Friday, January 6, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Dear President: On which track are we?
I have watched and listened with great interest the sequence of debates and interviews since the subject of fuel subsidy removal surfaced. It’s been different views with the proponent of the debate accentuating that the Nigeria populace will benefit hugely from the decision in the ‘nearest future’. How near the future, is likely to remain an open-ended question.
Eventually, the removal appeared so sudden when most Nigerians never expected it like a coup d’état. A New Year gift some have tagged it, and since then protesters have gone on rampage. All over the Nation, aggrieved citizens are using every means possible except violence to display their dissatisfaction toward the policy.
Though security personnel in some states including the President’s province have not been friendly, as a report has it that one protester has been permanently silenced in Ilorin – a bad one indeed for a democracy!
This situation has made me wonder aloud if truly we are under a democratic rule. Just some few weeks back a town hall meeting was held in Lagos and the representatives of the federal government presented their arguments on why subsidy should be removed. While I had reasoned on some of the points raised and have agreed with them, I still so much believe that this sudden decision is a slap on the electorates who conferred the power to govern on Mr. President.
In the first place I define the whole scenario as punishing the majority for a sin committed by the minority. If the government has allowed a few Nigerians as it were, to be enriched by our collective resources in the course of several years, what justification has the president to punish the populace for this?
Also, my teachers of leadership have taught me that leadership is not just by being but rather doing. In fact, doing precede being! This it has been explained to me that as a leader, followers want to see what you’re doing and then they follow in your stead (agreeing- being). Followers aren’t ready for a leader who will show them the way he has never been to, rather, they are looking for a leader who will be in front and then ask them to follow suit.
Mr. President Sir, an honest question to you is, in what way (s) will the Presidency feel the pain your subjects are feeling as a result of this removal? Re-phrased, what personal sacrifice (s) has Mr. President made to justify the demand from the swarming populace? Will it be appropriate to ask if Mr. President uses part of his salary and allowance (s) in purchase of anything at all? How about our numerous political office holders including the active and inactive Ministers? It was at
the town hall meeting recently organized that an official confessed he has never bought fuel with his money ever since he assumed office.
the town hall meeting recently organized that an official confessed he has never bought fuel with his money ever since he assumed office.
Mr. President Sir, shouldn’t a leader consider and weigh an action appropriately before proceeding? For more than a month now, ASUU has been on strike. It has never been a concern to your Excellency; well that seem not to be important at the moment I guess. Yet, the anticipated objective of the removal of subsidy is so that we can create job, build roads, give proper maternal care and the likes, as if these have never been included in our previous yearly budgets.
How do we overcome youth unrest and the viral of Boko Haram if a large percentage of our youths are at home when they are supposed to be in school? Mr. President Sir, when do we begin
to see the deregulatory benefits (as the minister of petroleum resources puts it) that will cushion the effect of skyrocketed bus fair which is now far beyond a hundred percent increase?
to see the deregulatory benefits (as the minister of petroleum resources puts it) that will cushion the effect of skyrocketed bus fair which is now far beyond a hundred percent increase?
Mr. President, Nigerians have started agitating on the social forum and this by itself isn’t a good sign. If you can recall Sir, this was how the unrest in the Arab world started and we should not be
seen working the same road.
seen working the same road.
Quick suggestion in the interest of our collectiveunity; the fuel price should return back to the original amount while the government put in place the proper structure that will make the removal bearable. Or can it be said that Nigeria has gone so bad that if we don’t remove the subsidy now we won’t exist in March 2012?
With the Boko Haram mayhem in town, what most Nigerians are expecting from the government is assurance that we are safe to be able to go out and provide for our needs not a compounding of burden. Please Sir, if you can, which I will suggest you should, consider the advice of Jean Herskovits, a professor of history at the State University of New York, published in New York Times on January 2, 2012 on Boko Haram tittled: In Nigeria, Boko Haram Is Not the Problem.
Peace to Nigeria!
With the Boko Haram mayhem in town, what most Nigerians are expecting from the government is assurance that we are safe to be able to go out and provide for our needs not a compounding of burden. Please Sir, if you can, which I will suggest you should, consider the advice of Jean Herskovits, a professor of history at the State University of New York, published in New York Times on January 2, 2012 on Boko Haram tittled: In Nigeria, Boko Haram Is Not the Problem.
Peace to Nigeria!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Why Patriotism Is Not An Option
ARISE O compatriots,
Nigeria’s call obey
To serve our fatherland
With love and strength and faith,
(The labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain)= Acknowledgement
(To serve with heart and might)= Sincerity
One nation bound in freedom,
Peace and unity.
The above is the first stanza of the Nigerian National anthem. For a brief history, the anthem was composed by Mr. Ben Odiase, the Director of Music, Nigerian Police Band. The anthem was adopted in October 1978 - 18years after our independence.
Going through this anthem, I realized there are certain values that were embedded within it that we have derailed from as a nation. The anthem on its own is a call to patriotism. Embedded within this first stanza are the values of obedience, service, love, strength (ability), faith, acknowledgement, sincerity, freedom (of expression), peace and unity.
Have we been able to fulfill the words of this anthem as a nation? I guess if you are reading this article as a Nigerian, you will probably be quick to point to the fact that government in the country right from inception has failed us, right? However, this article seeks to probe beyond the appalling attitude of the ruling class to address what is probably expected of us as individual members of the nation.
On Thursday October 1, 2009, Christ Embassy celebrated the Nigeria 49th Independence with a rally that was done across the nation in the national colours. It was beautiful. Looking at them as an individual, though not a member of the Church, I felt so good being a Nigerian.
The Church celebrated with about 10million copies of Rhapsody of Reality a daily devotional packed with inspiring messages that will ignite the patriotic spirit in the minds of Nigerians. I really commend this and must confess it prompted me to write this piece.
The main purpose of this write-up therefore is to inform every Nigerian that patriotism is not an option but a requirement for this nation to be what it ought to be. At the moment, the prevailing thinking is that patriotism can only be achieved if we have good leadership. This notion should be discarded. For a true Nigerian, your patriotic spirit should not swing with the political tide.
From the analysis of the constituent elements of the first stanza of the nation’s anthem above, we’ll see that there are values we’ve been practicing that are questioning us if truly we are Nigerians.
For example, disobedience is one vice that has found its root in our national life. We formulate laws and never live by them; our inherited culture of obedience is becoming eroded. We loathe simple instructions that have been put together by our collective agreement to make things work. People just want to outwit the system and they believe by so doing they are smarter than other Nigerians.
Another value we esteem lightly is service. Our service rendering in this country is poor and this is probably due to wrong notions we have with regard to service. A number of people work in organizations and are being paid at the end of the month for a job not done. Service rendering in our public institutions and ministries is so poor that a number of people don’t even pray to have any deal with the various ministries.
Taking it a step further, in the United States for example, serving in institutions like US Army, Marine among others is an opportunity every American will cheerfully consider as a form of contribution to the good of their nation. The various educational Institutions in the United States also have days they carry-out what is known as community services in which students contribute to the development of their immediate community.
On the part of the education sector contributing to service in the nation, we may want to consider the fact that the National Youth Service Corps in the country was established to entrench the heart of service among Nigerian graduates. However, has the scheme achieved its purpose? Some of our youths see this one year of service to our fatherland as a waste and majority always found options around the scheme.
Love is another cogent value that must be part of our lifestyle as a nation. Love for the nation unconditionally, love for the people no matter the region. Our love for this Country and the people should not be a function of the performance of the ruling class or the people in power. In fact, it is our love for one another and the nation at large that will make us enthrone leaders that will make our nation proud. Genuine love for human life for example will make us rethink the idea of killing one another for money making rituals and the killing of political opponents to attain political positions among our politicians.
An additional value we must also nurse as a nation is faith in the future of this country. We can’t have Ghanaians believe in the future of our nation for us and neither will the Americans do. We must have faith in our ability to make things work as a nation. Since every invention in the inception occurs in the mind of the inventor, we therefore must believe first with regard to what we want our nation to be, then it will become so. And as we become what we envision, we must acknowledge our efforts individually by offering appropriate motivation and celebrating our successes as a nation.
Every Nigerian should be free to contribute to the development of this nation with legal and moral backing to do so. Freedom to hold opinions and demand for things to be done right from the ruling class must be conferred on the people. We must now be known to be sincere people. Sincerity should not be a matter of sloganeering but what we must earn by reason of our national and international relationships.
As I round up however, I must sound it again that being patriotic about our nation should not be a function of whether we have good government or not. It is only by being patriotic as a nation that we can enthrone good government and remember that it’s the coming together of the parts that form the whole.
One nation bound in freedom, peace and unity!
Nigeria’s call obey
To serve our fatherland
With love and strength and faith,
(The labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain)= Acknowledgement
(To serve with heart and might)= Sincerity
One nation bound in freedom,
Peace and unity.
The above is the first stanza of the Nigerian National anthem. For a brief history, the anthem was composed by Mr. Ben Odiase, the Director of Music, Nigerian Police Band. The anthem was adopted in October 1978 - 18years after our independence.
Going through this anthem, I realized there are certain values that were embedded within it that we have derailed from as a nation. The anthem on its own is a call to patriotism. Embedded within this first stanza are the values of obedience, service, love, strength (ability), faith, acknowledgement, sincerity, freedom (of expression), peace and unity.
Have we been able to fulfill the words of this anthem as a nation? I guess if you are reading this article as a Nigerian, you will probably be quick to point to the fact that government in the country right from inception has failed us, right? However, this article seeks to probe beyond the appalling attitude of the ruling class to address what is probably expected of us as individual members of the nation.
On Thursday October 1, 2009, Christ Embassy celebrated the Nigeria 49th Independence with a rally that was done across the nation in the national colours. It was beautiful. Looking at them as an individual, though not a member of the Church, I felt so good being a Nigerian.
The Church celebrated with about 10million copies of Rhapsody of Reality a daily devotional packed with inspiring messages that will ignite the patriotic spirit in the minds of Nigerians. I really commend this and must confess it prompted me to write this piece.
The main purpose of this write-up therefore is to inform every Nigerian that patriotism is not an option but a requirement for this nation to be what it ought to be. At the moment, the prevailing thinking is that patriotism can only be achieved if we have good leadership. This notion should be discarded. For a true Nigerian, your patriotic spirit should not swing with the political tide.
From the analysis of the constituent elements of the first stanza of the nation’s anthem above, we’ll see that there are values we’ve been practicing that are questioning us if truly we are Nigerians.
For example, disobedience is one vice that has found its root in our national life. We formulate laws and never live by them; our inherited culture of obedience is becoming eroded. We loathe simple instructions that have been put together by our collective agreement to make things work. People just want to outwit the system and they believe by so doing they are smarter than other Nigerians.
Another value we esteem lightly is service. Our service rendering in this country is poor and this is probably due to wrong notions we have with regard to service. A number of people work in organizations and are being paid at the end of the month for a job not done. Service rendering in our public institutions and ministries is so poor that a number of people don’t even pray to have any deal with the various ministries.
Taking it a step further, in the United States for example, serving in institutions like US Army, Marine among others is an opportunity every American will cheerfully consider as a form of contribution to the good of their nation. The various educational Institutions in the United States also have days they carry-out what is known as community services in which students contribute to the development of their immediate community.
On the part of the education sector contributing to service in the nation, we may want to consider the fact that the National Youth Service Corps in the country was established to entrench the heart of service among Nigerian graduates. However, has the scheme achieved its purpose? Some of our youths see this one year of service to our fatherland as a waste and majority always found options around the scheme.
Love is another cogent value that must be part of our lifestyle as a nation. Love for the nation unconditionally, love for the people no matter the region. Our love for this Country and the people should not be a function of the performance of the ruling class or the people in power. In fact, it is our love for one another and the nation at large that will make us enthrone leaders that will make our nation proud. Genuine love for human life for example will make us rethink the idea of killing one another for money making rituals and the killing of political opponents to attain political positions among our politicians.
An additional value we must also nurse as a nation is faith in the future of this country. We can’t have Ghanaians believe in the future of our nation for us and neither will the Americans do. We must have faith in our ability to make things work as a nation. Since every invention in the inception occurs in the mind of the inventor, we therefore must believe first with regard to what we want our nation to be, then it will become so. And as we become what we envision, we must acknowledge our efforts individually by offering appropriate motivation and celebrating our successes as a nation.
Every Nigerian should be free to contribute to the development of this nation with legal and moral backing to do so. Freedom to hold opinions and demand for things to be done right from the ruling class must be conferred on the people. We must now be known to be sincere people. Sincerity should not be a matter of sloganeering but what we must earn by reason of our national and international relationships.
As I round up however, I must sound it again that being patriotic about our nation should not be a function of whether we have good government or not. It is only by being patriotic as a nation that we can enthrone good government and remember that it’s the coming together of the parts that form the whole.
One nation bound in freedom, peace and unity!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
In Search of Oneness
Life is in stages they say. That exactly I believe is what it will continue to be. For some reading this, you are likely to be at the stage in which the whole taught that occupies your mind is how you will maintain a good grade while climbing the ladder to the second year in the University. Others will be thinking of how their first Industrial training experience is going to look like. To another group, they eagerly await the time to be referred to as the final year students. My graduating colleagues are however thinking of what the demands of the outside world is.
This made me call to remembrance some few years down the line. For some of us (we know ourselves), we actually have resumed on this campus with mix fillings after some months of burning candles in order to be offered our dream course- Engineering. A number of us, after being offered admission here, went ahead to retake the JAMB exams again and again.
Then, being in the school of communication was a different world for most of us; or how do you draw the line between organic chemistry and French, or the relationship between differential calculus and interpreting the literary elements in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart?
It may surprise some of my course mates to learn that the last JAMB exam I wrote was in the second semester of my second year in LASUSOC, and was also my third attempt as an undergraduate. Do you want to know what I scored? I know what you’re thinking – for me to have written JAMB three times as an undergraduate, five times in all, I must have been a dull student – right? Sorry to disappoint you. After reading for the exams alongside my school works, I still managed to score 259.
However, my aim was to change over to Computer Science at the University of Lagos or probably run the program alongside my course here. I was not offered admission! My score was below the cut-off point they say, and there was no way I could fulfill that dream. After this and with my father’s counsel I decided to make use of what I have at hand; Communication Technology. A bird at hand they usually say is better than ten in the bush; my support for this allusion however may not be total, but that’s an argument that will require some philosophizing.
However, beyond the ambition of becoming an engineer, I have learnt along the way that life is not all about Mathematics and Physics, or probably Chemistry. I have found life residing close to literature domain as well. I’ve seen that though I lack the elementary knowledge of secondary-school level government at inception, my presence in the school of communication has availed me the opportunity of learning advanced government.
The School of Communication, asides from my regular departmental courses, has taught me how to write news, and how advertising projects can be executed. The School of Communication, through Baba, as we have chosen to call him, has also shown me how different films can be made. I am now as good as Tunde Kelani as far as film production is concern. When I conclude my undergraduate program, I can as well decide to take over the position of Chief Editorial Board of The Guardian Newspaper from Dr Reuben Abati. I know you’ll think I have a tall dream. The bottom line is that if I may borrow some lines from the Book of Life… I can do all things, through LASUSOC that strengthens me.
Beyond the light impressions above however, to my colleagues in 400level, the little time we have now is the time to start taking details of events around us. Remember, what happens today has a 1% rate of being repeated exactly the same way tomorrow; Beyond LASUSOC lies the bigger world. The clock is already ticking and the hours remaining for us on this campus can as well be estimated.
Through all these years we’ve been together, what impressions have you made on people? Incase you have made negative ones; tomorrow may not be the best time to correct them when today is slipping by. The clock is ticking and very fast at that.
It is a known fact that life can’t be lived in isolation. That course mate of yours you believe you can’t gain anything from today might be the one to sign the letter that will take you to your next level in the distant future. I guess some of you will shout; “Preach on Pastor”, it really should be a sermon, so you can see it as one.
This should never be a time to remain on your own, as this may result in being on your own for life. There is tremendous power in association. There is more to say, and more to share together even as we count the numbers of days we have left in LASUSOC, but I will end this piece with this - You can never tell, the impression you make on people today may be the expression you will get tomorrow; and my sense of judgment tells me that if you can think ahead, you will always have an edge!
This made me call to remembrance some few years down the line. For some of us (we know ourselves), we actually have resumed on this campus with mix fillings after some months of burning candles in order to be offered our dream course- Engineering. A number of us, after being offered admission here, went ahead to retake the JAMB exams again and again.
Then, being in the school of communication was a different world for most of us; or how do you draw the line between organic chemistry and French, or the relationship between differential calculus and interpreting the literary elements in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart?
It may surprise some of my course mates to learn that the last JAMB exam I wrote was in the second semester of my second year in LASUSOC, and was also my third attempt as an undergraduate. Do you want to know what I scored? I know what you’re thinking – for me to have written JAMB three times as an undergraduate, five times in all, I must have been a dull student – right? Sorry to disappoint you. After reading for the exams alongside my school works, I still managed to score 259.
However, my aim was to change over to Computer Science at the University of Lagos or probably run the program alongside my course here. I was not offered admission! My score was below the cut-off point they say, and there was no way I could fulfill that dream. After this and with my father’s counsel I decided to make use of what I have at hand; Communication Technology. A bird at hand they usually say is better than ten in the bush; my support for this allusion however may not be total, but that’s an argument that will require some philosophizing.
However, beyond the ambition of becoming an engineer, I have learnt along the way that life is not all about Mathematics and Physics, or probably Chemistry. I have found life residing close to literature domain as well. I’ve seen that though I lack the elementary knowledge of secondary-school level government at inception, my presence in the school of communication has availed me the opportunity of learning advanced government.
The School of Communication, asides from my regular departmental courses, has taught me how to write news, and how advertising projects can be executed. The School of Communication, through Baba, as we have chosen to call him, has also shown me how different films can be made. I am now as good as Tunde Kelani as far as film production is concern. When I conclude my undergraduate program, I can as well decide to take over the position of Chief Editorial Board of The Guardian Newspaper from Dr Reuben Abati. I know you’ll think I have a tall dream. The bottom line is that if I may borrow some lines from the Book of Life… I can do all things, through LASUSOC that strengthens me.
Beyond the light impressions above however, to my colleagues in 400level, the little time we have now is the time to start taking details of events around us. Remember, what happens today has a 1% rate of being repeated exactly the same way tomorrow; Beyond LASUSOC lies the bigger world. The clock is already ticking and the hours remaining for us on this campus can as well be estimated.
Through all these years we’ve been together, what impressions have you made on people? Incase you have made negative ones; tomorrow may not be the best time to correct them when today is slipping by. The clock is ticking and very fast at that.
It is a known fact that life can’t be lived in isolation. That course mate of yours you believe you can’t gain anything from today might be the one to sign the letter that will take you to your next level in the distant future. I guess some of you will shout; “Preach on Pastor”, it really should be a sermon, so you can see it as one.
This should never be a time to remain on your own, as this may result in being on your own for life. There is tremendous power in association. There is more to say, and more to share together even as we count the numbers of days we have left in LASUSOC, but I will end this piece with this - You can never tell, the impression you make on people today may be the expression you will get tomorrow; and my sense of judgment tells me that if you can think ahead, you will always have an edge!
What’s on your Mind?
Everything is possible. Henry Ford in agreement with this claim reached a conclusion that “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you are right.” Regardless of your point of view as touching anything in life, you’ll always be right. No wonder the Holy book asserts that as a man thinks, so is he.
Since it has been established that what we eventually become is more of what we believe we can be, won’t someone rather choose to be the best instead of the opposite? What we become in life primarily as Christians is a function of two major things; our relationship with God and trust in His sovereignty, and then our belief in the inner strength God has given to us to be whatever we want to be.
Becoming the very best should be the desire of every individual as it is also stated in the Christians’ manual that we should be fruitful, multiply, subdue the earth and replenish it. Man as it were, is still the most advanced of all the creatures of the Most high and will continue to be.
Everything is possible especially with God. Often times, we focus so much on our inability that we tend to ignore the ability that has been bestowed on us. Recognizing the fact that we’ve been created with divine ability and gifting may avail us the opportunity of using such to benefit humanity.
Most great people are those, who have defied many obstacles to become the best in what they choose to do. The opposite is also true as majority of those who have chosen to settle for less have always got the result commensurate to their expectation.
While reading a book titled “Think and Succeed” by Rev. Sam Adeyemi some years back, I came across a story that was originally told by Bill and Dee Stringfellow in the book titled, “You can go up.” It was a story of a national convention of the Barbers and Hairstylists of the United States. Considering a better way of telling the entire Americans how important they are, the Barbers and Hairstylists hired a young public relation executive to implement the job.
Conclusions were made on the terms of the job and the young chap went to work without more ado. Searching for a better way to execute the job, the young executive decided to visit the slums of New York City and picked up a young man who was a beggar with soiled and tattered clothes. The tramp was unkempt from the very hair on his head to the sole of his feet.
There was a bargain after which a deal was completed between the tramp and the young executive since some dollars was involved. After this agreement, the young executive took the tramp immediately to the photographer’s and his pictures were taken exactly the way he was; dirty and totally unkempt.
After this first round of photographs, the young executive gave the tramp a face-lift: a steam bath, a shave and a hair cut, and then took him to the photographer for another round of snaps. But he was not finished. The PR executive took the young man from the slums to town and got him professionally made suits, shirts, ties and shoes. Then the third rounds of photographs were made.
On the day the convention started, the young executive positioned three life-size photographs of his subject at the lobby of the hotel. And he wrote at the top of those pictures, “See what the Barbers and Hairstylists of America can do to a man.” The story immediately hit the headlines across America. For effect, the well suited tramp was positioned at the hotel lobby to shake hands with people as they came in for the convention. Needless to say, the campaign was a success.
However, the sad part of the story was that the assistant manager of the hotel in which the convention took place was moved by the rapid change the tramp has undergone within a short period of time. He decided to offer the tramp a job at the hotel. At the end of the convention which signified the end of the existing contract between the PR executive and the tramp, the tramp just collected his due and went back to his ‘normal’ life back in the slums.
The tramp never returned to the hotel to resume the job promised, instead, he went back to where he used to be; the slums. The conclusion here is that though the Barbers and Hairstylists through the PR executive decided to change the young man outwardly, he still remained unchanged inwardly.
No matter the amount of outward effort applied in changing an individual, if it doesn’t correspond with a proportionate inward strength, it will surely be fruitless because as a man thinks, so is he. The quality of your life is traceable to the quality of your thought. Finally, I need to let you know that you only ponder on the information available within you, and so I will suggest you stuff yourself with the word of God; which is able to build you up. That is the only raw material you’ll chew and your life will never remain the same.Remember that your thought pattern will always equal your life pattern!
Since it has been established that what we eventually become is more of what we believe we can be, won’t someone rather choose to be the best instead of the opposite? What we become in life primarily as Christians is a function of two major things; our relationship with God and trust in His sovereignty, and then our belief in the inner strength God has given to us to be whatever we want to be.
Becoming the very best should be the desire of every individual as it is also stated in the Christians’ manual that we should be fruitful, multiply, subdue the earth and replenish it. Man as it were, is still the most advanced of all the creatures of the Most high and will continue to be.
Everything is possible especially with God. Often times, we focus so much on our inability that we tend to ignore the ability that has been bestowed on us. Recognizing the fact that we’ve been created with divine ability and gifting may avail us the opportunity of using such to benefit humanity.
Most great people are those, who have defied many obstacles to become the best in what they choose to do. The opposite is also true as majority of those who have chosen to settle for less have always got the result commensurate to their expectation.
While reading a book titled “Think and Succeed” by Rev. Sam Adeyemi some years back, I came across a story that was originally told by Bill and Dee Stringfellow in the book titled, “You can go up.” It was a story of a national convention of the Barbers and Hairstylists of the United States. Considering a better way of telling the entire Americans how important they are, the Barbers and Hairstylists hired a young public relation executive to implement the job.
Conclusions were made on the terms of the job and the young chap went to work without more ado. Searching for a better way to execute the job, the young executive decided to visit the slums of New York City and picked up a young man who was a beggar with soiled and tattered clothes. The tramp was unkempt from the very hair on his head to the sole of his feet.
There was a bargain after which a deal was completed between the tramp and the young executive since some dollars was involved. After this agreement, the young executive took the tramp immediately to the photographer’s and his pictures were taken exactly the way he was; dirty and totally unkempt.
After this first round of photographs, the young executive gave the tramp a face-lift: a steam bath, a shave and a hair cut, and then took him to the photographer for another round of snaps. But he was not finished. The PR executive took the young man from the slums to town and got him professionally made suits, shirts, ties and shoes. Then the third rounds of photographs were made.
On the day the convention started, the young executive positioned three life-size photographs of his subject at the lobby of the hotel. And he wrote at the top of those pictures, “See what the Barbers and Hairstylists of America can do to a man.” The story immediately hit the headlines across America. For effect, the well suited tramp was positioned at the hotel lobby to shake hands with people as they came in for the convention. Needless to say, the campaign was a success.
However, the sad part of the story was that the assistant manager of the hotel in which the convention took place was moved by the rapid change the tramp has undergone within a short period of time. He decided to offer the tramp a job at the hotel. At the end of the convention which signified the end of the existing contract between the PR executive and the tramp, the tramp just collected his due and went back to his ‘normal’ life back in the slums.
The tramp never returned to the hotel to resume the job promised, instead, he went back to where he used to be; the slums. The conclusion here is that though the Barbers and Hairstylists through the PR executive decided to change the young man outwardly, he still remained unchanged inwardly.
No matter the amount of outward effort applied in changing an individual, if it doesn’t correspond with a proportionate inward strength, it will surely be fruitless because as a man thinks, so is he. The quality of your life is traceable to the quality of your thought. Finally, I need to let you know that you only ponder on the information available within you, and so I will suggest you stuff yourself with the word of God; which is able to build you up. That is the only raw material you’ll chew and your life will never remain the same.Remember that your thought pattern will always equal your life pattern!
Thought Pattern Equals Life Pattern
Chief Amòye, evening. It’s been quite sometime. Oh! My longtime friend, how are you doing? I’m fine sir, and what happened to you? I’ve been here a couple of times just to hear you speak, but each time I showed up, you are usually elusive. I really enjoyed the series of discussions we had last time. Oh my friend, I’m sorry for not being around all the while. It was due to some circumstances under my control. Under your control? So why didn’t you control them? Ah, I just chose not to control them ni o jare.
However, I need to congratulate you for being here today. We will be discussing an issue that has a lot to do with what you will eventually become in life. It’s going to be in series. Meanwhile, I will share with you today the part that is most important for self actualization, and then, in our next meeting, those related to your relationship with other people and this community will be clarified. I will be telling you a short story in driving my point home and will really be glad if you can be attentive as I proceed. Chief, I told you I’ve been here a couple of times just to hear those words of wisdom and I’m lucky you are around today, so why won’t I be attentive? You can proceed sir, omo re ngbo.
I want to start by saying that the human mind has tremendous power. The statement, “as a man thinks, so is he” will forever remain valid. This shows that we as humans have a stake in what our lives turned out to be. James Allen in his book, “The Making of A Man” says, “The mind is the master weaver, both of the inner garment of character and the outer garment of circumstance.” This shows that we can always trail the line of our conditions and behavior to the thoughts that govern our minds. The story I’m about telling you is as told by Jack Riemer and I hope you will learn from it.
On November 18, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, the violinist, came on stage to give a concert at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. Getting on stage was no small achievement for him. He was stricken with polio as a child, and he has braces on both legs and walks with the aid of two crutches. To see him walk across the stage one step at a time, painfully and slowly, is an awesome sight.
He walks painfully, yet majestically, until he reaches his chair. Then he sits down, slowly, puts his crutches on the floor, undoes the clasps on his legs, tucks one foot back and extends the other foot forward. Then he bends down and picks up the violin, puts it under his chin, nods to the conductor and proceeds to play. The audience is used to this ritual. They sit quietly while he makes his way across the stage to his chair. They remain reverently silent while he undoes the clasps on his legs, until he is ready to play.
But this time, something went wrong. Just as he finished the first few bars, one of the strings on his violin broke. You could hear it snap – it went off like gunfire across the room. There was no mistaking what he had to do. The audience figured out that he would have to get up, put on the clasps again, pick up the crutches and limp his way off stage – to either find another violin or else find another string for this one. But he didn’t. Instead, he waited a moment, closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again.
The orchestra began, and he played from where he had left off. And he played with such passion and such power and such purity as they had never heard before. Of course, anyone knows that it is impossible to play a symphonic work with just three strings, but that night, Itzhak Perlman refused to know that.
You could see Itzhak Perlman modulating, changing, and re-composing the piece in his head. When he finished, there was an awesome silence in the room. And then people rose and cheered. There was an extraordinary outburst of applause from every corner of the auditorium.
He smiled, wiped the sweat from his brow, raised his bow to quiet the audience, and then he said –not boastfully, but in a quiet, pensive, reverent tone- “You know, sometimes it is the artiste’s task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.”
Perhaps that is the definition of life – not just for artistes but for all of us. Here is a man who has prepared all his life to make music on a violin of four strings, who, all of sudden, in the middle of a concert, finds himself with only three strings; so he makes music with three strings, and the music he made that night with just three strings was more beautiful, more sacred, more memorable, than any that he had ever made before, even when he had four strings.
My friend, what lessons have you learnt from the story I just told you? Chief, there is a great lesson from this story. To start with, from the story, it is actually clear that we can only make something good out of a bad situation only if we can have a positive and a can-do mindset. What someone would consider impossible will actually be another person’s opportunity to display expertise. In short, everything is possible only to the degree your mind can carry you. Exactly! I’m glad you’re sharp in catching up with the lessons of the story. Let’s see next week, same time, same station…
However, I need to congratulate you for being here today. We will be discussing an issue that has a lot to do with what you will eventually become in life. It’s going to be in series. Meanwhile, I will share with you today the part that is most important for self actualization, and then, in our next meeting, those related to your relationship with other people and this community will be clarified. I will be telling you a short story in driving my point home and will really be glad if you can be attentive as I proceed. Chief, I told you I’ve been here a couple of times just to hear those words of wisdom and I’m lucky you are around today, so why won’t I be attentive? You can proceed sir, omo re ngbo.
I want to start by saying that the human mind has tremendous power. The statement, “as a man thinks, so is he” will forever remain valid. This shows that we as humans have a stake in what our lives turned out to be. James Allen in his book, “The Making of A Man” says, “The mind is the master weaver, both of the inner garment of character and the outer garment of circumstance.” This shows that we can always trail the line of our conditions and behavior to the thoughts that govern our minds. The story I’m about telling you is as told by Jack Riemer and I hope you will learn from it.
On November 18, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, the violinist, came on stage to give a concert at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. Getting on stage was no small achievement for him. He was stricken with polio as a child, and he has braces on both legs and walks with the aid of two crutches. To see him walk across the stage one step at a time, painfully and slowly, is an awesome sight.
He walks painfully, yet majestically, until he reaches his chair. Then he sits down, slowly, puts his crutches on the floor, undoes the clasps on his legs, tucks one foot back and extends the other foot forward. Then he bends down and picks up the violin, puts it under his chin, nods to the conductor and proceeds to play. The audience is used to this ritual. They sit quietly while he makes his way across the stage to his chair. They remain reverently silent while he undoes the clasps on his legs, until he is ready to play.
But this time, something went wrong. Just as he finished the first few bars, one of the strings on his violin broke. You could hear it snap – it went off like gunfire across the room. There was no mistaking what he had to do. The audience figured out that he would have to get up, put on the clasps again, pick up the crutches and limp his way off stage – to either find another violin or else find another string for this one. But he didn’t. Instead, he waited a moment, closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again.
The orchestra began, and he played from where he had left off. And he played with such passion and such power and such purity as they had never heard before. Of course, anyone knows that it is impossible to play a symphonic work with just three strings, but that night, Itzhak Perlman refused to know that.
You could see Itzhak Perlman modulating, changing, and re-composing the piece in his head. When he finished, there was an awesome silence in the room. And then people rose and cheered. There was an extraordinary outburst of applause from every corner of the auditorium.
He smiled, wiped the sweat from his brow, raised his bow to quiet the audience, and then he said –not boastfully, but in a quiet, pensive, reverent tone- “You know, sometimes it is the artiste’s task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.”
Perhaps that is the definition of life – not just for artistes but for all of us. Here is a man who has prepared all his life to make music on a violin of four strings, who, all of sudden, in the middle of a concert, finds himself with only three strings; so he makes music with three strings, and the music he made that night with just three strings was more beautiful, more sacred, more memorable, than any that he had ever made before, even when he had four strings.
My friend, what lessons have you learnt from the story I just told you? Chief, there is a great lesson from this story. To start with, from the story, it is actually clear that we can only make something good out of a bad situation only if we can have a positive and a can-do mindset. What someone would consider impossible will actually be another person’s opportunity to display expertise. In short, everything is possible only to the degree your mind can carry you. Exactly! I’m glad you’re sharp in catching up with the lessons of the story. Let’s see next week, same time, same station…
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