THE LAW OF SOWING AND REAPING.

One of the compensations of life is that we can partake in the molding of our future. Day by day, season by season, we are given the opportunity to invest in our future. Alas, few key-in to this provision which explains why majority feed from hand to mouth.

That we reap what we sow is an undeniable, universal law put in place by Mother Nature to reward the diligent or curse the indolent as the case may be. Nature is even so kind that, more often than naught, the output is often in geometric progression to the seed sown. Isn’t life beautiful?

However, the law doesn’t work in vacuum; there can’t be an increase if no seed is sown. It doesn’t matter how little you can sow at any given time, what matters is that you sow. I’m yet to come across a man that doesn’t want to be comfortable, but not all men will succeed in the quest for comfort because only few can make the required sacrifice(s). Millionaires worthy of the name understand and employ the law of sowing and reaping to their advantage which explains why they succeed where others fail. Even if you inherit wealth, without constant sowing, the wealth will diminish. This law also applies to our dealings with our fellow men - no deed goes unrewarded as our actions attract the corresponding reward(s). Thus, it’s advisable that you refrain from sowing into other people’s lives anything you cannot pray to reap because you will inevitably reap whatever you sow.

Care must however be taken so as not to sow in vain. You should plant right because a seed yields its kind (You cannot plant cassava and expect to harvest legume; it contradicts the law of sowing and reaping). Also, there’s time apportioned for sowing and reaping respectively (Sowing during the wrong season could be tantamount to not sowing at all). Be informed, watch what you sow.

The little details we often overlook matters. Can you distinguish between an asset and a liability? How much of your earnings do you set aside as savings? Do you invest? Don’t be deceived, there is no exception to the law of sowing and reaping - if you sow bountifully, you will reap bountifully. And if you sow sparingly, you will reap sparingly.

Beloved, some things can wait! Deny yourself of some luxuries now so that you can secure a glorious future. The future is now, make hay while the sun shines.

THE IRONY OF LIFE.

Sometimes I question existence. I ask myself…. Why does the world exist? Why were some born into the world blind? Why will anyone be plagued with leprosy? Why do some have to be crowned kings right from their mother’s womb when some will lack till the end of their days? Why is the world flooded with pestilence? Why do we have a sizeable portion of the world’s population living below poverty level when the world is lavish in nature? Why were some born into aristocratic families while some were born by paupers? Why can’t we choose our parents? Why can’t we be given the chance to at least choose the country into which we are born? Why must our sexes be forced on us? What’s the reason for existence when Man’s sojourn on earth is but temporary? Why do we have to toil to achieve only to leave everything behind?

If I have to be pessimistic, I’ll say that life stinks. But then I remind myself that as unfair as life can be, the world cannot still be said to be a fluke; the Architect of the Universe programmed everything to work for our good. Imagine how rowdy the world would have been but for death which keeps our population in check (Believe me, life would have lost its meaning if there are no exits and entries into the world.) Won’t nature be cruel if we have carnivores but no flesh for them to eat? (It’s bad news for antelopes and other helpless games in the forest, but it’s good news for a carnivore like the lion.) The rainy season can be inconvenient at times, but won’t the world starve without it?

Events will always occur. There are some laws that govern our Universe and there’s nothing anyone can do about them, they are as constant as the Northern Star. No one can stop the sun from shinning nor stop the moon from doing what it was programmed to do by the Creator. Instead of whining, you should align yourself with the precepts that control the Universe and harness its forces to your advantage. Even Aristotle commented that “the ideal person bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances.”

We might not be able to do anything about the length of our lives, but we sure can do something about how we live it. Though dead, history remembers some today because they triumphed in the art of living despite all odds. People like Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Obafemi Awolowo, Martin Luther King Jr., Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt, Mother Theresa to mention a few have long decomposed, yet they live because we still celebrate them and history will always reckon with them. No wonder why Henry Longfellow summarized that:

“Lives of great men all remind us;
That we can make our lives sublime;
And departing leaves behinds us;
Footprints on the sand of time.”

Life is full of battles and you can either be a victor or a victim. If you’re dogged, irrespective of your circumstance(s), you can live a meaningful life. If you fight the good fight, you won’t die unimportant, but great. Though death is sure, you can still cheat it by leaving your footprints on the sand of time.

Have you ever pondered on what will be written on your epitaph when you die? Will posterity curse you or extol you? Think again. Face it, nature won’t compromise its laws for your sake, you have to defy circumstances if you must live a meaningful life. Therefore, I charge you to redefine your goals and strategies so that you can take your place amongst the world’s greatest achievers.

Immortality is yours, take it!

RULE YOUR EMOTIONS.

No man is an island; man cannot do without socializing. In the course of socializing, events occur. It is man’s nature to react to events by acting, thus circumstances will always crop up that will warrant man to deal with his emotions. How many times have you said something that you wished you had not said? How many times have you acted on impulse that you wished you had not? What is emotion? Can it affect productivity? Can it ruin? Everybody ought to know!

According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, “emotion is a strong feeling such as love, fear, or anger: the part of a person’s character that consists of feelings”. Since blood runs in our veins, everyone has the propensity to be emotional; no one is exempted. More often than naught, we allow our emotions to rule us thereby acting irrationally. Our irrational action(s) in turn gives us bitter product(s). Shall we then give in to emotions at our expense? Shall we consciously fall into an abysmal pit with our eyes open?

Emotions can put you in trouble. It can even ruin you, but for control. Without exaggerating, the ability to control emotions will separate the strong from the weak, the winners from the losers. According to Bruce Lee, “Emotion can be the enemy; if you give in to your emotion, you lose yourself. You must be at one with your emotion, because the body always follows the mind.”

There’s nothing cool in you loosing control over any issue. Vehemently resist the urge whenever nature calls, don’t let emotions cloud your reasoning so much that it’ll affect your decision(s) and action(s) thereby sealing your destiny. Tackle nature, rule your emotions!

CHANGE OR WASTE.

The cosmos is so complex that even our disposition can affect our destiny. Everybody’s looking for something. Alas, not everyone will get the desired. Unlike in Physics, like terms attract in the real world. Life compensates us in accordance to what we attract; what we deserve. Some will succeed with ease, while failure will inevitably be the portion of some. You may ask...why the inequality? Why not! Action and reaction, they say, are equal and opposite! Have you ever seen anyone reap banana when he planted maize? Impossible; it contradicts the law of sowing and reaping! You can’t simply be threading on the wrong path and then expect that grace will abound. There are principles that work, and there are some that doesn’t. To attract the desired, you must be in tune with the desirable.

According to John C. Maxwell, “You cannot have growth without change.” If you want a different result from life, change is inevitable. Be truthful to yourself; critically examine yourself, and sincerely make the necessary amendments required. Whoever you are, wherever you live, whatever the situation may be, I have hope for you…

To the frustrated spinster who needs a fiancé, look no further: You don’t need to do some cosmetic surgery or wear the most expensive jewelry before you attract the right spouse, all you need to do is to be the right person. Face it, a potential king is looking out for a potential queen and not some liability! Change your attitude; your approach to life. Drop habits that are not in your interests. Develop yourself to the full and see if great blokes won’t come seeking for your hand in marriage. You bet!

To the frustrated job seeker, have you ever considered what employers are looking for? What kind of job do you want? Do you have the right mindset for the desired job? Have you got the required skills and temperament? What can a potential employer assume from conversing with you in just ten (10) minutes? All these demand reckoning.

To the success-starved, have you ever considered changing course? A change of career could be all you need and not some deliverance! Are you sure you’re gifted for the vocation you’re in? Look within and identify your talents and then express them.

To the down-trodden…is it that you’re due for promotion but you’re always skipped? Have you ever asked yourself why others get promoted? Do you have the requisite skills and charisma for the coveted position? Or is it that you don’t get to win the juicy contracts? Think, there must be something you’re getting wrong. Study the trend and change your methodology accordingly.

The need for change traverses through every situation; there are no exceptions. Why drown when you can swim? Why waste when you can succeed? Wake up from your slumber; make a u-turn for the good. Don’t retard your growth, right the wrongs. Partner with destiny by contributing your quota.

Think success? Think change.