Rulership

Where the ruler of a State is of the same consistency as the ruled, people will hardly have any respite from toil and misfortune. Human nature is never able to take control of all human affairs without being filled with arrogance and injustice. After all we don't put cattle in charge of cattle or goats in charge of goats but control them ourselves because we are a superior species. Even Christ who would come to rule without end as written in the holy book is not completely human, but has a God element.

The Snake & Frog

One day the Snake asked the Frog, "who is the fastest between us?" "If you know me, you'll know my character" said the Frog. So the snake challenged the Frog to a mini race. The Snake in a confident state asked the Frog to start while he catches up later. So the Frog started and after a while got to a bush path where a Farmer was resting under a tree. Somehow the Farmer noticed the frog and exclaimed in a native dialect-"awo anaghi agba oso ehihie n'efu. ma onweghi ihe o na-achu, o nwere ihe n'achu ya", meaning-the Frog does not run in the afternoon for nothing. If it is not chasing something then something is chasing it. The words were still in his mouth when the Snake appeared and before any eye could blink the Farmer killed the snake with his cutlass. At the sight of the Snake's lifeless body the Frog exclaimed, "but I told you, If you know me you'll know my character".

The moral of the story is simple: Never pick an opponent before his character.

ERRORS!

Because you lacked you embarked on a quest to never lack again. You climbed mountains, you made enemies, turned your back on many,imbibed new attitudes & character, made friends at the top, acquired properties, diversified investment and now live with abundance. And all of a sudden you came to a realization of the truth-you didn't need this much to survive, all you needed was little. You now try to preach it but no one is listening because they are on a quest to be like you. You shout and cry out and they conclude that you want only yourself to be at the top. If only they knew the truth. If only they could see from your perspective. Yes it's good to be at the top but there is really no problem with being at the bottom if you have been at the top. This knowledge is all that is needed. This knowledge is what those around you should crave for! You try to tell them that they mustn't experience being at the top to have it but they ask you how you came about yours. You point towards the two Os-observation & obedience. They tell you it's childish. They tell you that they are men and therefore thrive thru pain. You cry every night because no one listens. For now you know that it's better to obey than to experience. You remember your youth. And all who did what you were now doing. How you equally bluffed at them. You wished for this youth. But it is too late. Strength is leaving your bones! The youthful zeal is gone! And you realize another truth-that in your getting and pursuits understanding & wisdom was lacking. For it is only a fool who spends 80% of his life on a quest that he would have probably read in a book or observed someone else's life or listened to someone who had gone on the same quest to extract the truth. In other words stubbornness would only lead to long cuts masquerading as short cuts. Yes they might call you lazy but obedience is better than sacrifice. Yes prodigal sons are celebrated but even that memory fades with time. It is only a mad man who goes about looking for what he already has. Do not be deceived!

Before Marriage.

One of the most important thing to do before getting married is to know yourself. It is only when you know who you are that you can know what you have and penultimately what you need as you'll know what you don't have. It's similar to stock taking in accounting. It is carried out to know what is needed as the exercise reveals what is left or available. The problem with most marriages today is not that stocks are not taken before the consummation. The issue is that they are taken on base things like sex, money, skin color, tribe, religion etc. While these things are not unimportant they remain secondary & ephemeral. Let us take an example: If you marry someone based on the fact the sex is great or the money is available, what happens if tomorrow age reduces the sexual ability or unprecedented events whisk all the money away? But if stock is taken on virtues, the gain is real and more permanent. When an overly patient but scarcely courageous Man marries an impatient lady but overly courageous lady, then there is a Kris-kross gain for both parties. This is why one plus one equals one in marriage. Together they are of full value but separated neither can function optimally. Consequently, Marriage ought to bring about an increment on every side as someone who initially had one hand and acquires an extra hand is supposed to do more than before. This is the basis for marriage and should be in place before consummation.

The Deliberate nature of Success

Success in Life is deliberate. It is not about going with the tides, waves or wind. Rather it is going against these. For it is a struggle! Do not be unhappy when you struggle for it is supposed to be so. In child birth both Mother & child struggle. Even Fathers struggle emotionally too. There is no easy way out. There are no shortcuts for they don't pay off in the long run! Christ struggled in Gethsemane. Jacob struggled with an Angel. Samson with the Philistines. Moses with Pharaoh for the freedom of the Children of God. Noah with an Ark and the negativity of his opposers then. Even Christianity itself is a struggle. Paul, Peter, James, John, struggled. Even our Country Nigeria was borne out of a struggle. Therefore we shouldn't be struggle-averse for it is a genetic code. What is a sense of accomplishment without struggle? The Man who works hard not to struggle has created a mirage for himself. For there would never be a time we would not struggle. The earlier you accept this the faster your redemption from a Life of struggle. Treat struggle like a bullet. Even though it can kill you. It can also protect you! It is a Neutral Power!

Relationships

A Relationship is like Business. You need to identify the purpose before entering/commencing the transaction. For without purpose in every of our endeavors how can we be his children? Or were we not made in his image? For if he has thoughts towards us, does he not have a plan? But every choice, thought or decision has it's merits as well as demerits and a conclusion as to the wisdom in each can only be made at the end of the race and not while the run is on within the tracks. However there is one who knows the end from the beginning. And it is a privilege to have access to him. Because you don't have to run the race to make the conclusion or see the end. It buys you time and is the shortest cut to living happily ever after. Find this access and do whatever it takes to possess this privilege for it ensures you have the right purpose before entering any relationship or business deal. It is a sure ticket to success. It is a person! It is a He! He is God!

Balance

A balance situation is not only as depicted in the picture. There is equally balance in an unbalanced situation. An Imbalance is created when the initial State of something is altered. But a new state of balance is created after this alteration. And even though the state is altered again to the former, both a balance and imbalance state is created. Therefore a State of equilibrium is not necessarily a balanced one but merely a state of equality. Balance equally exists in a state of Inequality.

Economic Food for Thought

Ever wondered what happened to our smaller bills? Why are they so scarce? Because the rich don't engage in the conduct of small transactions? You might be tempted to conclude that aggregate demand for bills has tilted towards the higher bills. But on a second thought the implication would be that a greater percentage of the populace now belong to the upper echelon in society. And it equally suggests that the inhabitants of the matrix labelled poor has gotten smaller. Hmmmh....It's far too right, no wonder why it feels so wrong!

The Element of Competition & the Concept of Time.

Competition no doubt produces results but the specie of results is what should be of paramount concern to us. A State of perfect competition in Economics is described as a situation where the sellers & buyers of a given commodity are so many that no one single-handely can influence Price or Quantity bought and sold of such a product. But this situation is utopian as it is hardly obtainable in reality. Buyers or sellers would always converge to act in ways that promote their interest(s). In this situation market forces of demand and supply can never equilibrate the system. In other words a state of perfect competition can never be without a deliberate check and balance like Government intervention. But when Government fails out of corruption, the economy is left in the hands of capitalism that does nothing but promote the interests of a few minority who have a firm grip on the factors of production.

When human Beings are pitched against themselves for whatever reason, competition breeds. Be it in a cage, school or race track the aim remains one thing-to outshine others. This is not too good. Promulgating a decree or promoting a system just because it benefits you and probably a few is a selfish act that ignores the majority who out of their natural endowment do or might not fit into these schemes. The consequence is that a new yard stick of success and well being is introduced and everyone begins to acquire things and ways that would enable them fit into these schemes irrespective of their beliefs and natural endowments. In my opinion, competition is to a large extent for amusement and Entertainment. By making it the bedrock of our schooling system we failed woefully because we never gave it a careful thought. Today we talk about conspicuous consumption and it's devastating  negative effects which have placed many individual and household units in a vicious cycle of debts that only an exogenous injection of funds can halt. When savings is used to finance  conspicuous consumption then what is left for Investment? Conspicuous consumption is nothing more than emulating the consumption patterns of the developed nations without a commensurate income. We copy because we want to be like. And we want to be like because we believe we can be like. The root of conspicuous consumption is a sense of competition. Of course we all are running a race but for Heaven's sake not against ourselves? Remember we wrestle not against flesh and blood! In other words our enemies are not our opponents as we have been taught to think. Rather it is the principles that produce these belief systems of trying to be the best or be better than others. Competition can never be healthy! It is not about who comes first, second or third. Neither is it about who makes a first class or pass degree in the University. What we should promote is a culture of Diligence! In other words we should focus on finishing our race or completing our course and not finishing first or last. Combining this issue of competition with Time worsens everything. Time wouldn't be a problem to the diligent. There is always plenty of time to do whatever you want to do because time stands still, waiting for you to use it. The clock gives us this illusion that time moves. The only difference between 2p.m today and 2p.m tomorrow is what happened or took place within each. A Harvard Business review edition stated that the best way to be in competition is to be out of competition. In other words one should produce a UNIQUE set of products or service that is unrivaled in the market. The attention there is the word UNIQUE. To be unique is to look at what is inside and draw it out. As no two fingerprints are the same, no two human beings possess the same gifting and talents. This should be our focus as it is our strength! To draw out what is inside each by exposing each to different things as well as circumstances.

UNMERITED LOVE

I didn't want to do it. I knew I shouldn't. But your influence was so strong. I tried to hide my weakness but couldn't. I was enchanted and enslaved. Your portion was too strong for me! I was told not to. My instincts were bare. My fears confirmed it. But my decision making became a drag. It became too heavy for me. The elixir of your love and the future I painted on the canvas of my mind produced the strongest drug ever known. I was willing to die 4 you. I would risk anything for you. I risked my freedom for you. I abandoned people. I abandoned things. Just to cling to you and be assured of beholding of your beauty every morning.I Loved you when I couldn't explain it. I needed a companion. A pretty one at that. You were a treasure to me. From the first day I wanted to have you all to myself and I did get what I wanted as always and usual. The gates of hell couldn't stand in my way of having you. Even the Devil saw it and gave way at the fierceness of my determination. I was unstoppable. Where did that Energy surge come from? Even when you treated me wrong I still loved you in anticipation of a change. Though a Lion I became a Lamb. I would have paid the ultimate price then. For I was a super fool for your love and to some extent still is. But the portion is wearing out. Because I laid my love on the floor you trampled upon it. But now I would take it to the highest height. Now I know why Love should be labored for. My only conviction would be that you love me as I have loved you. Undeserving & unmerited and yet given. Love me as I have loved you!

THE LIGHT AND DARKNESS

There is a Light in the Darkness! The Darkness could not understand it. The Light thought towards the annihilation of the Darkness but held on as it was Light(Full of Understanding). For it discovered that it was for it's sake and that the darker it got, the more it shined.

There is a reason we are what we are. We are because something else is. Sometimes our destiny demands the destruction of that for which we are. But let us remember that this means our destruction as well. Yes, it is good to see but if we don't close our eyes at times we won't appreciate our sight. For this reason things co-exist. We fight once in a while but let us always understand that without each other we lose our identification and with our sense of direction and purpose.

My talent is a light in the Darkness. It is ignited by your negativity. So many times I thought a separation would do us good. But my patience and slowness to anger I now know is yet another Gift. For without it my reasoning would not have been engaged towards a co-existence. For your sake I am what I am. We might not agree all the time but nevertheless we are together. I am because you are! The Light is because the Darkness is. For this reason, the Lion will lay down with the Lamb. For this reason I lay with you amidst our misunderstanding.I am the Light and you are the darkness. I am your Light and you are my Darkness!