the world today. This problem starts from our home. There can never be a good society if there are no good families. Like the farmer who leaves his farm to be overgrown with weed because he has no time; most parents are too busy to attend to some critical aspects in the life of their kids. Some students spend their quality time on things that are not useful to their academic pursuits and pay little or no attention to their studies because they are too busy with other tasks. This is practically applicable to almost everything we do in life. We keep on being busy and end up becoming useless to humanity.

What do you spend the quality part of your time on? Is it really worth it? Is it for a selfish purpose or for yourself and other people around you? Think twice before you get engrossed in any task that you set for yourself today. Remember, a busy man is a sick man and a sick man (who doesn’t yield to advice) is closer to his grave.

As from today, may our ancestors deliver you from the curse and burden of being too busy.

Don't start your day without a word from the ancestors...remember, a word is enough for the wise. Sign up with us for a daily feed. Follow @our_ancestors on twitter or email: wordsofourancestors@gmail.com. May your days be plenty!

NEVER ATTEMPT TO PASS!

‘Without knowing a way thoroughly at day time, never attempt to pass it at night’

 

Hey! Did the topic of this post get your attention? Never Attempt to Pass. Pass what? Pass an exam? Pass the road? Pass out? Relax; our ancestors have some words for you today. Are you already in the mood to learn?
To every human living on earth today, there is a time for the day and time for the night. The day is a symbol of hope, vitality, strength, zealousness, innocence, fruitfulness, resourcefulness, creativity or we may refer to it as the beginning of life.

Whatever you do in the day is expected to be done with your full strength and zeal. During the day, your vision and sight ought to be very clear because of the presence of the illuminating gift of nature (sun). Hence, we are most likely to conclude that the day is usually bright and clear.

On the contrary, the night is a symbol of fulfillment (a time when the target of the day is fulfilled), rest (a time when the muscles and energy used in the day would need to relax), reflection (a time to flash back at the events of the day) or we may refer to it as the end of life.

Any friend, business associate, partner, idea, project, career, habit, lifestyle or principle that you did not take your time to learn and know thoroughly during the day may not be the right choice for you during the night. At any critical moment in your life (i.e. the time you need to think twice before taking a wise decision) never attempt to try something that you do not know thoroughly during the day.

Don’t entrust the most vital aspect of your life on someone who you do not know thoroughly. In everything you do today, remember that ‘Without knowing a way thoroughly at day time, never attempt to pass it at night’. May you never miss your target at night!

Don't start your day without a word from the ancestors...remember, a word is enough for the wise. Sign up with us for a daily feed. Follow @our_ancestors on twitter or email: wordsofourancestors@gmail.com. May your days be plenty!

ARE YOU TRULY INNOCENT?

‘He who pursues an innocent fowl always stumbles’

 

The picture above is a perfect reflection of what the ancestors have for us today. From the picture, it is easy to identify an innocent fowl and a stumbling man. But apart from what we see in the picture, do we really know the features of an innocent fowl? Oh, did you just say no?
An innocent fowl is that fowl that you pursue for no serious reason. An innocent fowl is the kind of fowl that you pursue not just because it ate your grains or because it scattered what you have spent quality time to arrange. You just choose to pursue it for no reason, for fun, or to avoid being idle. Our ancestors believe that if you pursue this kind of foul, you will always regret every step you take in your pursuit.

In life, there are usually some innocent fowls around you. They come in form of human and not the typical foul that you know. There are some of these fowls that you dislike for no reason, there are some that you abuse for no reason; you may even go as far as maltreating some of these fowls because they depend on you for survival in life.

This explains why many families, businesses, projects, ideas and institutions today face some challenges. Once you pursue the innocent man in your life, you will not but stumble. You need to be very careful about the way you react to situations and how you relate with the people around you. Do you know that there are some words you don’t have to say, there are some things you don’t have to do, there are some ideas you don’t have to explore because they are just as good as nothing? Always ask yourself for the reason behind anything you want to do before doing it. Then, the reason has to be genuine.

There are some house help you shouldn’t castigate for no reason, there are some employees that you shouldn’t sack for no reason, there are some tenants that you shouldn’t evict for no reason, there are some students that you shouldn’t expel for no reason, there are some kids that you shouldn’t beat for no reason, there are some people (especially some leaders) you shouldn’t condemn, judge or criticize for no genuine reason and there are some clients you shouldn’t ignore for no reason.

Whenever you find yourself nagging at people, whenever you are angry or clamoring, always remember the words of our ancestors; he who pursues an innocent fowl always stumbles. May you never stumble in life!

Don't start your day without a word from the ancestors...remember, a word is enough for the wise. Sign up with us for a daily feed. Follow @our_ancestors on twitter or email: wordsofourancestors@gmail.com. May your days be plenty!

LION OR GOAT

 The lion and the goat do not go hunting on the same pasture’

 

Lion is known to be the king of the jungle. It is a carnivorous animal that is usually found in big or thick forest. Whenever a lion roars, all other animals in the forest tremble. A lion doesn’t struggle for food; our ancestors believe that a lion’s prey usually walks up to the lion’s den to be served as the divine meal for the day.

A goat may also be the king in its own world. 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. Our elders believe that whatever the goat will eat can be easily found in its environment. So, this means that you do not need to consult a vet nutritionist before you could fetch food for your goat.

However great these two super animals are, they do not exist in the same world.

There are some things that do not just exist on the same platform in life just as the case of the lion and the goat. For example, a man sees himself as a lion while a woman sees herself as a goat; our ancestors believe that both the man and the woman can never be compatible because they can’t exist in the same world. If a child suddenly grows to become a goat while the child’s parents choose to remain being the lion of the family, there will not be peace in such family. If an employee starts feeling like a goat when the boss keeps being the lion, one out of the two kings may have to leave the kingdom for the other. If a student starts acting like a goat when the teacher refuses to be nothing else apart from being the lion, knowledge will be useless. If the political leaders of a country acts like a lion and the masses behave like a goat; there will definitely be trouble in the land.

For peace to reign, it is either you choose to be a lion in the forest with other wild animals or you become a goat in the yard with other domestic animals. You don’t have to be a domestic lion before you fulfill your dreams in life and you are not expected to be a wild or carnivorous goat before you become renowned.

Now, ask yourself ‘am I a goat or a lion?’ Then the next question is ‘where do I do my hunting?’ In everything you do today, always remember that the lion and the goat do not go hunting on the same pasture. Stay out of trouble.

Don't start your day without a word from the ancestors...remember, a word is enough for the wise. Sign up with us for a daily feed. Follow @our_ancestors on twitter or email: wordsofourancestors@gmail.com. May your days be plenty!

NOT BY YOURSELF

‘A bottle of oil warmed over the fire has no means of producing oil by itself’

During rainy season, everywhere is expected to be cold. This general feeling of cold affects practically everything (both living and non living things). It is the time when most solid/concrete things get wet while oily liquid (especially palm oil and vegetable oil) become condensed.

So, until you warm the condensed oil over the fire, you may never get any drop of oil out of the bottle. This means that the oil in the bottle is useless until it passes through fire.

Like the condensed oil in the bottle, every human on earth has to pass through fire before producing oil. Your fire may be severe suffering; to some it may be the death of a loved one, to others it may be loss of job, sickness, accident, depression, loneliness, war or the real fire.

Whenever you pass through fire in life, remember that there won’t be oil without fire. No man prays for fire but when it comes, embrace it and move on with life. The purpose of the fire is never intended to destroy the bottle; it is only meant to make the oil more useful to humanity. If you fail to embrace your fire today, you may never become relevant in future.

A bottle of condensed palm oil can never produce oil by itself until it dances in fire. The bottle has no other special effect on the condensed palm oil apart from shelter. It doesn’t guarantee the production of oil. It takes fire to break the ice.

You can’t claim to be a teacher if you have no experience. Your success story won’t be interesting if there are no tales of fire, suspense or some tragic effects. Take time to learn; even while in the fire because one day there will soon be a comic relief.

Remember, your success story won’t be rich enough if there is no fire involved. A bottle of oil warmed over the fire has no means of producing oil by itself.

Don't start your day without a word from the ancestors...remember, a word is enough for the wise. Sign up with us for a daily feed. Follow @kurlarday on twitter or email:kurlarday@gmail.com. May your days be plenty!

ONLY ONE ARROW

‘A hunter who has only one arrow does not shoot with careless aim’

Today is Monday. What a day! It is not a special day because Nigeria celebrates her independence today. It is not also a special day because it is a public holiday. It is special because it comes once in a lifetime. Forever, there will never be such a day like this. Once the day is over, it becomes nothing but history. Some people may choose to call it yesterday, others may call it the past. So, today is like an arrow; the only arrow that you should not shoot carelessly. Whatever you do today becomes a history tomorrow. This means that whatever you do as from now determines how your today will be. Think twice before you shoot your arrow today because if you miss your target for today, that is what people will read or say about you tomorrow. Do you even have any target today?

Like today, life is also nothing but only one arrow. There is no second life elsewhere. Life is not like a game where you may have three or more lives before the game is over. Don’t shoot your life aimlessly, don’t destroy the arrow and don’t miss the target. You need to stop whatever that can destroy your arrow or anything that can distract you from meeting your target in life. Remember, life is but only one arrow.

At times, your spouse, your closest friend, your parents, your career and your strongest passion in life may be the only arrow that you have. Don’t shoot them carelessly. If you miss a very good spouse, friend, parent, career path or passion, you may never see such rare opportunity in your lifetime anymore. It takes patience, love, perseverance, understanding and enough carefulness to maintain an arrow and shoot on target.

Life is a jungle; you are the hunter that exists with a purpose. You have only one arrow, so you must shoot wisely. Don’t miss the target!

Don't start your day without a word from the ancestors...remember, a word is enough for the wise. Sign up with us for a daily feed. Follow @kurlarday on twitter or email:kurlarday@gmail.com. May your days be plenty!

DO YOU WANT RAIN?

‘Rain does not fall on one’s roof alone’

 

Today is a very special day, do you know why? Ok, I will tell you. Whenever our ancestors choose to talk about an interesting aspect of nature, they expect us to take our time to learn everything they have to say. So, if you think you can just scan through this post and read/do something else, you may miss something really special today.

Our ancestors believe that rain comes in two folds; it may be a blessing or a curse. Rain usually comes as the answer to a farmer’s prayer. During rainy season, farmers are always happy because a bountiful hope of harvest is guaranteed. Apart from the farmers, there is this general feeling of calmness, fruitfulness (modern research on fertility has shown that more women are easily impregnated during rainy season) & closeness (family members and loved ones get closer to one another because most business activities and other distracting social commitments are usually terminated) during rainy season.

On a more spiritual note, we may also see rain as a vice and not a virtue. A farmer that lost his entire plantation to drought will never see rain as a blessing. A mother who lost her only child because an electric pole fell on him on his way to school during rainy season will never agree that such rain is a blessing. How do you convince a man who just lost his property to the recent flood in his swampy area that rain symbolises blessing? Apart from those instances, some people would say that they dislike rain because it hinders their business activities and social commitments.

In whichever angle you see it, rain is rain. Nothing more.

Our rainy season in life is when everything suddenly becomes rosy. Those instances when we think we have made enough money to feed a nation, those moments when we feel we have got enough power to rule the world, the time that your very first winning contract was approved, that time you feel you are better than your colleagues, competitors or your superiors. Those precious moments may not last forever. Don’t ask me why, ask the ancestors. Rain does not have to fall on your roof alone, it will definitely move to other dry roofs. Whatever happens is just in a season. So, don’t let it get into your head.

America may be the most powerful nation today; tomorrow it may be from a country in Asia or Africa or Europe or any other continents. Bill Gates may be the richest man today; tomorrow it may be someone from your country. Yes, who knows, it may be you.

To other people, a rainy season may be those horrible moments when life seems so messed up. Those instances in your life that you feel like giving up, that time you ask ‘what if it wasn’t me?’.  To some, it may be the time of suffering when hunger and starvation becomes the order of the day. To many people it may be the time when everything you always pray(ed) against comes jumping back at you. This season does not also last forever. Don’t give up; this is not the best time to say your last prayer. Remember the words of our ancestors; rain does not have to fall on your roof alone, it will definitely move to other roofs. Whatever happens to you now is just for the season; don’t let it get into your head.

There is no permanent season in life; the way you behave in the rainy season determines how long you will enjoy other seasons. So, do you still want rain today?

Don't start your day without a word from the ancestors...remember, a word is enough for the wise. Sign up with us for a daily feed. Follow @kurlarday on twitter or email:kurlarday@gmail.com. May your days be plenty!

DON’T SET SAIL!

‘Don’t set sail using someone else’s star’

Have you ever gazed at the sky at night to appreciate the beauty and awesomeness of nature? Have you ever taken your time to observe the moon, the stars and the artistic patterns in the sky? Oh, you can try it tonight.

There are billions of stars in the sky just as we have human beings on earth. On a spiritual note, it may be rational for us to conclude that every man on earth has a unique star represented in the sky. On a more spiritual note, you will observe that each star in the sky is unique; some sparkle, some glitter, some few ones are amazingly illuminating while many of them are just there.

If you are not self-conscious, it may be very difficult for you to discover your star amidst other stars because they are just too many and complex to understand. Once you have failed to locate or identify your star, you may be tempted to be wandering in the world of other stars.

It is always good for you to identify and understand yourself before relating with other people. In most cases, when we try to imitate others, we end up limiting our potentials for greatness. If you fail to discover, understand and develop yourself and become responsible for the things you do, you empower other people and circumstances to shape your life by default. So, begin everyday of your life with the blueprint of your deepest values firmly in mind. When challenges come in life, make decisions based on those values.

Nigeria can never become America; Jonathan Goodluck can never become Barrack Obama, Sammuel Eto can never become Lionel Messi, D’banj can’t become Kanye West,  Harvey Goldie can’t become Beyonce Knowles, Aliko Dangote can never become Bill Gates...there can only be a better Nigeria, America, Goodluck, Obama, Eto, Messi, etc.

As from today, start seeing yourself as a star which is created to fulfil a divine purpose on earth. Improve on yourself everyday and learn from others but don’t try to be like them. Remember, each star you see in the sky is as big (if not bigger than the world itself) as the world. So, you are a world of yourself; never set sail using someone else’s star.

Don't start your day without a word from the ancestors...remember, a word is enough for the wise. Sign up with us for a daily feed. Follow @kurlarday on twitter or email:kurlarday@gmail.com. May your days be plenty!

HOW SHARP IS YOUR KNIFE?

The man that has the sharpest knife is the one that will eat the meat.  (Kiswahili)

It is not enough to have a knife; your knife must be very sharp. There are usually many people with knives in the world today but only few knives are sharp.

Your knife could be your level of intelligence, your talent, skills, knowledge, business idea, creativity, service, or just anything that can give you an edge over others. Endeavour to be the best in whatsoever you do. There is usually a reward (meat) for everything a man does in life. While many people are only feeding on bones, the smart ones feed on meat.

The friends you keep, the books you read, the movies you see, or whatever you easily allow into your mind are very vital in making or breaking your knife. Always use any opportunities you find around as an avenue to sharpen your knife. If a sharp mind mingles with other sharp minds, it becomes sharper.

So, whenever you desire the best from life, whenever you feel like being on top, whenever you are not satisfied with your current situation, always check if your knife is sharper than your competitors.

Don't start your day without a word from the ancestors...remember, a word is enough for the wise. Sign up with us for a daily feed. Follow @kurlarday on twitter or email:kurlarday@gmail.com. May your days be plenty!

IF YOU MUST BATHE…

If you are going to bathe, get thoroughly wet.  (Malawi)

I must confess that I intentionally selected this picture for this post; not just to attract traffic or cause some uproar but to perfectly depict what our ancestors have for us today.

In whatever you enjoy doing in life, don’t just like it; get obsessed! If you are not crazy about what you do, how do you expect me to appreciate it? Nobody will be interested in your idea, your business, your dreams or calling if you are not already engrossed in it. Many of us need to start viewing some vital aspects of our life from the perspective of the guy above. You can see that he is busy doing something. You need to be bold and ruthlessly confident in yourself, in whatever you do and in what you belief in life. In most cases, all we need to get on is our courage or persistence in life.

It is not enough to bathe, if you must bathe, do it thoroughly, then, make sure that you are wet. Yes, really wet. You need to follow your dreams and ideas in life passionately (I mean to the point-of-no-return). Let people identify you easily with what you do, not just your name.

Remember, there are several other things that could attract your attention in the picture above, but only one is outstanding. So, how would you want to bathe today?

Don't start your day without a word from the ancestors...remember, a word is enough for the wise. Sign up with us for a daily feed. Follow @kurlarday on twitter or email:kurlarday@gmail.com. May your days be plenty!

NOT FOR YOUR SAKE

If one would not eat pounded yam for its own sake, one can still eat it for the sake of the soup that goes with it.

 

Kai! Kai! Kai! If you have not tasted pounded yam before, you don’t know what you are missing. It is more than just a meal…it is spiritual (only the elders can testify to this fact). Let me reserve my comment.

Pounded yam as you can see above is not served alone. So, just as a man is not complete until he finds a woman (celestial apologies to the saints reading this post), a meal of pounded yam is not just ok if it is not served with a befitting soup. And so what? What does pounded yam and soup have to do with my life?

There are some instances in life when we have to go out of our way in order to satisfy a stranger, a friend, a colleague at work, our parents, or just anybody. In these instances, we look beyond what we do or give but focus on the impact it will create on the person in need of our assistance. These precious moments are very rare in the life of most people.

The beauty and quality of life can be appreciated by the way we help others to fulfill their dreams in life. It takes commitment, care, passion and a sacrificial heart to go out of your way in other to satisfy other persons. When last has a stranger genuinely said thank you to you? When last have you done something for someone not just for money, popularity, familiarity, investment, religious rights or just for the sake of doing good but for the smile on the face of the stranger and the fulfilling appreciation you get in return?

The world will be richer if we do not go into business for the sake of business or the profit we get from the business but for the joy that comes from the value of a good product and the satisfaction that consumers derive from efficient service delivery. Music will be more melodious if musicians don’t sing for the sake of the song or the fame and money that the song can generate but for the edification of the soul and the love it evokes. Marriage will be more rewarding if we don’t just marry for the sake of the ring or for being addressed as husband and wife but for the joy in union and for the emotional bond that holds two hearts together in other to be one. Politics will be interesting and more political if our leaders don’t care about who holds the title or about who wins the vote but are concerned about being loyal to the law of the land by upholding the national honor and integrity. I can go on with this sequence…but I would rather reserve the flow for other days ahead.

Your day will be more fulfilling if you don’t just read this post for the sake of reading, but if you consider it as a special word to inspire your day, and then share the post with other friends you meet today. Thanks for reading!

Don't start your day without a word from the ancestors...remember, a word is enough for the wise. Sign up with us for a daily feed. Follow @kurlarday on twitter or email:kurlarday@gmail.com. May your days be plenty!

THERE IS NO PERECT WOOD, DON’T KILL THE FIRE!

If one were to remove every smoking wood from a fire and condemn it as bad, one would be killing the fire itself

Before there could be fire, something definitely must have ignited it. Then, after the fire is kindled, it takes something to sustain the strength of the fire. In the context of this post, firewood can be seen as an essential tool that could help to sustain the strength of a burning fire. So, just as we need fire to make a good meal, firewood is needed to sustain the fire and facilitate its burning.

Literarily, your firewood could be a friend, a spouse, an adviser, a teacher, an employee, an employer, a political leader, a role model or anybody that is in your life to enable you fulfill your dreams in life and keep the fire of your dreams burning. When it comes to choosing the right firewood in life, many of us are very meticulous. I feel this is natural. For all I care, you can’t just allow someone into your heart without considering the person’s status. Yeah, it is true that there are a lot of funny and fake people out there; pretending to be real.

But the sense in the words of our ancestors for today should not be misrepresented.  No matter how meticulous or critical you are, you may never get the perfect firewood. You need to learn how to cope with any wood you find available and try to understand its nature. Some woods are wet, they don’t attract fire easily, while some woods are dry; all they need is a strike of fire. On a more critical perspective, one can argue that wet firewood last longer than dry ones but they take longer time before they could be ignited.

In life, I think there are no bad woods; we only have woods that refuse to attract fire easily. There are no bad friends, we only have friends who we fail to understand (some of us don’t even understand ourselves), no bad leaders (Late Sani Abacha of Nigeria was hated by many Nigerians, Adolf Hitler was regarded as the worst thing to happen to mankind, Osama Bin Laden was regarded as the world terrorist, Gaddafi was murdered by his people for his totalitarian ideology but some people saw these guys as their hero and Messiah), no bad spouse (it may be that you are not patient enough with them or too hopeless to pray for a change),  no bad employees (even the lazy ones can be more efficient in some tasks, they may help to experiment how some lazy clients would value your products), no bad boss (learning to understand them may be the best experience you need to excel in life) no bad advice/idea (it is just another way you should not approach the solution), no bad whatever…the list goes on. Tell me your bad firewood and I will show you where you might have got it wrong.

If at any time you find yourself changing your firewood in life; always ask this question: what is wrong with me? Yeah, there should be something wrong with you. Please, your fire is more precious than whatever, don’t kill it!

Don't start your day without a word from the ancestors...remember, a word is enough for the wise. Sign up with us for a daily feed. Follow @kurlarday on twitter or email:kurlarday@gmail.com. May your days be plenty!

DON’T STRUGGLE TO IMPRESS

A performing masquerade who tries too hard to outclass his colleagues may expose his anus.

   

Today, I won’t dwell much on this topic because it is a very busy day for me. Besides, I think the words of our ancestors for today are self explanatory. 

In Africa, masquerades are usually known to exhibit dancing skills, acrobatics and other ritual manifestations. A masquerade may involve one person or a team made up of instrument players, vocalists, dancers, masquerade advisers and the masquerade itself. Most masquerades like the ones in the picture above are covered from head to toe with some piece of clothing or bamboo rafter. Masquerades appear during traditional celebrations and festivals (new yam festival).

In several instances in life, like a performing masquerade who tries to flaunt his dancing and acrobatic skills in other to impress the crowd, we forget our purpose of existence. The main objective of every masquerade is to entertain the crowd. There is much fun in exhibiting your skills in life if you know how to do it well. A masquerade who strives so hard to outclass his colleagues must have forgotten the rule of the game. The golden rule is: Never forget the main objective.

Like most African masquerades, life is nothing but a stage where we all perform our God given skills. Everyone is expected to exhibit his or her talents here on earth and the main objective of the exhibition is to make the world a better place for living. You don’t need to destroy your competitors before you are known. You don’t have to intentionally step on people’s toes before you create an impression. How do you see your competitors in your hustle in life? Do you see them as your enemies of progress or factors of production? Do you see them as a big threat or as valuable motivators? Are they your stumbling block or your stepping stone? Do you see them as your envious friends or your secret admirers? The way you see your competitors determines how progressive you will be in the competition. If you are not careful, you may fumble and turn out to be a failure at the long run. Once you begin to get the main objective twisted, your crowd will start mocking you instead of applauding you.

Why give in the needless stress? If your goal is to do it well (not just to do it better), you will never fumble or miss the target. Never struggle to make an impression, if what you have got is actually impressive, the world will make a way for you.

I think this is just the right word for everyone today (straight from the ancestors), especially the politicians. How do you convince me that you can do better than the incumbent political leader? Is it by the way you shout or the ways you present your criticism? Is it by the level of your intelligence or the application of the intelligence? By their works we shall know them. Remember the golden rule? Never forget the main objective, just do it well!

Don't start your day without a word from the ancestors...remember, a word is enough for the wise. Sign up with us for a daily feed. Follow @kurlarday on twitter or email:kurlarday@gmail.com. May your days be plenty!

SHOW ME YOUR CALABASH

If the owner of a calabash calls it a worthless calabash, others will join him to use it to pack rubbish.

Wait a minute! Do you really know what a calabash is? Oh yeah, it is not just a container, you may have to take a second glance at the picture below before you get it twisted.

We may have to think beyond this picture and start looking at other representations of a calabash in life. Like the firewood that we examined yesterday, a calabash as used by our ancestors could be very figurative. Your calabash may be your life, your body, your child, your spouse, your parent, your valuables, your property, your belief, your culture or tradition.

The way you present your calabash determines how people will receive it from you. There are many people in life today who have lost hope in their dreams and visions in life. I know many young folks who think they can’t do anything meaningful in life anymore. Some married couples have lost hope in their spouses’ lifestyle because they are flirt, wayward, addicted to drug or pathological drunk. Some parents have concluded that their children are useless since they don’t score high grades in school; some have even tried to introduce several teaching approaches that have eventually turned out to be futile.

Life is a mirror, whatever you tell the world that you see in the mirror is what they see. If you see a poor man, so be it. If you see a stone instead of gold, no magician can change what you see. You are the only one that can genuinely say something about your calabash. Others may only suggest or advise; they can never force you into who you are not (that is only if you know who you are). No matter how insignificant your status may seem, you need to boost your self esteem and start promoting yourself as an expensive brand. If you don’t value your calabash, who else will?

At times, you don’t have to call your calabash a worthless calabash before other people start using it to pack rubbish. Some calabashes are already worthless. You don’t need to tell me you are clean before I see you as one. It shows from the texture of your skin, where you live, what you eat, how you eat, what you buy, what you wear and how you wear them. Until you start seeing your calabash as an asset which must be brandished, you may never have the opportunity to redeem the image you fail to project.
Show me your calabash; I will present a picture of you (Gbam! Wait and get, no story!).

Don't start your day without a word from the ancestors...remember, a word is enough for the wise. Sign up with us for a daily feed. Follow @kurlarday on twitter or email:kurlarday@gmail.com. May your days be plenty

NEVER LIVE ALONE!

Hmmm! When our ancestors talk, they don’t just talk, they talk sense. What we shall examine today can be viewed from two different perspectives. You may want to modify the interpretations to other perspectives though. It would be nice if you could share your thoughts about what our ancestors have for us today.

A man who lives alone is either always overworked, or always overfed

I want us to examine the saying above from these different perspectives:

1. A man who lives alone: someone who finds it very difficult to relate with others or someone who does not need other people’s assistance.
2. A man who lives alone: someone who feels he/she is alive just for the sake of himself. Someone who thinks the main reason for existence is only to live.

No matter where you view it from, the fact remains that if you choose to make yourself an island of everything, you stand the risk of getting trapped by either being overworked or being overfed. The beauty of life can be expressed by the way we appreciate the efforts and greatness in others. If life was meant to be for you alone, there is no special reason why other people have to exist.

Have you ever imagined a world where no one exists but only you? A world where you have to make every good thing you want or desire come alive with your personal effort. A world without houses, cars, clothing, computer, no law, no money, no ambitions, except the ones you create for yourself. Ops! Crazy? Isn't it?

The problem with most people who feel the work cannot be done except they do it is that they fail to realize that there are several other people who can do it better than them if only they can be permitted to give it a try. Try to give someone the opportunity to do something you think can’t be done by no one but you today and sit back to watch how most of your work load gets relieved.

When you ask God to relieve your burden, He doesn’t just come down and do it for you, He is always around to help, but you don’t seem to be ready for Him in those areas which you find very personal to you.

On another note, it is sad to know that there are still many people in the world today who view life as a very big meal which should only be eaten by them alone. They see every opportunities, ideas, blessings, gifts and money that come to them as a special gift which must be customized. They fail to realize that the value of life can be better appreciated if we learn how to make our life useful to others. No matter how big your dreams are, they will be worthless if they are not useful for humanity.

In whatsoever you do today, learn how to appreciate people, share up, and enjoy the rest of the day by helping others fulfill their dreams in life. Remember, man wasn’t created to be lonely; so never do it alone.


Don't start your day without a word from the ancestors...remember, a word is enough for the wise. Sign up with us for a daily feed. Follow @kurlarday on twitter or email: kurlarday@gmail.com. May your days be plenty!