DEMYSTIFYING LIFE: “WHAT IS LIFE?!!!”

Many attempts have been made to determine the perfect definition for life. Some will say it is like a sea, stretching out beyond anyone and cannot be held on to, others will say it is like a market, we come to buy and to sell all that we have bought and then go away; some even claims it is war, you know, looking at the many things we go through in life like battles – survival, love, success, etc. These and many more definitions are being pushed forth as to what life is and life in its malleable self accommodates these definitions, but none of them is adequate to define life in an all-encompassing way. So, what is life then? Or is life going to be a topic we will never fully understand? But do you know life can stop being too much of a mystery to us? I mean we can demystify life. Let us then try out something and see how far we can go with it.

I think in our bid to understand life, we need to change our method of defining it. Let us stop looking at life as an entity on its own but as an engine set in motion by a person, people or a God. Do you know that what we call life today is not independent of the people living? In fact we have attempted to look at life as if it is a system operating independent of people and people are just thrown into it like a pack of lost aimless pawns. But NO! Humans make life what it is.

No matter the sector or section of life you are in, people determine what you see and experience and define as life. For example, if you are a young growing up person, you may see life as wonderful if SOMEONE or PEOPLE provide for you and you get all you need as and when due. An elderly man once said, “When I was young, I used to wonder why people trek and not go about in cars as I didn’t believe that there can be a family without one or two cars.” If you are a young man that had a hard time growing up because you did not have SOMEONE or PEOPLE or PARENTS who is rich and gives you everything on a platter of gold, you may see life as a battle. If you are a successful business man that PEOPLE patronize a lot, you may see life as beautiful. And if as a business person you have to do more to convince PEOPLE to patronize you, you may see life as a competition. So, what we call life is actually what we see and experience around us and that is determined mainly by the people we interact with as we live on. Even the uncertainty of life is mainly caused by the unexpected behavior of someone or people or a turn of events which is either caused by someone or some persons or related to someone or some persons. Knowing this? How do we then ply through life with ease?

Since life is a picture imprinted on our hearts based on how we view it, then we get to demystify it by just checking how we see it. You know all the positive confession things just explain this. Okay, here is it. Do you know that we see more from our mind and heart than from our eyes? Do you know that we hear more from our thoughts than from a loud speaker? That is why it is possible to be lonely while within a crowd and it also explains why we pick the aspect of a discussion that we pick. When some pastors are about to start their sermon they will pray that “Lord let it meet us AT THE POINT OF OUR NEEDS.” For example, if I am in debt, what will always catch my attention or be of maximum interest to me will be how to make money quick or how to get your debtors to forgive your debts. In fact this essay may not really interest someone who sees no reason to want to understand life. So we pick things based on what we have on our minds and that is determined by what we experience from people around us. An African adage even says, “It is the issue that bothers us the most that is the most frequent in our discussions.” So in essence, we see life in our minds and how we see life determines our response to it.

Our response here determines a lot in what we experience. Now, if someone hates you and you hate back, you cannot expect good. So if someone like that does you evil, do not say life is wicked. But if someone hates you and you choose to love the person, do you know that more often than not you will be getting positives from such a person? In fact you may sooner or later turn things around to your benefit. Do you know if you are a fire-for-fire kind of temperamental person you will more often than not turn good moments to a bad one for yourself? Do you know that when you are in the most difficult of situations, you will go through it easier and faster if you keep your mind positive and shun out as much as possible self pity? Do you also know that if you keep your mind positive while going for a job interview, you will approach it with more confidence and will more often than not get it? Do you know that if you are a business person and your colleague seems to be making more sales than you, with the right attitude you can up your own market and sales and even get that counterpart to be a partner? See, life is what we make of it and what we make of it is a consequence of what we keep in our minds. Then the big question will be WHAT OCCUPIES OUR MINDS? If you are always thinking of making it big through short-cuts you may sooner or later just be a fraudster or always not make it at all. If your mind is occupied by the right stuffs then you are 80% going to have a good life. Do you know that the unconscious director of our paths and life is our minds?

So guys, while life is a big topic to be defined in a simple sentence, it may just suffice us to know that the best definition for life can be given by no other person but you. While what we see of it is a factor of what we experience with other people, we hold a big stake in determining what we experience with those people. Our tool or should I say the engine room is our minds and hearts when they are wrong, we suffer; when they are right, we enjoy. 

TOMORROW WITH YOU (2)

I didn’t win all of yesterday’s battles

I did fail some of life’s exams

But their horde not enough to chicken me from tomorrow

‘Cos its going to be a tomorrow with You

I have learnt but I know its not enough

I will work yet I know it won’t do it all

But I know You will have my back

As I journey into unknown tomorrow with You

Storms will rage battles will wage

As I progress through tomorrow’s race

But who will fear while you are near

Who wouldn’t love to go through tomorrow with You

So no matter what shape the future takes

I will journey through tomorrow with You

(Written by ‘Dimeji Ogunoye; 12-02-13:2:26am)

TOMORROW WITH YOU

Standing in the middle here

Waving my thoughts back and forth

Remembering many a yesteryear

And thinking of the coming ones…

Yesterday I know now

‘Cos my life through it ploughed

But for tomorrow my heart fears foul

It’s a dawn whose colour I ‘ve not found

While with throbbing heart

My shaking limbs choiceless forward march

Feet gripping new earth

And forward a-surging into this new batch

I will not hope a new light nor fear renewed fights

Because it will be a tomorrow with You.

(Written by ‘Dimeji Ogunoye; 12-02-13:2:08am)

THE DYING HONOUR OF EDUCATION

When you look at the Nation, sometimes you want to ask yourself that "What did we do to deserve this?!" When one looks at the state of things in the country, you hardly see any area that can host your gaze if you are looking for 'good'. If you look at the political sector, the stench that will meet you will wrench meal from your stomach, if you look at the power sector, you just see that Nigerians are mostly on their own. We even have started getting used to looking for individual solutions to all our power problems. The only aspect we may not be able to pave way for ourselves is the fuel things we have not found the substitute for just yet. We look at the religious sector and we shake our heads at the various money extorting techniques of our preachers today. Some preachers who does not even have a clue as to what Christianity are all about leading our prayers and teaching ways to the heaven they don't even know. Economically we are only progressing on paper and not experientially. The sector we all look forward to as the solution to all these mess, educational sector even leaves a sore taste in the mouth. The educational sector needs to be saved or we can watch our Nation recede into an utter gloom that will beat our imagination.

Of course it is no longer any news that the standard of education in Nigeria is nothing to write home about as we continuously drop down the ladder of educational standard in the world. In fact recent news stated that Nigerian Doctors have been blacklisted in the UK and you want to wonder are we that bad? Taking into consideration that the larger part of lecturers and Chief academic administrators we have now went through the best period of higher education that Nigeria ever knew, you ask how much they are transferring this legacy down the line to the up and coming generation. Some of this administrators when lecturing you will tell you that schooling was more enjoyable in their times and that education has lost its value and when you wait for them to make decisions you only want to ask, "are you okay upstairs Sir/Ma?"

Students were a strong voice in those days. They could stage protests against national issues that does not go dowm well with the common man. In fact, students led the clamour for the independence of the Nation, Nigeria. Students were made as comfortable as possible and treated as human beings in those days. It was easy to want to read and be the best in your field. In those days, Nigerian graduates were respected on the international scene. Just hold ID cards of schools like University of Ibadan or Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and you are treated with astute respect anywhere you go to. Students who will progress to postgraduate studies were treated with utter respect and taken care of very well. You do not get to worry about cooking as you go to eat at the cafeteria free, you do not worry about tidying your room as cleaners will do that for you, in fact, certain parts of their laundry were taken care of by the school. Water and light were always available for living and study and the institutions made sure these two were not lacking in the halls of residence. Today though, these things are missing.

Today students has almost lost that voice. That voice calling that their rights should not be violated, that voice asking that things be done rightly, that voice seeking to set things right for the coming generation...all seem to be going down. Nowadays, lecturers can afford to maltreat students without any remorse as they see themselves as the judge and jury of everything. School authorities can afford to put off lights in hostels when study is going on just because they want to 'save cost'. School authorities can expel students without any fair hearing or clearly stating the students' offense and giving them a fair hearing. Today, a community can just pick student and lynch them in the name of 'anything'. Youth Corps members are now even scared to pay any unnecessary sacrifice for the good of all as that will just almost amount to nothing. Education is losing its respect. Now a wealthy man can pay some group online and earn a doctorate degree for nothing. So much is the degradation of this educational value that certificates from other nations stand more than the indigenous ones. Even leaders in the country dare not send their children to universities in their own locality or even country. You can hardly see a child of a top political office holder schooling within the country. Today, education in Nigeria is dying...

Due to the lack of respect for this sector and its produce nowadays, the young generation even feel there is no need to engage in too much study. lecturing is just another job opportunity like banking to many. We apply for lecturing jobs not because we love academics but because it pays... We proceed to postgraduate studies because we have not gotten employment not necessarily because we want to know more in our field to be able to teach, and it just gives an additional chance of securing employment. The reading culture is dying and most people read from compulsion rather than interest. In fact some even read only to cure boredom but they can sit with movies for endless hours. Yes! the young generation is losing focus in a measure but the older generation set it in motion and are ensuring that the younger generation lost interest in this sector. Do you know that students hardly get things they are entitled to nowadays without fighting for it from their school authority? And you want us to keep on being the best. Even the federal Government will only release money that will end largely in the pockets of the school administrators.

 

Who will save this sector? Who will save this nation?

SUPER EAGLES: UNITING THE NATION AGAIN!!!

Whenever we hear the slogan, "uplifting the people and uniting the nation," what comes straight to our minds is a television station but this time it is different. It is no news that Nigerians have not smiled in large numbers since the inception of the new administration.

One of the first things we were greeted with is the massive and gruesome killing of innocent Nigerians by aggrieved supporters of a particular political parties...we will always remember the demystification of NYSC during this period. This incident was followed by the start of continuous bombings up North and the seeming clueless approach of the President who at some point exclaimed: "Boko haram have infiltrated my administration." The bombings were so consistent that we got used to this part in our daily news that when the terrorist group goes on break we 'miss them'.

Secondly last year opened with the sore taste of price hike in petrol - the subsidy things. Where for the first time since I was born (though not so long.. lol) we saw Nigerians march nationally against oppression. The march and the days of collective strike...lol. Then our nemesis, boko H started again. We have seen the unnecessary introduction of the 5000 naira note rejected and these among other national topics that is laden with discontent. But for the first time, we are seeing that change...

For the first time since our dear president assumed office, Nigerians are smiling collectively and it is for no other reason but Football. Our dear footballing team left the country unheralded. Im not even sure they even believed that they could win anything. Many Nigerians were left disappointed following the sack of Samson Siasia the former coach of the Super Eagles and like they have been doing in recent times, they just cannot fly. We were watching to see how far they will go in the on-going AFCON. And we were not disappointed as there was no spark to their game in the first three matches and when they drew Ivory Coast in the quater finals, many believed that was their last match of the tournament. Emmanuel Eboue did not help matters with his less-than-sensible twitter rants. Then...Gbam! Sunday came with a surprise.

Super Eagles of Nigeria flew over, plucked the eyes, broke the trunks and caged totally the Elephants of Ivory Coast. Nigeria completely appeared rejuvenated and revived and the Eagle that seem to have been on a retreat soared high and strong. Nigeria defeated Ivory Coast, the most star-studded team of the tournament. And for the first time in along while I saw Nigerians congratulating each other. If you were not aware you 'd think that the Nation just won the tournament. But they have only progressed to the semis. The joy was so widespread that for the first time in a long while people who never knew each other started hugging and congratulating each other and praying that by chance the Nation wins the tournament cup. Sunday was the beginning of a happy and hopeful week for the Nigerians who seem rather accustomed to disappointments and bad news from a their National representatives. And today, Wednesday again, amid the protest of OAU Postgraduate students who were callously denied light for no just reason in their halls of residence, Super Eagles did it again.

The day started with a show of discontent from the residents of Postgraduate Hall of Residence in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife, who were denied light for three days running for no reason but everyone would not want to miss the semi-final clash between Nigeria and Mali. Its been a long while since the Nation got to this point, in fact they could not qualify for the last edition of the AFCON tournament. But today, the Eagles completely obliterated their opponents, trashing Mali by 4 goals to 1. And again, everyone was happy...or is happy.

Looking at this situation and the raised hope of the common Nigerian about the possibility of the Nation winning the Nations Cup, you don't want to lose the spectacle of people standing in groups and chatting with smile and happiness written all over their faces. And for the first time in a long while, the common Nigerians are happy. I grew up under this kind of atmosphere where there was joy and optimism when we want to talk about politics and the Nation...and especially sports. And gradually, are we returning to that time again?

Nigeria is through to the finals and for the first time since I was born , My Mom called me to express joy that Nigeria is through to the finals and to also hope that they win the cup for the country. It remains to be seen if this joy will be capped with the cup or not, but one thing is certain, Super Eagles are presently "upllifting the people and uniting the Nation" again amid our social political imbalance.

 So hoping that Sunday will bring another day of joy, I want to say, Go Eagles!!!

GOOD...BETTER...BEST!!!

I think we should not just get complacent in the area of our individual development. Knowing our weaknesses should help us understand our personality and inject us with the desire to get better by improving on those weak areas. This way, we can boast of living. There actually is no essence for living if we are not getting better. Getting better here is about some behavioural tendencies we have detected about ourselves that are not so good. Sometimes we are quick to accept those faults as our peculiarity whereas they are issues we can overcome by simple discipline and determination. 

As we desire to make it in life - get a good job, get rich, have a happy marriage, and enjoy ourselves - we should also know that one of the things that will make the journey more tedious for us is our individual errors. Of course life is not an easy endeavour, but we should also try not to elongate our journey to the promised land by ourselves.

So when we read books on temperament, on understanding the self, on how to know your weaknesses, etc we should always have it in mind that we are looking for solutions to some of our inconsistencies and not an excuse for our faults.

Of course we are not perfect, but we can be better than we are at the moment. It does not mean we are that bad though, but why stop when there is a better...? So, (singing) good better best, I shall never rest, Till my good is better and better best....