The things I wish to have
Never became mine
The things I desired
Were always unbearable
The unbearable
becomes desirable
The love I dream of
Was never always mine
The happiness I seek
Was never found
I searched for trust
I got betrayal as a trophy
I longed for happiness
I won sadness as a prize
All what I got
Are never the things
I wish to have.
My heart ache
My soul bleeds
When I miss the
things I never had
What do I to do
To get the things I
Never had?
Happiness is and will always be the most sought after, yet most elusive, of all human desires. Day in and day out, many search for happiness, but end the day empty-handed. It isn’t something we have to have permission for or that a factor or a person has to determine before we have it. It’s free!
It is that feeling that comes over you when you know life is good and you can’t help but smile. It’s the opposite of sorrow or sadness. Happiness is a sense of well-being, joy, or contentment. When people are successful, or safe, or lucky, they feel happy. It is a state of mind created within you I.e in the mind that gives you a sense of satisfaction, emotional well-being, and physical well-being. It is a state of relaxation and pleasure.
Happiness is free and a choice because, it does not necessarily mean that everything is perfect or that life is not good, sometimes, it is your choice to choose whether you want to be happy or remain sad and weighed down by the things that are going on in the society.
Two is that you have the power to love yourself and make things happen. Love who you are, love what you do, do what makes you happy, and eat what makes you healthy.
Soon, you will find yourself happier in situations and happy enough to make the right choices.
I have noticed that doing what makes you happy, is a sure way of staying happy. Never let anyone talk down on your happiness. Anyone who does that should never be your friend, safeguard your happiness by looking for people who love you as you are.
Staying away from those who talk down on your happiness is a way of letting them know that your life is what you make it and should never be controlled by what people say but rather what makes you happy and what you want it to be. I can remember fighting with my elder brother who loves to constantly make choices for me but forgets to consider how I feel and what I like.
It’s unfair to not have control over your life and over who you are. Take control of your life, do things that make you happy and healthy! Because happiness is free and it is a choice.
Many people are stuck in the past, simply because they can’t let go of it. They imprisoned themselves in their horrible past experience. They fail to see beyond where they stand. We don’t have control over the past there are just times in our lives when we have to realize our past is precisely what it is, and we cannot change it. But we can change the story we tell ourselves about it, and by doing that, we can change the future.
The future will be the product of the action that is taken now but remember that now becomes then just as tomorrow becomes yesterday, the future will also become the the present then eventually becomes the past.
The past is gone, the future is yet to come you only have now, start building a better future. We don’t really own time, the time we own is now. Let’s begin to invest in it.
It would have been great if we could time travel, we go back to the past to correct our mistakes, then go to the future to see what it looks like so we can know how to live the time we have now but that’s not possible in real life it only happens in movies.
Funny enough, some people go back living in the past instead of moving to the future because they fail to spend their time wisely. Let me give you an instance, you were broke yesterday and today you earned $300, if you can’t spend the money wisely you will be broke again tomorrow. The way you live now will determine what your future would look like.
How our mind construct the past, present and future depends on our relationship with time.
Sometimes we can’t be present to the possibilities of our future until we navigate a peaceful path through the aftermath of our past. If you want to fly to the sky, you need to leave the earth. If you want to move forward, you need to let go the past that drags you down and the time to let go is now.
Let me share you a story;
“Once upon a time, there was a young man who was passionate, dynamic, and hopeful. He had dreams. He was certain he would make them come true. He met a young woman. They fell in love. She was also passionate and hopeful. She also had dreams. She was also certain. They dove into life, pursuing their dreams, everything was focused on the future. They made the sacrifices they thought they had to make. They gave up on present pleasures to pursue future hopes. They kept believing, even when it was difficult. Somewhere along the way, things changed. Things didn’t turn out the way they were supposed to. The things that were sacrificed stayed gone, but the things they were sacrificed for never really materialised. The passionate, hopeful young couple became disappointed, worn-down, middle-aged. Where did it all go wrong, and what do they do now? How can we be faithful to the future without losing the present?”
From the story, despite the couple having strong hopes towards the future they never got the future the dream of having. Didn’t they have a good relationship with time?
For most people, if not all, they are always concerned about what the future holds which is further compounded by the fact that the present does not look like what they had envisioned in the past. As a result, some tend to give up when after few trials, their present situation refuses to conform to the future they saw.
Like somebody said, the difference between ‘here’ and ‘there’ is ‘T’ which symbolises Time. In the same vein, the difference between Now and Future is Time.
Time is the allowance given to you most importantly to invest the kind of values and virtues that will translate into the kind of future you desire for you now! While you may be there grumbling and complaining about your present challenges and tough times, why not turn them into raw materials by putting your time into good use, equipping yourself, learning valuable skills, picking up lessons from your mistakes, forgiving yourself, moving on, growing and rising.
Understand, you can either spend time or invest time, the choice is yours. When you spend time, you have no assurance or hope of having it back but when time is invested, it returns to you as value! What makes some persons more valuable that others is the amount of time they’ve invested in adding value to themselves! Every great man you admire and wish to be like today didn’t reach their greatness all in one day, one week, one month or even one year. They kept growing silently but surely, and it came to a point where their success could no longer be hidden, they became sought after. Meanwhile during the period of dryness, where no one knew them or paid attention to them, they were not deterred but kept building up themselves.
If those great men could do it, then you can do it also. Keep at it. Between now and the future you desire is time, use it wisely: your life depends on it.
Slave trade was abolished but that doesn’t make you a free man. Do you really think you are a free man? Or do you ever imagined you are still held as a slave? These are unanswered questions and you need to seek for their answers. This story will light your path to finding answers to the questions.
Many years ago, the whole of Africa nations were held as slaves. Some served as slaves in their motherlands while some served in the white men lands. Nigeria was one of those nations who lived as slaves for many decades all in the name of colonisation. Although, some parts in the country became victims as a result of the greediness of some traditional rulers and some as war victims.
It took many years before the slave trade ended and when it did, those who didn’t die were set free to go back to their countries. Some could trace their way back home while some couldn’t. Have you ever wondered why we have black people in America living as citizens? Like I said earlier, the Africans who lost their way back home occupied some parts in the European countries then they keep on increasing in numbers as a result of reproduction. They became the second largest racial group and third largest ethnic group in America. They are called Africa Americans also refferd to as BLACK AMERICANS OR AFRO AMERICANS. The so called black Americans are the descendants of the enslaved black people.
Like I said earlier, Nigeria was also among the enslaved nations but thanks to some good men who fought for our freedom. They started the nationalism movement and it became a success and that was how slave trade ended in Nigeria. It ended, but do you think it really ended? It’s the beginning of the end, the birth of a new era in slavery. The birth of the modern day slavery, “IT’S SLAVERY IN NEW APPAREL”
The modern day slavery is something we walked into on our own and our modern day slave masters took advantage of our ignorance unlike our forefathers who were forcibly put into slavery. They modern day slavery has penetrated into different nations in the world today but developed and developing nations.
Slavery continued to the present day after its abolishment many decades ago and the major factor that contributed to the growth of the modern day slavery is unemployment which resulted into poverty in some parts of the world today.
The modern day slavery is a by-product of poverty as a result of lack of education, the rule of law, anarchy and poor Societal structure which create an environment that fosters the acceptance and propagation of slavery.
In the ancient form of slavery, slave owners spent more on getting slaves. It was more difficult of them to be disposed of. The cost of keeping them healthy was considered a better invested than getting another slave to replace them. In modern slavery, people are easier to get at a lower price so replacing them when exploiters run into problem become easier.
The modern day slavery has taken various forms such as ;trafficking, sex slave, prison slavery, bounded, government labour etc. A common example of the modern day slavery can be seen between employers and employee, the workers work more but they are pay less, and when they complain they are fired and they will be replaced. The fear of becoming unemployed has rendered many no choice of voicing out, so to keep their job they have to keep quiet and keep on tolerating. Do you call this freedom when you still have the fear to speak up for yourself? There is no freedom anywhere, no independent. The truth is that, slavery has taken new forms. It’s slavery in new apparel.
We believe everyone, everywhere has the right to a life free from slavery. But right now, millions of children and adults are trapped in slavery in every single country in the world. Including yours.
Modern slavery is the severe exploitation of other people for personal or commercial gain. Modern slavery is all around us, but often just out of sight. People can become entrapped making our clothes, serving our food, picking our crops, working in factories, or working in houses as cooks, cleaners or nannies.
From the outside, it can look like a normal job. But people are being controlled – they can face violence or threats, be forced into inescapable debt, or have had their passport taken away and are being threatened with deportation. Many have fallen into this oppressive trap simply because they were trying to escape poverty or insecurity, improve their lives and support their families. Now, they can’t leave.
People end up trapped in modern slavery because they are vulnerable to being tricked, trapped and exploited, often as a result of poverty and exclusion. It is these external circumstances that push people into taking risky decisions in search of opportunities to provide for their families, or are simply pushed into jobs in exploitative conditions.
It happens severally that walking through a new environment, I suddenly lose my legs temporarily, I just wouldn’t know how exactly to walk especially when there is a cluster of unfamiliar faces probably just having fun or discussing a serious issue as it concerns them. It often seems as if all eyes are on me and no one could help me out of this difficult zone! I know I’m not alone on this and many have wondered if they can ever get themselves to be confident among people, especially strangers. Well, you don’t need to be shy anymore if you could just follow these simple steps to be shared below.
What exactly is shyness? I’m not going to bore you with too much talk but go straight to the point. To be shy is to be in an awkward, unpleasant, uncomfortable situation or among unfamiliar faces that one can’t behave normal. It has been reported that shyness is a sign of people with low self-esteem. It is also said that fear of what people may think or say caused by ego is also a major characteristic of shyness. How then can we improve our social relations and stop being shy?
1.) Act Confidently
One major rule when in public space is don’t behave like a coward. Don’t let people see you as an adult with baby’s feeder in your mouth. Be confident in your actions! Understand that no one can do things the way you do, you have the Midas touch.
2.) Get Involved
Be involved in what’s going on. Don’t just stand unconcerned. If someone needs help, offer to help. If an issue needs to be settled probably a quarrel between two individuals, offer your assistance in settling the quarrel. Engage!
3.) Discuss
The more you talk, the more you get better and confident at talking. No man brought it all from up there, it is developed and nurtured. What you don’t nurture, gets to die eventually. Start practicing the art of talking to people more. Talk to your family more, talk to your friends some more, then go further by learning to pick up a conversation with a stranger. Perhaps you are scared of what to say, you can start by asking questions. Don’t just stand there, looking, talk! If asking questions, please make it open ended, that way you give room for the person to express himself/herself more than just giving a yes or no answer and also it gives you time to think and come up with an appropriate point of discussion.
4.) Let go of Past Failures
Shy people tend to hide more because of past failures. Something they did and didn’t work out according to plan, especially when the expectation from people was already high and yet they failed to meet up. The feeling of disappointment, failure, rejection, and frustration pushes them to run inside and refuse to ever come out. Failure has never been the fault of any man, it is only an event that has to occur so as to show how better you could handle same thing and achieve the best result. Never hold on to your failures, everyone fails at some point, you won’t be the first, neither will you be the last. You are not a failure, cheer up and go out on a date, picnic or something, enjoy yourself, discover and explore the world!
5.) Appreciate Yourself at Every Opportunity
Little drops of water they say makes a mighty ocean. You may not have gotten there yet but each step is taking you closer to your goals. Therefore take time out to appreciate yourself. You are making progress, it may not be as fast but you are not on the same spot, be happy!
6.) Watch Others Relate with Confidence
Although there may be circumstances where imitation could be harmful but not in every case I believe. If you are finding it hard to confidently relate with people, then watch how others do it effortlessly and try imitate them. Watch their actions, their tone when speaking, their eyes, and all other stuffs that help them be confident in approaching others publicly. If they can do it, you can do it too.
7.) Dress Smart
It is often said that the way you are dressed is the way you will be addressed! Well, whatever issues you may have with that statement, the truth is there is a level of confidence that dressing smart gives. You can’t dress shabby and still expect to exude out the kind of confidence you need in public, not possible. Learn to dress smart!
8.) Believe in Yourself
No one can believe in you if as a matter of necessity you didn’t first believe in yourself. When you doubt yourself, your abilities, you make it hard for others to believe in you. Shyness like said earlier is one of the signs of low self-esteem. To overcome this,trust and believe in yourself more than anyone else. Don’t let the opinion of others be more important than your own opinion about yourself. Take you more seriously!
9.) Smile More
Going out with a hard face, as if your bread was taken from you obviously sends potential friends and helpers far away from you! There is no normal human being who has a resistance to smile! It is the most easy gift among men to give and yet the scarcely given gift. The gift of a smile could lighten up someone’s day and also your own day. Smile daily, smile every hour, smile every minute, smile every seconds. Just don’t stop smiling!
10.) Meet New People More Often
As difficult as that sounds to a shy person, it is a very effective means of improving your communication. The more you meet strangers/new people, the more you become less shy. Challenge yourself to meet at least a new person each day for the next 30 days and see how greatly you’ll have reduced your shyness.
Now, next time you are in the public, don’t feel awkward, the same way you relate with your family members is how you should relate with strangers. They are no different, they are all men. You can’t keep losing important appointments, business deals or contracts all because of shyness.
The current global economic issues occasioned by the ravaging Corona Virus Disease which started in late 2019 (COVID-19), have generated a lot of concern among the inhabitants of the world. Many economies are now feeble, porous, and in dire crisis. Specifically, the current economic recession in Nigeria has significant negative implications on the citizens of the country generally. The contributing factor to this is that the nation has a mono-product economy I.e the economy concentrates only on the production of crude oil.
Are there ways of surviving in this situation?
The following are, therefore, valuable strategies that can be adopted to deal decisively with the challenges:
1. Every Nigerian need to figure out what the future holds. They ought to work out a modality for achieving something substantial on the aspect of skill acquisition. They need to exploit areas of interest and skills to their advantage. Enough of being docile in the face of the present economic realities. Every Nigerian need to think through and come up with an action plan for the future to make headway.
2. Surviving in these harsh economic conditions calls for being inventive, creative, and innovative because this is one of the major ways to weather the storms of the economic situations facing Nigeria. The youth, especially, need to be strategic in their thinking, methodical in their reasoning, and logical in their decision-making process.
3. Another strategy is diligence.
This is necessary at this juncture. Work should be done with all sense of responsibility. Taking responsibility or self-provision is key on this note. No Nigerian should expect anybody to provide for them, apart from the major dependants. Nigerians should be economically intelligent enough to fend for themselves as they should be engaged in one venture or the other.
It is high time every Nigerian began to seek assistance in terms of information, counsel and direction on how to run their own business or trade from relevant individuals who have achieved success in that regard. Running private businesses is one of the key strategies in order to translate from scarcity to economic prosperity.
SUICIDE – The greatest piece of COWARDICE
Before I start let me ask these few questions.
Did you lost your job?
Did you failed your exam?
Are you depressed?
Did your business go bankrupt?
Are you suffering from broken heart?
Are you a victim of a broken home or marriage?
If you are suffering from any of these or others that I didn’t mention and you are already thinking of committing suicide because you see it as a solution to your problems then you’re wrong. Suicide doesn’t mean you are brave enough to take your own life but a piece of cowardice. You are nothing but a coward running away from his trouble instead of providing solutions to it.
Mahatma Gandhi said ” if I had no sense of humour, I would have long ago committed suicide”. This quote implies that that Gandhi also passed through some tough times but he never committed, he died an honorable death worth remembering. What’s your age that you are thinking that things can’t get back to being normal for you making you seeing suicide as an antidote to relief your pains.
Albert Camus said “there is one truly philosophical problem and that is suicide” and Cesare Pavese said ” no one ever lacks a good reason for suicide”. All the same suicide ain’t a good thing.
Alot of youths are Commiting suicide every day and no one cares to know what the true cause are.
Let me ask another questions
Have you ever heard of a street thug committing suicide?
Have you ever heard of a notorious criminal committing suicide?
The answer is NO, those with dreams, those with talents, those with brilliant ideas are the ones we hear committing suicide because they think their world has fallen apart because of a little challenge. We seems to be too brilliant, we have understood the meaning of suicide which makes us think it’s the best way to be free from all our worries.
Did you ever imagine the loss you are going to cause to the world after ending your own life not to mention the pain you caused your families and loved ones to suffer.
Suicide is the greatest piece of cowardice, why not be courageous to face your problems.
Let me a reference on the story of Colonel Sanders the founder of kentucky fried chicken (KFC).
When Colonel Sanders was five years old his father died, so his mother took a job peeling tomatoes in a canning factory and earned extra money by sewing at night. Sanders had to take care of his siblings, learning how to cook so he could feed them. He held his first job at the age of ten, working on a nearby farm. Because the family was so poor, Sanders left school after sixth grade so he could work full time. At age 17 he had already lost four jobs.
At age 18 he got married.
Between ages 18 and 22, he was a railroad conductor and failed.
He joined the army and washed out there.
He applied for law school he was rejected.
He became an insurance sales man and failed again.
At age 19 he became a father.
At age 20 his wife left him and took their baby daughter.
He became a cook and dishwasher in a small cafe.
He failed in an attempt to kidnap his own daughter, and eventually he convinced his wife to return home.
At age 65 he retired.
On the 1st day of retirement he received a cheque from the Government for $105.
He felt that the Government was saying that he couldn’t provide for himself.
He decided to commit suicide, it wasn’t worth living anymore; he had failed so much.
He sat under a tree writing his will, but instead, he wrote what he would have accomplished with his life. He realised there was much more that he hadn’t done. There was one thing he could do better than anyone he knew. And that was how to cook.
So he borrowed $87 against his cheque and bought and fried up some chicken using his recipe, and went door to door to sell them to his neighbours in Kentucky.
Remember at age 65 he was ready to commit suicide.
But at age 88 Colonel Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Empire was a billionaire.
Moral of the story: Attitude. It’s never too late to start all over. If Sanders could realise at age 65 that there are alot of things he could get done, what’s your excuse at your 20s,30s,40s to start thinking about committing. If Sanders had committed suicide we won’t have KFC to stay. Stop thinking about suicide but think about the loss you’re about to bring to the world.
MOST IMPORTANLY, IT’S ALL ABOUT YOUR ATTITUDE. NEVER GIVE UP NO MATTER HOW HARD IT GETS.
You have what it takes to be successful. Go for it and make a difference. No guts no glory. It’s never too old to dream.
Suicide is not a solution, don’t opt for it.
The Pen Creative World 