WHAT ABOUT YOUR PAST?

“A man can never undo his past. Can zebras wipe away their stripes?” (Namibian Proverb)

You may change the way you look, the place you stay, your friends, what you eat or drink, the way you talk...but you can never change your past. However, your past remains your past, it is not you.

Our ancestors believe that whatever we do today eventually turns out to be our past tomorrow. So, if you choose to be good, invest your time on things that add value to your life and the life of people around you. Keep good friends, help those in need; all these will sum up as your past in future. But if you choose to do otherwise, you will always reap what you sow.

If you had had a terrible past, instead of bothering yourself about erasing your past, why don’t you concentrate on what you do or what you can do presently and stay away from the distractions from your past life. You can always be a better person irrespective of your past. Learn from your past experience; it is always there, teach other people not to fall victim and don’t ever repeat your past mistakes.

As from today, always remember to live a life that is remarkable. Ask yourself how your children, grand children and great grand children would feel when they read/hear that you did what you are doing currently. Do something memorable today, sow a seed, support a project, start something that would positively affect the humanity and make the world a better place to live. Just do something today! May your past never ruin you.

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THE STOLEN FOOD

“Stolen food never satisfies hunger” (Nigerian/Yoruba Proverb)

The food does not necessarily have to be stolen; even if the money or resources used to acquire the food is stolen, the food eventually becomes a stolen food.

Our ancestors believe that you can never be satisfied if the source of your wealth is through dishonesty or from corrupt practices. No matter how rich, privileged or famous you are today, you will soon face the consequence of nature if your source of riches is illegal. One day, the table will turn and the riches would become wretchedness while the grace behind the fame automatically becomes disgraceful.

Every stolen property, money, food or title (position) that you possess today attracts evil spirit to you and those who presently enjoy with you. This spirit eats deep into you and weakens the good spirit within you. Then, as your good spirit becomes weak, it may be very difficult for you to see the light till the die is cast.

As from today, always avoid anything that would require you to lose your self-worth by stooping low to get things through illegal, corrupt or dishonest means. If you don’t have it now, don’t steal it! If you must get it, go get it for real and ensure that you get it in the right way.

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THE WEALTH OF THE GREEDY

“The wealth of the greedy ultimately goes to the community” (Ghanaian proverb)

Greed is a selfish or excessive desire for more than what is needed or deserved, especially of money, wealth, food or other possessions.

Our ancestors believe that a greedy person does not really recognise the imaginary line that differentiates between adequacy and excess. Greedy people will always not be satisfied or contended with their abundant resources until they foolishly lose everything they have earned or acquired.

As from today, always learn to control your selfish or excessive desire to get fame, money, food and material possessions. Whenever the passion becomes excessive, it becomes abnormal. Instead of disturbing yourself by thinking how much you need more, think about those who don’t have anything; think about those who are in debt. Appreciate your creator for what you have now or for where you are now and try to help other people who are not yet there. By helping others, you would eventually learn how to control yourself from diving helplessly into the pool of greed.

Remember that at the end of your journey in life, your name will not be engraved with hot chisel in the anal of history because of the wealth, fame or property that you had greedily acquired but for the people you have inspired, lifted, helped and directly influenced because of your benevolent heart. May you not labour in vain.

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ARE YOU HUNGRY?

“The day one learns laziness is the day one should learn to endure a painfully empty stomach” (Nigerian & Togolese proverb)

Hurray! The ancestors are here again. Trust me; it is going to be a beautiful week for you.

Have you ever experienced hunger? Have you ever been in need or compelling desire of food? Have you ever stayed all night enduring a painfully empty stomach; weak, restless, passive and hopeless all through? If truly you had experienced real hunger, you wouldn’t want to go there again. It hurts badly.

Our ancestors believe that the key to perpetual hunger or emptiness is laziness. A lazy hand is an empty hand. Emptiness does not only mean lack of food, it is simply the lack of whatever you should have.

If you want to go farther in the journey of life, you need to learn how to work hard and be smart. Don’t ever embrace idleness, don’t be satisfied with little or nothing; always strive for more. Try hard to push your brain, mind, hand and other parts of your body to work before your old days.

Life is good and beautiful but for those who choose not to remain stagnant, useless, lazy and idle. As this week begins today, try hard to experience the beauty of life by moving out of your comfort zone. Come on! Sing that song, write that book, start that project, accept that job offer and push yourself to work. Don’t look at the reward for now, just get it started.

As from this week, remember that “the day one learns laziness is the day one should learn how to endure a painfully empty stomach” May you never be empty!

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NOT ONLY ONE ROAD

“It is not only one road that leads to the market” (Nigeria)

As a trader, you cannot confidently say that you know the market if you know only one road that leads to the market. Your knowledge of the market can be determined by the various means that you can navigate the market.

Also in life, you cannot achieve ultimate success if you continually use the same approach towards solving problems. How would you know that there are other better approaches if you keep trying one approach? No matter how successful you are in life, you are not fully successful if you know only one route to success. There are several good ways that lead to success; all you need to keep being successful is to explore all the ways. The good thing about being versatile is that if one approach fails, you have other amazing options to explore.

As from today, always try to know more than what you think you know about whatever you do. Explore and research on several methods that can work for you. Instead of giving up on your dreams, try to think of other possible means of getting what you desire. May you walk and never stumble!

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DON’T HURRY THE NIGHT!

“Do not hurry the night; the sun will always rise for its sake (Eritrea)

There are some things that you can’t change in life; they are just natural. There is time for the day and there is time for night. No matter how hard you try, you can never hurry the natural time. You can only hurry or delay your time, not the natural time. So, there is a personal time and there is a natural time. No matter how you view it, the night remains the night and the day will continue to be the day. 

Whatever challenge you face in life, you don’t need to hurry the night, your sun will soon rise. Though it may appear to be dark for too long, always remember that the sun must rise. No matter how dark it is for you today, remember that the darkest hour of the night is the closest to dawn. Don’t worry, don’t panic, never be in a hurry, your dawn is here.

As you go out this week, don’t do anything in haste; take your time, pay attention to details and wait for the right time to do whatever that you wish to do. Don’t hurry the night, wait for your time!

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ARE YOU KIND ENOUGH?

“Kindness dies out if it is not observed by both sides” (Uganda)

Before relating with anyone today, ask yourself ‘am I kind enough?’

Over the years, your creator had been so kind to you for giving you the gift of life (even in many situations that you prove to Him that you do not deserve to live). No matter how bad, evil, cruel, hostile and ungrateful you are, He keeps extending His kindness to you. When last did you thank Him for His kindness?

The best way for you to reciprocate His kindness is to be kind to others. Don’t wait until people show you love before you believe that love exists. Nothing stops you from being the first person to show the world that true love exists. Show love to the people around you today. When last have you told your parents, partner, friends, siblings, spouse, employers, clients or neighbours that you love them or that you really appreciate them for being part of your life?

Do you say ‘thank you’ to your maids, employees, cook, drivers, teachers and many other people who offer you quality services? Try it this week and see how it works. Remember, ‘kindness dies out if it is not observed by both sides’.

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THE BIG SHIP

“Big ship needs deep water” (Somalia)

To whom much is given, much is expected. If you are planning to do something big today, remember the words of our ancestors that ‘big ship needs deep water’.

The quality of your project determines the quality of time that you need to invest on it and the calibre of people that you would need to work with you. Don’t spend less time preparing to execute a big project. Don’t ever underestimate the value of proper research and commitment; concentrate, focus and put all your best in whatever you intend to do this week. Remember, whatever that is worth doing is worth doing well.

If you have a big dream, big vision, big idea or big task to execute today or sometime in life, always try as much as possible to think deeply about your plans and map out calculated strategies to attain your desired goals. Never compromise, don’t settle for less, you can always be the best you had always imagined if only you believe in yourself.

Your environment does not determine who you are; you determine who you are and wherever you choose to be. As from today, always dare to dream big! May your ship never wreck!

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HAVE YOU MADE UP YOUR MIND?

“It is useless to warn one who has made up his mind” (Angola)

A mind that is already made up is 99% locked up. It takes only the creator to use the remaining 1% to pull it down. So, as you set out this week, always watch out for those who have made up their mind towards anything. Instead of wasting your time by trying to warn them to desist from whatever they do, why not think of possible alternatives of helping them out instead of warning or advising them.

There are some people who need to learn from being a victim of certain circumstances, until they face the consequences, your warning or advice would mean nothing to them. But if you discover that what a partner, colleague at work or a stranger has made up his/her mind to do is likely to put many people in danger, it is advisable that you take a bold step by reporting to the authority or whomsoever that can prosecute or restrict the person from causing disaster.

This week, may you never be a victim of disaster. It’s going to be a favourable week for you.

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DON’T JUST SWALLOW!

“A dog swallowing a bone is confident of its power to break it” (Zimbabwe)

You can’t just conclude that a dog can eat a bone by just putting the bone inside its mouth. Until a dog is confident enough to break a bone, swallow it then digest it, no one can say it has consumed a bone.

Also in life, it would be wrong to conclude that you are successful based on the number of jobs that you do, the number of prominent people that you know, the number of books that you write, the kind of books that you read, the number of children that you have, the number of wives that you marry or the number of years that you have lived on earth. Success is not only achieved by the number of things that you do but by how you do them and how confident you are to break loose from the ‘number mentality’ and convert the numbers to value. Success is not by asking ‘how many?’ but by asking ‘how valuable?’

Instead of biting more than you can chew, then end up vomiting everything in your mouth; it is better to select the best. What is the essence of too many certifications without value? You can have many low grade cars; you can do many jobs and still not afford to maintain a steady income, you can have plenty children without having the financial strength to take care of them...

As you set out to embark on any project this week, ensure that you place more emphasis on quality and not quantity. Choose one thing that you can do well and ensure that you are skilful, powerful and confident enough to break it into success. Go for the best!

Don't start your week 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, email: wordsofourancestors@gmail.com. or call 08180458852. May your days be plenty!

WHEN THE BAG TEARS...

“When the bag tears, the shoulders get a rest” (Ghana)

 Hurray! It is June 1, 2014. The ancestors are here again after a long period of silence. Henceforth, we will all be privileged to learn from the feet of our ancestors every Sunday. So, relax as you read the words of our ancestors for this week. Remember to drop your comments and share with friends.

To every human on earth (young or old), there is a bag assigned by nature. To some, the bag is a burden, to others it is a luxury, some take it for an ordinary carriage but only the few wise ones see it as an essential part of life. Yes, it is essential!

In life, there is no absolute rest for any living being. Until your bag of life tears, you can never have a permanent rest. So, this means that your bag is meant to be with you right from birth till you die (or till it gets worn out). In other words; the stronger and lighter you keep your bag, the greater your chances of staying long in life.

Your bag may be your mind, watch what you deposit inside it. If your mind is filled with hatred, alcohol, bitterness, malice, stones, broken bottles and other harmful objects, it may end up being torn unexpectedly. There are many people who suffer from different health disorder today because of what they allow or had allowed into their mind. Remember, a healthy mind is a healthy being. Your bag may also be any form of your livelihood. It may be your health, your family, your major investment, your career, etc. Don’t just drag and drop anything into your bag, never take it for granted because when your bag is torn, there is no reason to be alive any more.

In whatever you do this week, always remember that there is a limit to everything you keep in the bag of your life...when the bag tears, the shoulders get a rest. May your bag never get carelessly torn.

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THE RIGHT THING

‘It is better to do what is right than to do big things’ (Gambia-Mandinka)

There is nothing as big as doing the right thing for the right person at the right time. No matter how big you start, if your foundation is not based on the right principles, you may soon fall greatly.

As from today, don’t be bothered about the size, quantity, propensity, volume, status or any physical measure of whatever you do or give to humanity. As long as you continue to do the right things rightly, nothing else in the world would pull you down.

Instead of giving the same excuse of insufficient resources to do something big; today, try to do something in the right way (no matter how small or insignificant it is), then watch as it becomes bigger. There is no big deal anywhere; you only need one deal, that right deal that would propel you to the world of wonders. Go for it now!

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STAND UP AND MOVE!

‘The man on his feet carries off the share of the man sitting down’ (Guinea Bissau)

There is a very big difference between someone who sits and someone who stands. It takes a lot of physical strength to keep standing on one’s feet. Apart from the strength, you need to be mentally alert while you stand. This explains why people rarely sleep while they are on their feet. So, anyone who stands is in a good position to move, run or jump at any time.

On the other hand, anyone who sits has to stand before he/she could move, run or jump. This means that if you stand, you are a step ahead of anyone who sits.

In life, if you always strive to be ahead of others, it shows how prepared you are for success. You may never get the best out of life if all you do is to sit, relax and expect a sudden miracle in your life. It is only the people who are prepared for success that nature allows to get the best in life.

Don’t be deceived, any good thing that comes to you suddenly or mistakenly may soon disappear suddenly. If the wealth, luxury, position, property, fame or reputation that you have today came to you impromptu (i.e. without a proper preparation from you), you may soon be disappointed by nature because in no time, you may suddenly or mistakenly lose it.

As from today, endeavor to do whatever you ought to do in order to be the best you had always wanted to be in life. Keep working; don’t mind the stress as long as it is targeted towards the best. Don’t just sit back and relax while the day is still young. Come on, STAND UP and MOVE!

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KILL THE LION!

‘When a lion eats a bad person and it’s not killed, tomorrow it will eat a good person’(Zambia-Lozi)

Lions are not human; they can’t differentiate between a good man and a bad man. So, if you choose to spare the life of a lion because it kills your enemies; one day it will eventually kill your friends or even you. Yes, I mean you!

In life, there are many things around us that are as dangerous, deadly, destructive and harmful as lions. If you fail to destroy the lion in your life or around you because it looks friendly to you and terrible to your enemies, tomorrow the lion may show you its other side.

As from today, always endeavor to support a course against anything that is harmful or hazardous to the community; don’t just mind your business or sit on the fence because it doesn't concern you. Say no to abortion, drug abuse, child trafficking, child molestation, rape, inhumanity, corruption, war, cancer, HIV/AIDS, terrorism and the rapid increase of child mortality in Africa.

Let’s join hands to put an end to these deadly scourges (and many others) in Africa. Save a life today.   Help someone who is about to be killed by one of these terrifying and merciless lions ravaging Africa. Please, do anything you can to stop the lions from killing another person today. Remember, ‘when a lion eats a bad person and it’s not killed, tomorrow it will eat a good person’.

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ARE YOU FRIENDLY WITH WOLVES?

‘If a man wants to be friendly with wolves, he must first sharpen his spears’

No matter how friendly you are, it is very dangerous to be too free with wolves. Wolves are not like dogs or cats that you can see in the neighborhood, they are wild animals. It takes a very smart person to relate freely with wolves.

In the world today, there are many people who behave and live their lives like wolves. Many of them are fearful, terrifying, cunning, wicked, deceptive, wild, merciless, inconsiderate and too dangerous to relate with.

You need to be conscious of the existence and presence of the people who are the wolves in your life. There is a big lesson to learn from everyone you meet in life (either good or bad), so it pays to take time to study people and ensure that you learn from them by being friendly to them; instead of avoiding them unnecessarily.

Today, examine all the friends that you have in your life, separate those who are truly and genuinely friendly from those who act like wolves. Ensure to deal cautiously with the friends that you have identified to be the wolves in your life. Never hesitate to sharpen your spears and guard your heart with all forms of diligence while dealing with your friends (both the true ones and the cunning ones). At times, a true friend may turn out to be the wolf you had never identified.

Always open your mind to learn from every relationship with people; don’t just do things for fun. Keep being smart and wise. Remember, ‘If a man wants to be friendly with wolves, he must first sharpen his spears’. Happy Valentine's Day!

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GOING DOWN FOR THE NEEDLE!

‘When a needle falls into a deep well, many people will look into the well, but few will be ready to go down after it’ (Guinea)

Have you ever seen or used a needle before? Oh yes! Today’s message is specially meant for you. Keep reading and ensure that you don’t get distracted.

As tiny as it may look, a needle is usually appreciated as a veritable and valuable tool by those who make good use of it. However, despite the large number of people who use the needle, it takes only those who understand and appreciate its value to go down after it when it falls into a deep well. Other people may love to use the needle, but they may not be bold enough to go down after it when it falls into the well.

It is not enough to look into the deep well, if you really love what you have, you need to summon all courage and go after it when it goes away from you.

Like the needle, is there anybody that is almost insignificant in your life but useful and valuable to you? If someone you truly and genuinely love walks out of your life, do you stand and watch as the person leaves or do you go after him/her to re-affirm your love?

Today, never hesitate to go for what you truly want. Don’t allow anyone or anything to hold you back. Don’t be too proud to apologize or compromise some of your principles for the sake of the people you love. Be careful, if your needle stays too long in the deep well, you may never see it again. Remember, ‘when a needle falls into a deep well, many people will look into the well, but few will be ready to go down after it’. Why not take a bold step and go down for your needle today?

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HE WHO LOOKS FOR HONEY...

‘He who looks for honey must have the courage to face the bees’ (Congo)

There is no honey without bees and there are no healthy bees without stings. It takes courage to capture the bees that would produce honey. So, anyone who chooses to extract honey from the bees must be ready to endure the pain that comes from the stings of the bees.

Like the honey, whatever that is good, sweet, valuable, precious, beautiful or original is usually very difficult to get. Until you summon the courage to pay the best price, you may not be strategically positioned to get the best of whatever you aspire and dream to get in life.

Anything that is valuable and long lasting doesn’t come easily. In fact, you need to be valuable before you can easily attract values to yourself. Common people attract common things with their common sense but uncommon people command and attract uncommon things to themselves with their extra ordinary mind.

Today, if you want to attract uncommon things to yourself, try to do common things uncommonly. You can marry the best wife or the real man; own the best house, cars, estate, property, company and be the best in the world if you are ready to face the uncommon challenge of being different from others. The man who intends to achieve what others have never achieved or can never achieve shouldn’t be a normal man. So, are you normal at all?

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SHARING THE SAME GOAL

‘The people sailing in the same boat share the same goal’

Do you really understand the words of our ancestors for today? Relax, you may need to meditate and reflect on the words again before reading further.

Truly, the kind of people that you choose to sail in the same boat with, would determine your goal and how far you would go on a particular journey.

You need to be very careful about the kind of people you mingle or relate with. In the boat of life, it is either you attract and influence your friends to share your goals or you allow them to attract and influence you to share their goals. The basic thing is that a goal has to be shared.

Today, you need to re-examine yourself and your goals in life. Are you really the man or woman that you had always wanted to become? Can you easily identify your goals or are you lost in the world of other people around you? Think twice about your goals in life; don’t be too comfortable by living in other people’s dream. Retrieve yourself and jump out of any strange boat that leads you to nowhere.

Always ensure that you are in the right boat with the right people at the right time, sharing the right goal. Go for the best!

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WHAT IS LOVE?

‘Love is love only when it affects both sides’ (Kiswahili)

Have you ever been in love with someone who doesn't really care about you or love you as much as you do? Really, I must confess that it hurts, it’s killing, it’s crazy and disheartening to see someone you love, loving someone else.

Love is not love until it’s mutual. Don’t be deceived, there is no way you can entice, seduce or force someone to love you. You can’t buy love, you can only build it. If it is not love, it may only look like it, it can never be lovely. If you love someone so much and he/she does not reciprocate your love, it is better for you to step up, take heart and move on with your life. The longer you keep holding yourself down in a relationship without love, the greater your chances of getting hurt or misbehaving.

You can’t fake love, you can’t act it and you can’t even hide it, but you can create it. Love comes naturally. The first step to creating love, loving someone or being lovely is your ability to love yourself. If you don’t love yourself, how would other people see reasons to love you? As from today, take time to love yourself for whom you are (irrespective of your physical, social and psychological challenges or deformity), if there is anything you need to change about yourself in other for you to love yourself, please start working on it now.

After loving yourself, the next step is to love other people around you genuinely. Don’t condemn people because they think and look differently; appreciate them for whom they are. Instead of focusing on people’s weaknesses or shortcoming, try to concentrate on the good qualities that they possess. In whatever you do today, always remember that ‘love is love when it affects both sides’. Have a lovely day!

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!