Make an effort, no matter what

Many who have the ability to do something find a reason to justify their not doing those things because they limit their ability to their financial status. Some others even though poor may have other resources that could make a difference in their lives and the lives of others choose not to because they are […]

Many who have the ability to do something find a reason to justify their not doing those things because they limit their ability to their financial status.

Some others even though poor may have other resources that could make a difference in their lives and the lives of others choose not to because they are of a certain social class.

In their minds they have already written themselves off even before the world does so.

Have you been in a situation where you are trying to encourage someone to move a step further in life and all you get are excuses why such a move is impossible? Excuses such as: ‘I’m not up to that level yet’; ‘I can’t take the risk, such risks are meant for people who have excess money to throw away’, and so on. The catalogue of excuses could go on for ever as you make attempt to get them to see different areas they could exploit and develop. Then when another person jumps at the same opportunity and thrives, the reason is because he is better placed or has better connections.

True, some of these may be, but one finds that in many cases people are not just willing to make an effort at improving themselves especially when they have financial setbacks. They prefer to sit in their safe comfort zone and justify why it is risky to look elsewhere or explore other avenues.

“You really can’t blame people for not wanting to take risk especially when they have had bad experiences in the past,” Ade Akanbi. “This notwithstanding I also do not encourage anyone to remain in their past misery and not look forward. Because if you are too scared to move from your comfort zone, then be ready for a long ride of mediocrity or regression,” the thirty seven year-old tailor added.

According to Andrew Roberts, “Truth is there is nothing that one has that is too small and a write-off or is useless. It all depends on how creative you are and your willpower to turn it around to something productive.”

Roberts a government secondary school teacher added that, “If you do not succeed at it, that’s different. But even in the process of trying you may discover other things that could be profitable to you.”

Mrs. Grace Afama said, “For such people if you search deeper you will find that they are so wealthy but have simply refused to put this wealth to use for their benefit or for the benefit of those around them. It reminds me of the story of the talent in the Bible where the master gave his three servants talents and the third buried his own because it was only one.

“As the master rightly said if ‘you had even put it in the bank since you didn’t want to invest it, in the bank it would have yielded me some profit’. The same can be applied to a lot of us today. If we cannot use that little that God has given to us to enrich ourselves and others even in the minutest way, even that which we originally have will be taken away from us and given to somebody else who better appreciates it.

Afama advises that, “if excuses are what you are full of right now, just stop and take a look around you. Ask yourself if you have imprisoned and locked up yourself in your own mind. If you are one such person, you need to begin to free yourself and look beyond your nose.

“Get up and make something out of your life. Don’t sit there content with making excuses why you cannot move forward.”

Mother of eight and vice principal Mrs. Georgina Edeh said a peculiar thing is that some people think there are jobs that are beneath them. “You may find a graduate of mechanical engineering who has been without job for seven ten years since graduation. He isn’t likely to think of opening a road side mechanic workshop because such jobs are meant for the uneducated.

“But the thing is these so-called lesser jobs are being taken over by highly educated individuals. Look at today’s cake and event management industry in Nigeria. Are they not being run by lawyers and medical doctors and their likes? We need to stop categorise what job fits our level and start focusing on making those jobs classy and unique,” the grandmother concluded.