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!