As sin came into the world through one man, redemption came through one man;
Damnation was ignited in a garden, salvation was established in another garden;
Offence precipitated in the plucking of fruit from a tree, it was cured by the nailing of a seed to a tree;
Man's decision, made on his feet in disobedience, brought mankind to its knees in destruction,
Christ's decision, made on His knees in obedience, brings mankind to its feet in redemption.
Your turn, ...what other correlations can you make?
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
My Plummet, My Walls...
This plummet hangs steady, as I stand my ground;
My barricades hold sure, inspite of persuasions around;
The phenom of isolation, the spectre of desolation;
And I see you walk by, with seeming indignation;
But I smile in contempt, standing atop these walls I built;
Walls of pride, Walls of prejudice;
Walls to keep you out, ...walls that keep me in;
I smile, for in my hand I hold this plummet;
Measuring these Walls, checking that they stand straight and tall, high and true;
I smile because this plummet hangs sure, down these Walls demure;
And I look out across at you, standing on the outside, looking up at me;
Is that pain I see on your face? Concern? Worry? Distaste?
I know not, but do I care what? I have a life to live;
And in self righteous contemplation, I give myself to it.
I stand alone, survey the land I may never own, never walk, never feel;
From within my barricade of Walls standing straight, standing true, I know I need not you.
As I indulge myself in this ritual, checking my plummet, testing my Walls, I know my safety is assured.
And though you call me prisoner within my magnificent barricades, I nonetheless find my pleasure and contentment in this surety: I may never breathe the sweet air you breathe, never enjoy the freshness of the fields you walk, never savour the sweet freedom and fullness of life you live;
But you'll never know the security of these barricades I've built for myself; you'll never know the magnificence of these Walls standing tall, standing sure;
And as I hold in my hand this plummet, checking yet again the perfection of my Walls, I smile at you on the outside;
For my plummet hangs sure, my Walls stand straight and tall;
And these barricades I built for myself hold me in, keeping you out.
My barricades hold sure, inspite of persuasions around;
The phenom of isolation, the spectre of desolation;
And I see you walk by, with seeming indignation;
But I smile in contempt, standing atop these walls I built;
Walls of pride, Walls of prejudice;
Walls to keep you out, ...walls that keep me in;
I smile, for in my hand I hold this plummet;
Measuring these Walls, checking that they stand straight and tall, high and true;
I smile because this plummet hangs sure, down these Walls demure;
And I look out across at you, standing on the outside, looking up at me;
Is that pain I see on your face? Concern? Worry? Distaste?
I know not, but do I care what? I have a life to live;
And in self righteous contemplation, I give myself to it.
I stand alone, survey the land I may never own, never walk, never feel;
From within my barricade of Walls standing straight, standing true, I know I need not you.
As I indulge myself in this ritual, checking my plummet, testing my Walls, I know my safety is assured.
And though you call me prisoner within my magnificent barricades, I nonetheless find my pleasure and contentment in this surety: I may never breathe the sweet air you breathe, never enjoy the freshness of the fields you walk, never savour the sweet freedom and fullness of life you live;
But you'll never know the security of these barricades I've built for myself; you'll never know the magnificence of these Walls standing tall, standing sure;
And as I hold in my hand this plummet, checking yet again the perfection of my Walls, I smile at you on the outside;
For my plummet hangs sure, my Walls stand straight and tall;
And these barricades I built for myself hold me in, keeping you out.
Monday, November 29, 2010
She'd never say
How many tears her precious heart cried;
You wouldn't know;
...she wouldn't say.
On a rhinestone patio where love should blossom, where flowers should bloom, where birds should sing. There instead lies a love, wounded, struck down, dying. There lies a heart, broken and torn.
Where the summer sun should shine, now gather the foreboding clouds of autumn, stealing what joy remains. Now come the little sprinkles, makes you wonder how often they've fallen that way.
Ask how many times before?
You'd couldn't know;
...she couldn't say.
One thing is sure, these dreary sprinkles do not come from clouds above, but rather from eyes that shed them sore as they mourn her broken love. Eyes that see only this misery, ears that hear only her broken heart cries, a heart in jaded contemplation, of love as just a lie.
Jaded still is her trepidation that happiness is not meant to be, her misconstrued consternation that her lonely heart feels free. So the heart is dulled, and the walls erected, round about a shelter from further misery.
Does she mourn former love? Does she wish it back? How I wish I knew for sure. Even now, seek the answer, but as before:
You'll never know;
...she'll never say.
You wouldn't know;
...she wouldn't say.
On a rhinestone patio where love should blossom, where flowers should bloom, where birds should sing. There instead lies a love, wounded, struck down, dying. There lies a heart, broken and torn.
Where the summer sun should shine, now gather the foreboding clouds of autumn, stealing what joy remains. Now come the little sprinkles, makes you wonder how often they've fallen that way.
Ask how many times before?
You'd couldn't know;
...she couldn't say.
One thing is sure, these dreary sprinkles do not come from clouds above, but rather from eyes that shed them sore as they mourn her broken love. Eyes that see only this misery, ears that hear only her broken heart cries, a heart in jaded contemplation, of love as just a lie.
Jaded still is her trepidation that happiness is not meant to be, her misconstrued consternation that her lonely heart feels free. So the heart is dulled, and the walls erected, round about a shelter from further misery.
Does she mourn former love? Does she wish it back? How I wish I knew for sure. Even now, seek the answer, but as before:
You'll never know;
...she'll never say.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
I See Dead People
Dreams. These are things we look forward to in the future. Things we hope for. They serve as the picture of where we hope to be in the future, what we hope to achieve. Our destinations along the path of life. And if dreams are our destinations along this path, then faith is what drives our desire to walk this path, staying steadfast along the way till we reach our dreams.
Now faith is about belief, belief on two main fronts. First of course is our faith in God and His ability to provide sufficient grace and direction to see us through to our destinations. Second is our faith in ourselves. Faith, not just in our ability to reach our intended goals but in our responsibility to walk that path and achieve those dreams. See, it’s not just about how much we want it or if we’re able to achieve it, or if God is on our side. You need to want it enough to pursue it whole heartedly in order to realize your aspirations. But that’s going a little too deep too soon.
Those that belong to the other class (those with the drive and faith but no tangible dream or aspiration to direct it at) are an equally ubiquitous group. They’ll usually be the ones that display high levels of resourcefulness, willing to take on any task they’re given regardless of the rationality, reasonability or reward it earns them. They aren’t necessarily enthusiastic about or even contented with what they do but they keep doing it, at least until fate or chance smiles on them with an opportunity to change their situation (say a better paying job, a relocation, pay rise, …even a jackpot!) they don’t necessarily improve their situations, they just change them, and that’s usually okay for such people. If you’ve ever asked them why they choose to stay in such ruts, why they don’t make a deliberate attempt to get out and better their lots, you’ll probably get answers like: ‘this is better than nothing’, ‘I’m happy here like this’, ‘I’m taking my time, waiting for the right opportunity’, ‘I haven’t found a better place yet, when I do , I’ll make the change’, and so on. It all boils down to the same reason: they have the will to change, the drive to make a difference, but they really don’t have a clear cut direction or goal on which to direct that drive, there’s no definite, well thought out dream or plan on which to base that desire for change. And so, with no clear cut destination in mind, they settle (however restlessly) in whatever haven they find themselves locked in. You’ll most often find them ensconced in society’s expectations and definitions of success and fulfillment, choosing to plough their energy and resources into other people’s borrowed dreams. Those that find themselves in corporate settings usually draw their motivation from and fulfillment from the promise of the future attainment of the pinnacle of some corporate ladder.
-K-Black
Now faith is about belief, belief on two main fronts. First of course is our faith in God and His ability to provide sufficient grace and direction to see us through to our destinations. Second is our faith in ourselves. Faith, not just in our ability to reach our intended goals but in our responsibility to walk that path and achieve those dreams. See, it’s not just about how much we want it or if we’re able to achieve it, or if God is on our side. You need to want it enough to pursue it whole heartedly in order to realize your aspirations. But that’s going a little too deep too soon.
Let’s double back a bit to the topic of dreams and the faith needed to reach them. You’ll agree that they’re integral to a life of fulfillment, dreams being definite benchmarks on the road to destiny and faith giving substance to the hope that we will achieve those dreams and that destiny that fulfills us. They give meaning to our lives, giving us reasons to keep moving on, progressing, and making advances in our various spheres of existence. But what happens when one of these is missing? Say, a person has dreams of a better future but lacks the faith or will to power him or herself to their achievement? Or say, one has the faith and drive but no dream to focus these energies on or even give direction to? We find both of these categories of people everywhere, in every sphere of life. We meet them at work, sit beside them in church, we might even be living with some of them at home. Yes, there may even be one of them looking back at you from the other side of the mirror! So how do you characterize these people?
It’s quite simple.
Those that belong to the first class (those that have dreams but no faith or drive to achieve them) will usually have enough reasons not to step out and dare to follow their dreams. You’ll find them easily swayed by the opinions of others about taking chances and stepping out of the mould. They won’t often voice out their own aspirations, rather choosing to laud, analyze or criticize the exploits of others. When they do speak of their own personal aspirations you can be sure they’ll put in a good deal of defense of their non-pursuance of the said dreams alongside. All in all, this class eventually blend in with the circus of normal life (I call it a half-life), hiding behind the arguments of incongruous timing, irrationality of their ambitions of the need to take things a step at a time (a clever way of indefinitely putting off the first step).
Those that belong to the other class (those with the drive and faith but no tangible dream or aspiration to direct it at) are an equally ubiquitous group. They’ll usually be the ones that display high levels of resourcefulness, willing to take on any task they’re given regardless of the rationality, reasonability or reward it earns them. They aren’t necessarily enthusiastic about or even contented with what they do but they keep doing it, at least until fate or chance smiles on them with an opportunity to change their situation (say a better paying job, a relocation, pay rise, …even a jackpot!) they don’t necessarily improve their situations, they just change them, and that’s usually okay for such people. If you’ve ever asked them why they choose to stay in such ruts, why they don’t make a deliberate attempt to get out and better their lots, you’ll probably get answers like: ‘this is better than nothing’, ‘I’m happy here like this’, ‘I’m taking my time, waiting for the right opportunity’, ‘I haven’t found a better place yet, when I do , I’ll make the change’, and so on. It all boils down to the same reason: they have the will to change, the drive to make a difference, but they really don’t have a clear cut direction or goal on which to direct that drive, there’s no definite, well thought out dream or plan on which to base that desire for change. And so, with no clear cut destination in mind, they settle (however restlessly) in whatever haven they find themselves locked in. You’ll most often find them ensconced in society’s expectations and definitions of success and fulfillment, choosing to plough their energy and resources into other people’s borrowed dreams. Those that find themselves in corporate settings usually draw their motivation from and fulfillment from the promise of the future attainment of the pinnacle of some corporate ladder.
What a way to go eh?
So, ...which are you?
-K-Black
Friday, November 26, 2010
The Lady, Her Friends and Her Heroes...
It was bad, really bad. And it’d been going on for a while now, building up since lunch time. Actually it'd been coming and going for some days now. This particular day had been really crazy, everyone bustling around, trying to get their papers ready and reports done for the weekly in-house meeting. And it was all Joy could do to keep a steady countenance even as she joined in the fray. It had actually turned out to be quite a successful day for her. She’d finally tied up the deal with the clients on Broad Street, a feat her fellow marketing colleagues could hardly hide their respect –and envy- about. And here she was finally tying up the paper work in the office amidst the chaotic crush of other colleagues trying to get their own issues attended to ‘first’. It seemed like the day would never come to an end. But eventually it did. She’d gotten her reports typed and filed for presentation on the next day and had left the office at a reasonable hour.
But it was bad, really bad. The headache that is. And it had been building up. On her way from the office, she stopped briefly to buy a sachet of paracetamol at a road side chemist, popped a couple of pills in and zoomed off again. Minutes later, the dull thumping abated and she was able to put her mind to other tasks, cruising through light traffic on the third mainland bridge. It was still quite early in the day and closing time traffic hadn’t hit the road yet. Good. She still needed to check on Gladys her sister friend to see how she was doing on the business they had started together as a part-time thing. Joy had had to spend averagely two hours every day for the past two weeks, checking on sales, putting Gladys through on sales strategies, that sort of thing, her part in the partnership.
She spent a little over two hours today though, and had to leave hurriedly. She’d promised to have dinner with George her fiancé that evening. She raced down Western Avenue but not for long. Oh no! Closing time traffic! Ikorodu road was at a near standstill. All lanes were packed and moving at snail speed. Joy sighed resignedly as she pulled up behind a static line. Then as if on cue: ‘Dum dum, dum dum’. Uh, not again, Joy cringed as she rubbed her temples with fingers of one hand and rummaged through her handbag for the sachet of painkillers with the other. She cracked open two pills and popped them in her mouth, grimacing at the acute bitterness even as she tried to swallow without water.
It took a little longer for the effect to set in this time, but thankfully she was still vigilant enough to identify openings in traffic and make use of them until she was once again cruising speedily down to her place. On getting home, she hopped out of her car and walked briskly into the premises …and met her fiancé leaning against his car, tossing his keys from one hand to the other. “I’m sorry”, she said in a childish voice, putting on a girly pout, her head slanted for effect. “Yeah, I’m sure you are” he replied half-chidingly. “Let’s get going”. They took his car. Some minutes into the journey, the faint echoes of a resuming ‘dum, dum’ brought her to sharp realization of an oversight. “Oh no! I forgot my pills!” she gasped. “What pills?”, “My pain killers. I’ve had this horrible headache all day”, “Oh, don’t worry, there’re some in the glove compartment” he offered. She reached in and pulled out a sachet. “Hmm, these are the exact kind I bought” she noted. He looked over and hissed. “No wonder you’ve had the headache all day. Those aren’t really effective. Look inside again for the panadol extra”. She rummaged further and found the sachet of caplets. They stopped briefly to buy a bottle of water with which she washed down the pills. The effect was impressive after a few minutes. She settled down in the seat, fully delivered of the headache. “My hero” she sighed. “What, me or the panadol?” he quipped, eyeing her in mock indignation, eliciting a wily chuckle from her.
The rest of the journey went wonderfully well. They dined, talked and even met a few old friends before calling it an evening. He dropped her off back at her place and was about to drive off when he noticed she’d taken the sachet of panadol extra. “Hey, be careful how you patronize that hero o’ yours, he could keep you awake well into the night if you try him. If you need to, better stick with the former pills”. “Okay, thanks. G’nite!” she called back as he drove off.
Indoors, the house was a mess, cushions disturbed, books and magazines strewn across the floor amidst cutlery and some sneakers. Dominic, her brother had apparently come home from college. Her brow furrowed in annoyance. “Dominic!” she called, “Dominic!” No response. He wasn’t in his room either. Sighing, she began cleaning up the place, working her way to the kitchen where she met the sink full of dishes she’d hurriedly eaten from this morning. Resignedly, she began to wash-up.
Just as she finished cleaning up, Dominic waltzed in, kicked his dusty shoes off in the middle of the sitting room and plopped onto the couch. “Ah sis! Finally you’re back! How you been?” he called, picking up the remote and switching on the TV. Joy stomped in, right over to the TV, switched it off and gave him a piece of her mind, complete with accusations and threats to which he jovially replied “Ah, take it easy sis! I was going to clear it all up! I just forgot!” still fuming, she retired to her room, leaving him to finish the chores while she prepared her notes for the next day’s presentations. It was already some minutes to 11pm. Half way through her preparations, it came knocking again: ‘Dum Dum! Dum Dum!’ It actually caught her a little unawares; she didn’t take note until it was a resounding thud in her head. And it was bad. It was really bad. And it had been building. All day... Maybe it was time to call it a day she thought as she reached for the pills. Pulling up both sachets, she contemplated her choices. The panadol extra looked inviting, especially with the chorus beating in her skull at the moment. It’d been so effective earlier tonight. But memory of her fiancé’s words rang in warning: “He could keep you awake well into the night!” Pity, she sighed. She badly needed every second of sleep she could squeeze out of the tonight. “Guess that leaves our ineffective friend” she thought as she popped two of the other pills in her mouth and downed them with some juice. On an afterthought… she broke out a third pill and popped it in as well “for extra measure” she reasoned. “After all, wouldn’t want the headache to wake me up in the middle of the night anymore than I would want the panadol extra to keep me awake. “And as for my ‘heroes’” she thought, patting the sachet as she sleepily snuggled into her bed, “I’ll need them for tomorrow. It’ll be a very busy day, what with reports, meetings, presentations and all…”
But it was bad, really bad. The headache that is. And it had been building up. On her way from the office, she stopped briefly to buy a sachet of paracetamol at a road side chemist, popped a couple of pills in and zoomed off again. Minutes later, the dull thumping abated and she was able to put her mind to other tasks, cruising through light traffic on the third mainland bridge. It was still quite early in the day and closing time traffic hadn’t hit the road yet. Good. She still needed to check on Gladys her sister friend to see how she was doing on the business they had started together as a part-time thing. Joy had had to spend averagely two hours every day for the past two weeks, checking on sales, putting Gladys through on sales strategies, that sort of thing, her part in the partnership.
She spent a little over two hours today though, and had to leave hurriedly. She’d promised to have dinner with George her fiancé that evening. She raced down Western Avenue but not for long. Oh no! Closing time traffic! Ikorodu road was at a near standstill. All lanes were packed and moving at snail speed. Joy sighed resignedly as she pulled up behind a static line. Then as if on cue: ‘Dum dum, dum dum’. Uh, not again, Joy cringed as she rubbed her temples with fingers of one hand and rummaged through her handbag for the sachet of painkillers with the other. She cracked open two pills and popped them in her mouth, grimacing at the acute bitterness even as she tried to swallow without water.
It took a little longer for the effect to set in this time, but thankfully she was still vigilant enough to identify openings in traffic and make use of them until she was once again cruising speedily down to her place. On getting home, she hopped out of her car and walked briskly into the premises …and met her fiancé leaning against his car, tossing his keys from one hand to the other. “I’m sorry”, she said in a childish voice, putting on a girly pout, her head slanted for effect. “Yeah, I’m sure you are” he replied half-chidingly. “Let’s get going”. They took his car. Some minutes into the journey, the faint echoes of a resuming ‘dum, dum’ brought her to sharp realization of an oversight. “Oh no! I forgot my pills!” she gasped. “What pills?”, “My pain killers. I’ve had this horrible headache all day”, “Oh, don’t worry, there’re some in the glove compartment” he offered. She reached in and pulled out a sachet. “Hmm, these are the exact kind I bought” she noted. He looked over and hissed. “No wonder you’ve had the headache all day. Those aren’t really effective. Look inside again for the panadol extra”. She rummaged further and found the sachet of caplets. They stopped briefly to buy a bottle of water with which she washed down the pills. The effect was impressive after a few minutes. She settled down in the seat, fully delivered of the headache. “My hero” she sighed. “What, me or the panadol?” he quipped, eyeing her in mock indignation, eliciting a wily chuckle from her.
The rest of the journey went wonderfully well. They dined, talked and even met a few old friends before calling it an evening. He dropped her off back at her place and was about to drive off when he noticed she’d taken the sachet of panadol extra. “Hey, be careful how you patronize that hero o’ yours, he could keep you awake well into the night if you try him. If you need to, better stick with the former pills”. “Okay, thanks. G’nite!” she called back as he drove off.
Indoors, the house was a mess, cushions disturbed, books and magazines strewn across the floor amidst cutlery and some sneakers. Dominic, her brother had apparently come home from college. Her brow furrowed in annoyance. “Dominic!” she called, “Dominic!” No response. He wasn’t in his room either. Sighing, she began cleaning up the place, working her way to the kitchen where she met the sink full of dishes she’d hurriedly eaten from this morning. Resignedly, she began to wash-up.
Just as she finished cleaning up, Dominic waltzed in, kicked his dusty shoes off in the middle of the sitting room and plopped onto the couch. “Ah sis! Finally you’re back! How you been?” he called, picking up the remote and switching on the TV. Joy stomped in, right over to the TV, switched it off and gave him a piece of her mind, complete with accusations and threats to which he jovially replied “Ah, take it easy sis! I was going to clear it all up! I just forgot!” still fuming, she retired to her room, leaving him to finish the chores while she prepared her notes for the next day’s presentations. It was already some minutes to 11pm. Half way through her preparations, it came knocking again: ‘Dum Dum! Dum Dum!’ It actually caught her a little unawares; she didn’t take note until it was a resounding thud in her head. And it was bad. It was really bad. And it had been building. All day... Maybe it was time to call it a day she thought as she reached for the pills. Pulling up both sachets, she contemplated her choices. The panadol extra looked inviting, especially with the chorus beating in her skull at the moment. It’d been so effective earlier tonight. But memory of her fiancé’s words rang in warning: “He could keep you awake well into the night!” Pity, she sighed. She badly needed every second of sleep she could squeeze out of the tonight. “Guess that leaves our ineffective friend” she thought as she popped two of the other pills in her mouth and downed them with some juice. On an afterthought… she broke out a third pill and popped it in as well “for extra measure” she reasoned. “After all, wouldn’t want the headache to wake me up in the middle of the night anymore than I would want the panadol extra to keep me awake. “And as for my ‘heroes’” she thought, patting the sachet as she sleepily snuggled into her bed, “I’ll need them for tomorrow. It’ll be a very busy day, what with reports, meetings, presentations and all…”
-Alexander Oloyede
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Close encounters of the 'bizarre' kind: A 'Mugging'?
I faintly noticed them as they weaved through the traffic jam. Four guys, early twenty, late teens, can't really say. It'd been a tiring day, I must've left half of my consciousness in the office. It wasn't till the lead guy started asking me for a 'donation' that I realized that they'd crowded my open window. My mind's still slow on the uptake as I try to formulate a polite apology. Then they spot my phone on the passenger's seat and ask me to hand it over. Their authoritative tone brings me around and I look at them like hunh? I finally get the message when they begin growling, cursing and gesturing threateningly. The lead guy's reaching into his jeans pocket, I'm like 'you gotta be kidding me'. After my kind of day, this is the last thing I need. I face forward, hit the gas and zoom off. Pscheew!
As if I didn't have enough concerns during the day. What, is it a sin to drive through heavy traffic with your window down now?
Nonsense!
Lola And A Graceful God (not mine, but a good read!)
A young woman named Lola finds herself in dire trouble.
Her business has gone bust and she’s in serious financial straits.
She’s so desperate that she decides to ask God for help.
She begins to pray... ‘God, please help me. I’ve lost my business and if I don’t get some money, I’m going to lose my house as well. Please let me win the lotto.’
Lotto night comes and she does not win.
Lola again prays... ‘God, please let me win the lotto! I’ve lost my business, my house and now I’m going to lose my car.’
Lotto night comes and Lola still has no luck.
Once again, she prays... ‘Dear Lord, why have you forsaken me?? I’ve lost my business, my house, my car. My children are starving. I don’t often ask for help, I pay my tithe and I have always been a good servant to you. PLEEEEASE just let me win the lotto this one time so I can get my life back in order.’
Suddenly, there is a blinding flash of light as the heavens open and Lola is confronted by the voice of God himself... ‘Lola, work with me on this. Buy a ticket!’
Her business has gone bust and she’s in serious financial straits.
She’s so desperate that she decides to ask God for help.
She begins to pray... ‘God, please help me. I’ve lost my business and if I don’t get some money, I’m going to lose my house as well. Please let me win the lotto.’
Lotto night comes and she does not win.
Lola again prays... ‘God, please let me win the lotto! I’ve lost my business, my house and now I’m going to lose my car.’
Lotto night comes and Lola still has no luck.
Once again, she prays... ‘Dear Lord, why have you forsaken me?? I’ve lost my business, my house, my car. My children are starving. I don’t often ask for help, I pay my tithe and I have always been a good servant to you. PLEEEEASE just let me win the lotto this one time so I can get my life back in order.’
Suddenly, there is a blinding flash of light as the heavens open and Lola is confronted by the voice of God himself... ‘Lola, work with me on this. Buy a ticket!’
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Life, A definition and charge
Life is about us trying to sort through and make sense of alot of things at the same time, with the hope that our aspirations find fulfillment within definite time frames and our fulfillment manifests in a realm of fruitfull satisfaction. You are to fill your place in time and space as either a pioneer of new and better things, or as a facilitator of other people's dreams. It behoves on us therefore, to make every moment of our lives count for the betterment of our world, giving of ourselves a lasting offering that generations to come will speak of with strong reverence. Hopefully, they may find these footprints we leave behind relevant enough for them to follow in resolute ambition and filled with enough truth to likewise impact their world, leaving it an equally better place for those after them.
Walk thus in awareness of the high expectations the world holds you to. Whether you are aware of it or not, you stand on life's stage, a player of inestimable value, your every action measured up against the potential that lies abundantly in you. Always remember too, that your actions, though written in the shifting sands of time, leave an indelible mark on your surroundings, branding lives around you and etching your legacy on the stone of history.
Walk thus in awareness of the high expectations the world holds you to. Whether you are aware of it or not, you stand on life's stage, a player of inestimable value, your every action measured up against the potential that lies abundantly in you. Always remember too, that your actions, though written in the shifting sands of time, leave an indelible mark on your surroundings, branding lives around you and etching your legacy on the stone of history.
Friday, November 19, 2010
On Dreams And Their Timings...
Every story needs a beginning. Every great vision needs a spark. Every major movement needs a starting point. The journey of a thousand miles? Yes it had to start from a single solitary step. So also, every dream needs to be birthed. Now let's get this clear, it needs to be birthed. This is where so many of us miss out on the fundamentals in the pursuit of destiny. The birth of dreams is similar to the birth of any other creature. So what's that similarity? It's size, stature. See, a dream born is similar to a baby born in that both are small, both are dependent on the parent or ‘birther’ for support, attention, nourishment and grooming. And both, given sufficient amounts of these, have the propensity to grow big and strong, to mature and fully become what they were meant to be from the moment they were conceived. Yes, the baby is just a little, tiny man or woman and just as every human being (short of Adam & Eve that is) started out as a baby, so every dream has to begin in such a small, delicate, often powerless and inconsequential form.
Now where am I heading with all this? Simply this: More often than not, dreams are meant to start small. Unfortunately, I've come across too many people who are waiting for things to be 'right' before they launch out. Alot of them're still waiting...
Let's be frank now. Perfect situations and 'seasons for dreams' rarely happen. It's very unlikely that you'll find enough money and enough time and enough people to support you and a conducive environment to boot all at the same time! Uh uh, hardly likely. In fact, in many cases, waiting for such perfect situations might be detrimental to the survival of your dream. Imagine a pregnant mother waiting for the labour pains to stop before she starts pushing! Needless to say, someone’s going to die!
Anyway, back to the issue ...what was it again? Okay, waiting for the right circumstances before launching into our dreams. So why do we do it? Well, from my observation, it seems alot of folks have failed to grasp the basic idea of the nature of a birthed dream. As I said earlier, a dream starts out like a baby: small, delicate, dependent. Alot of folks however have the notion that their dreams have to be birthed in a complete, fully functional, quickly self sustaining howbeit scaled down state. ...I don’t think so. That's like expecting the mother to give birth to a fully developed, walking, talking, university graduate -howbeit small, day old man or woman as a baby! Yes, babies have the potential to be adults, but for the period immediately after birth, they are ...babies. Allowance has to be given for their care, nurturing and raising up into the adults they were always meant to be. Ditto for dreams. Just as the baby needs support to get through its developmental years, so also dreams need attention in order to fully become what you conceived them as.
Now finally, let's bring it back home: Dreams will more often than not be born small and into some degree of inconvenience. About 90% of the time, newly birthed ideas will need good amounts of attention either from the parent or 'birther' or from some other party with understanding and commitment to the dream. Attention here may refer not just to time but to material resources as well.
Now after all's been said, do we wait for when we have all these resources in place before starting off? Don’t think so. Now I'm not saying you should start off with nothing, no market knowledge, no feasibility studies, no experience of any sort and not even a little money. No, by all means get as much stuff as you need to start. But don’t wait to have everything in place before you start! This is important because -and allow me to use a term I've already discountenanced- if there are 'seasons of dreams' there's a high likelihood that the season or your dream might meet you when everything isn't in place. But you've still got to launch out. I like picking from this lesson given by Colin Powell: "Don't wait until you have enough facts to be 100 percent sure. Use the formula P=40 to 70, in which P stands for the probability of success and the numbers indicate the percentage of information acquired. Once the information is in the 40 to 70 range, go with your gut."
Now in conclusion, I must say that it does take a good deal of guts to pursue a big dream in the face of the odds that may abound. And it takes wisdom too (oh boy, does take wisdom!) And understanding (of alot of stuff) Needless to say you need God on your team to even contemplate the venture (wouldn't be a bad idea if He were in the driver's seat either!) So in all, I'd say these have to be in place for the birthing of any good dream. And when they are in place and your gut instincts say so, please go go go! It might just be time for it, who knows, any other time might be less ideal for that particular idea.
Sometimes the avoidance of risk is a risk in itself -of the future you desire and the heights you wish to attain. Everyday presents opportunities woven into the tapestry of everyday life and though the most astute among pick them out, only the enterprising and proactive thinkers will go on to weave the strands into priceless tapestry of an exceptionally bright and fulfilled future.
Finally, permit me to leave you with a familiar and very relevant quote from scripture: 'He who observes the wind will not sow' (emphasis mine)
-K-Black
Now where am I heading with all this? Simply this: More often than not, dreams are meant to start small. Unfortunately, I've come across too many people who are waiting for things to be 'right' before they launch out. Alot of them're still waiting...
Let's be frank now. Perfect situations and 'seasons for dreams' rarely happen. It's very unlikely that you'll find enough money and enough time and enough people to support you and a conducive environment to boot all at the same time! Uh uh, hardly likely. In fact, in many cases, waiting for such perfect situations might be detrimental to the survival of your dream. Imagine a pregnant mother waiting for the labour pains to stop before she starts pushing! Needless to say, someone’s going to die!
Anyway, back to the issue ...what was it again? Okay, waiting for the right circumstances before launching into our dreams. So why do we do it? Well, from my observation, it seems alot of folks have failed to grasp the basic idea of the nature of a birthed dream. As I said earlier, a dream starts out like a baby: small, delicate, dependent. Alot of folks however have the notion that their dreams have to be birthed in a complete, fully functional, quickly self sustaining howbeit scaled down state. ...I don’t think so. That's like expecting the mother to give birth to a fully developed, walking, talking, university graduate -howbeit small, day old man or woman as a baby! Yes, babies have the potential to be adults, but for the period immediately after birth, they are ...babies. Allowance has to be given for their care, nurturing and raising up into the adults they were always meant to be. Ditto for dreams. Just as the baby needs support to get through its developmental years, so also dreams need attention in order to fully become what you conceived them as.
Now finally, let's bring it back home: Dreams will more often than not be born small and into some degree of inconvenience. About 90% of the time, newly birthed ideas will need good amounts of attention either from the parent or 'birther' or from some other party with understanding and commitment to the dream. Attention here may refer not just to time but to material resources as well.
Now after all's been said, do we wait for when we have all these resources in place before starting off? Don’t think so. Now I'm not saying you should start off with nothing, no market knowledge, no feasibility studies, no experience of any sort and not even a little money. No, by all means get as much stuff as you need to start. But don’t wait to have everything in place before you start! This is important because -and allow me to use a term I've already discountenanced- if there are 'seasons of dreams' there's a high likelihood that the season or your dream might meet you when everything isn't in place. But you've still got to launch out. I like picking from this lesson given by Colin Powell: "Don't wait until you have enough facts to be 100 percent sure. Use the formula P=40 to 70, in which P stands for the probability of success and the numbers indicate the percentage of information acquired. Once the information is in the 40 to 70 range, go with your gut."
Now in conclusion, I must say that it does take a good deal of guts to pursue a big dream in the face of the odds that may abound. And it takes wisdom too (oh boy, does take wisdom!) And understanding (of alot of stuff) Needless to say you need God on your team to even contemplate the venture (wouldn't be a bad idea if He were in the driver's seat either!) So in all, I'd say these have to be in place for the birthing of any good dream. And when they are in place and your gut instincts say so, please go go go! It might just be time for it, who knows, any other time might be less ideal for that particular idea.
Sometimes the avoidance of risk is a risk in itself -of the future you desire and the heights you wish to attain. Everyday presents opportunities woven into the tapestry of everyday life and though the most astute among pick them out, only the enterprising and proactive thinkers will go on to weave the strands into priceless tapestry of an exceptionally bright and fulfilled future.
Finally, permit me to leave you with a familiar and very relevant quote from scripture: 'He who observes the wind will not sow' (emphasis mine)
-K-Black
That We Were We...
Let's make believe for a while, that I was me and you were you...
The Real us. Ready? Open your heart, Believe, and savour the view;
The Real us. Ready? Open your heart, Believe, and savour the view;
Let's make this moment count, for now we have no guile;
And we can be us, the Real us, if only for a little while;
When I take off my mask, what do you see?
A sinner, a saint ... a mindless entity?
When you take off your mask, what do you feel?
Exposed to my view, naked, blind ...or free?
I step forward, reach out and hold you; feel my ungloved hand;
As I lead you off this road, of stereotypical demand.
We step out of stately shoes, off this path of the ordinary;
We forget convention, happenings; the reasons for our worries.
We walk on paths less trodden, in lush green fields of adventure;
And fill our world with magical colours, of purple, orange and azure;
We break fences of polished decorum, see what we find beyond;
We give our hearts to all we aspire, dance a jig to the stupidest songs;
We run and skip down hills of fancy, laughing as we stumble along;
Knowing in our hearts that all things end right, if they don't end wrong;
And exposed in this way, I promise you won't find a truer moment;
When joy, fulfilment and sincerity meet, and God, our virtues cement;
And just for this moment, while we live as we, let's make believe the world is sane,
That you are you, and I am me, and we shall be we, ...once again.
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