SEEING DIFFERENTLY

In the previous week, the news of 'mysterious'  water gushing out from a tree in Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) filled the internet. The most amazing thing about the whole event is not the almost impossible source of water(a tree), but in the disposition of most persons who witnessed it.

Now, here's what happened.

At about 10am on Thursday, a tree in the school premises suddenly began to let water out from its sides. As expected, everyone was surprised. "what could this be?" people asked themselves, expecting no direct answers though. In a very short while, the scene was filled up with observers that it was difficult for many others to see what was really happening.

The crux of the matter: many people started fetching the water in volumes as they believed it is magical, some attached importance to the tree and concluded that the spirits that live in the tree are out on display of powers. Others began to bring so much religion into it. Funny.

I am not trying to disregard our religion and faith in the Almighty one who made the universe (as a matter of fact, I have experienced His realistic being...). But our 'thought-system' will really need to change for the better if the we are actually heading somewhere close to the future we desire for ourselves. In this age of information and discoveries, the world isn't waiting for a university undergraduate who will conclude without deep reasoning that anything that deviates from the normal is always supernatural or unexplainable.
If we must get ahead as a nation, we think ahead of our past generations. Comparing Nigeria with developed countries in the world, and then blaming our leaders would make no sense if we don't think differently. It's high time we started thinking logically, analytically and started devising solutions to our problems ourselves. And, I think I should let you know now that 98percent of the strange things we see around us are not caused by 'the old woman in the village'. The era of finding some persons to always blame should be done with. If that was how those who invented the telephone were thinking, they would praise one god of communication somewhere. ( I know some people still believe that the phone was made by 'Oyinbo witchcraft'...lol. Please wake up and make sure you dont tell that to your kids now or later)

For your information, at about 3pm that same day, the 'holy water' from the 'tree of life' stopped flowing. And that was about the same time the persons on duty at the school's water services switched off the water pumping machine. That was when it was discovered that one of the water pipes around the tree had bursted, and the source of the 'mysterious' water became obvious.

When they say, "the Youth are the leaders of tomorrow", many young persons are 'gingered' to aspire for political offices and to quickly have their demands met. Whereas, the reasonable explanation of that statement is this: what the older ones have not known yet, the youth will discover and better their nation's economy, education and health sectors with it in their time. It is with this knowledge that those who will lead will lead. In 20 years' time, there will be a new set of leaders doing greater exploits than 'Fela Durotoye, Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga, Asa, Dora Akunyili, Kenny Ogungbe and stars who would be world leaders in entertainment, fashion etc. I want to encourage you to be a part of it and not like some persons always cricizing and blaming the government, the gods etc ( some even blame other countries).

We all won't be politicians, but we can choose to so excel in our career paths and consciously build the Nigeria we want. Let us all begin to look inward and see the possibilities and not mysteries.

God bless.



Mayowa Williams.

COSTLY ASSUMPTIONS (1)

A very happy new year to you! I hope it isn't too late to say that anyway.

I want to assume you are reading this because you feel it may add to your wealth of knowledge and turn helpful in sharpening the quality of man/woman you're becoming. If that's it, good. My assumption costs me virtually nothing. Assumptions aren't always costless though.

I've come to realize that many people, when they have their destinies in their hands and all the cards up to them, they make costly assumptions where they're supposed to take critical decisions followed by calculated actions. More often than not, what we commit to chance takes us aback with unexpected results. I'll take a few of the costliest of assumptions one can ever make.


1. ASSUMPTION OF PURPOSE.

Purpose. It is so much a broad topic to write about, but simply explained, purpose is that which we are where we are to do.

Many a time, as young people, we are tempted to start our aspiration statements with the phrase "I want to be... a doctor, an accountant, a teacher(most rare though.. smiles*), a lawyer, an economist, a pastor etc. Whereas the question that purpose seeks to answer is...'What are you here to do' and not to be alone. So to talk to yourself as a man/woman of purpose is to say "I want to liberate my nation from light out problems, so I will take up a course that will help me be an expert at hydroelectric power engineering".
There's also another temptation to think that what you always want to be is your purpose for life. Or that the path you are walking or the course you are studying in school as a product of chance will lead to what you are destined to do. It certainly may have to do with it, and as a matter of fact, may be a pointer to purpose but it is not the purpose in itself.

Purpose is too big and important a thing to be based on an assumption. To assume is like to be sent on an errand to buy a toothpaste and then you walk all around town, come back sweating profusely  with a pack of toothpick in hand. No matter how much the items are related and how much all the sweat amount to, It is a failed mission.

In conclusion, Purpose is not meant to be coined, it is meant to be discovered. We all have a mandate to fulfil before we were born; it could be to liberate the world from malaria infection completely by your medical researches and not just to be a usual doctor. It could be to bring sanity into the world's economy and not just be another regular economist who will only criticize. It could be to save a million kids that think they aren't just smart enough to amount to anything in life, and not just be another teacher always scolding students.

The summary is this: Make Your Life Count! Better the world by your existence. You have been programmed to do so. Not doing so is a minus to the world. So, go ahead and discover your purpose and fulfil it. I know you want to, and I pray you will.

For step by step ways to discover purpose, you can get resourceful books on the subject by renowned authors e.g Rick Warren, Myles Munroe, David Oyedepo and others.
Never assume. You need to be sure so you don't buy toothpick instead of toothpaste.

Have a Fulfilled week.






         ~ Mayowa Ola Williams