Kudos Nigeria

With the successful completion of Nigeria’s general elections, Nigeria deserves much more than a warm applaud. Indeed Nigeria has entered the history books for the first time having delivered a free, fair and credible election…

The manner in which Nigerians comported themselves throughout the electioneering period is indeed very commendable. The international communities and observes could not overlook the level of maturity displayed by Nigerians at the various polling units.

And when I heard all the nice things being said about Nigeria and Nigerians with regards to this year’s pools on BBC and other international NETWORKS, I smile and say “yes! This time we got it right”.

It is by no means an easy thing to have democratically elect leaders given the bombings and pre-elections violence that rocked the political landscape before the elections proper. For a second I felt like the success of the elections were nothing short of a ‘fluke’ but truth is it wasn’t. It is a reflection of the hard work Nigerians ready to make things right.

Jega and his team did tremendously well. Although not everybody gave him a chance, he still delivered. Of course the elections were not 100% perfect, it was good and successful making it the best elections ever in Nigeria’s history.

At this juncture, I will like to say to all elected leaders that it is our prayers that they serve selflessly and discharge their duties credibly and transparently as we all look forward to the best years of our great country Nigeria.

Lastly let me say a big congratulation to all Nigerians who came out to perform their civic duty in such an enviable manner. The Yoruba’s will say “eku ise” which means well done. Together we have made this happen and together we can build the Nigeria of our dreams.

Naija oni baje o!
Long live Nigeria, long live Nigerians…

Just Sharing My Thought
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Reaching forgiveness

Have you ever tried to forgive someone only to discover that you are still angry toward that one? Well you are not alone in that situation…

There is a natural instinct in every human being to feel upset, angry and offended when someone wrongs and or hurt them however, some people are more easily offended than others. It is thus important that we learn to forgive so as to free ourselves from unnecessary pain.

Have you observed that whenever you feel hurt, wounded, abused, abandoned or violated, it is usually caused by the ones very dear to you? Yeah! And this often makes reaching forgiveness very difficult.

Oftentimes we feel we have valid reasons as to why we shouldn’t forgive certain people because of the weight of what they’ve done but the truth is, no amount of grieve, pain, hurt or anguish will undo what’s already done.

What is done is done and of course there is no future in the past so we all must learn to look beyond whatever was done. Only then can we forgive freely.

What forgiveness really does is to heal us of all the hurt and the pain of the past so that we can be at peace with ourselves. Like Tyler Perry said, “forgiveness is not for the other person(s), it is for you.”

When we hold on to hurt, we hurt ourselves even more. Letting it go is letting our self loose. Many of us hold on to bitterness and anger for far too long; sometimes for years.

I’m not saying you don’t have a right to be angry over something that was done wrong. Anger they say is a common response to insult.
All I’m saying is that you learn how to let go of your anger, because every moment you spend angry is a moment of happiness you can't get back.

As human beings, it is not strange that we often want vengeance and some of us think that holding off from reaching forgiveness is the best way to get even but that is where we get it wrong. Two wrong can never make a right.

It is not about getting even. It is about doing what is right. The desire to get even with people who offend us is what hinders us from reaching forgiveness.

We must realize that forgiveness in itself is a two way thing. You have to forgive in order for you to be forgiven.

I know some hurts are heart wrenching but it really doesn’t matter the weight of the hurt we feel.
There is no hurt that is too great to be forgiven.

As you go through life you’d realize that even the one person that wasn't supposed hurt you or ever let you down, probably will and you too will hurt people.

Not to forget, we’ve all hurt and wronged God in many different yet even before we ask Him for forgiveness; He would have already forgiven us. This is exactly what is expected of us too.

Let’s all strive to reach forgiveness. Just like the Bible rightly puts it, “to err is human but to forgive is divine.”

Forgiveness is that feeling of compassion that springs forth from within you. Let it out and forgive freely just as your heavenly father forgives you.

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The blame game

When something goes wrong, some of us feel it's time to determine who is at fault and who is not.

As human beings, we have the tendency of blaming others for even the things we do wrong so it is not surprising that oftentimes when things turn out differently from what we originally intend, instead of taking responsibility for what has happened, we look for people to put the blame on.

Interestingly, when someone is blamed, that person tries to pass off the blame to another person and that person either tries to put the blame back on the first person or pass it to someone else so the ‘blame game’ goes on and on.

In many homes, when a child behaves badly, the father will blame his wife for not doing her job well and the wife on the other hand will blame the husband for not staying at home often to see to his fatherly responsibility and so the blame game goes back and forth.

It behooves couples to deal with challenges that confront them together but the habit of blaming others for the things that have gone wrong has caused and disharmony in many homes today.

Many people blame their parents for the things that have gone awry in their lives. They say that their lives would have turned out better if they had gone to school but the truth is, it is not everybody that went to school that had their parent send them to school.

Some too say their lives would have turned out better if their parent were richer but reality check reveals that it is not only those born with a silver spoon in their mouth that make something out of life.

I sometimes wonder if it is an inherent aptitude in humans not to accept responsibility for their own life and deny responsibility for their own mistake or wrong doing.

If something isn’t working well in your life, must it always be somebody else’s fault?
This person did this; that why I am this way or that way doesn’t hold water. I read somewhere that “you are not a failure until you blame someone else for your failure”.

Don’t say you’re not involved with this because everybody somehow plays ‘the blame game’. We blame friends, parents, government, and society for a lot of things.

On a wider spectrum, we are quick to blame politicians for their failed polices and promises however when it’s election time, many of us don’t vote and even those that do vote, do not vote for credible and competent leaders.

Many of us say Africa is what it is today because of our colonial masters but after 30years, 40years or 50years since they left, is our underdevelopment still their fault?
Undoubtedly, it is so easy to blame others for our downfalls. But even when we blame others does it really make us feel better about ourselves?

It’s not as if people and our societies don’t have a hand in the things that go wrong in our lives but must somebody always be responsible for everything that goes wrong in our lives?
If somebody is always responsible for everything, what are responsible for?

In the end it doesn’t really matter who you blame or who is to blame because nobody in the world that has won laurels for playing ‘the blame game’. And don’t forget that when you point a finger at someone, your remaining fingers points at no other but yourself so if you really want somebody to blame, look in the mirror.

One of the many lessons life has taught me is that I’m always solely responsible for my actions. As to whether I was influenced by somebody or society doesn’t matter.

We can't always blame your friends, parents and others for everything because everybody has got a life and what they do with it is totally up to them.

Instead of spending ample time blaming others, take time to check yourself. And while doing so, ask yourself what can I do differently to change things for the better in my life.

Where you find variances in the kind for life you lead, endeavor to make the necessary adjustments and that way, you won’t have to blame others for everything that goes wrong in your life.

We must all learn to hold ourselves responsible for our actions and for whatever happens in our lives because we will all give account of our lives and when the time comes for us to stand before the LORD and answer for our life; we will be standing ALONE.

Stop playing the blame game. The life you have is all you have and will ever have so take charge of it and make it count…

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Celebrating Mothers

Mother’s Day offers us a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and pay tribute to our mothers but truth is, one day out of 365 days in the year isn’t just enough.

In commemoration with mother’s day celebration, I dedicate this note to every mother in the world especially - single mothers.

What is sweeter than a good mother? I have been blessed with a special, precious gift called a “mother” and I hope you’ve been blessed too…

A mother’s love is pure, tender, forgiving, irreplaceable, indescribable and immeasurable.

A mother’s love is the most inexplicable love of all. Starting from giving birth to us as a child, mothers plays various roles in our life.

They inculcates in us values and virtues that will help shape our lives, they teach us the difference between right and wrong, help us realize their potentials, and open our eyes to the world around us.

Aside the many roles mothers play; they simultaneously perform the role of a wife, a sister, a daughter, and many others.

When we do wrong, our mothers arms is the safest place in the world to run to because when it comes to mothers, second chances do not exist. They give us a billion chances. You will never find a deeper human love then that of a mother.

All the things a mother does, she does without expecting something material in return, except maybe for a loving embrace. She loves in spite of everything, hoping for the best for her children.

With all what a mother does, it is sad to say that oftentimes we get so much used to our mothers that we take them for granted.

Of course nobody can ever repay his/her mother for everything she’s done, we can appreciate and celebrate them. A mother’s love is much deeper than anything that can be repaid in cash or kind.

Think about this:

Can we repay our mothers for carrying us nine months in the womb? Do any of us have any idea how painful child birth is?

Can we repay our mothers for all the times they had to wake up late in the night to breast feed us?

Can we repay our mothers for the unnecessary weight they gained and all the stretch marks that appeared on their bodies as a result of child birth?

Can we repay our mothers for waking at 4:00am (when daddy will probably be snoring) to prepare our meals and also prepare us for school?

Can we ever repay our mothers for all the luscious meals they always fed us?

It is not an option that we appreciate, treasure and show respect to our mothers, it is a must and one sure way of doing so is to be loyal to the moral principles, values and discipline they taught us since when we were children.

In the Bible, God Himself commands us to "Honor our father and your mother, so that we may live long.

In view of what the bible commands, I dedicate this part of this note to the most beautiful mother in the world (My mother).

Of all the beautiful and wonderful women in the world, if I’m to pick one to perpetually be with, I’d pick her. Who’s her? She is none other than my mother. Mama is the best thing that has and will ever happen to me.

Though I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth, you’ve never let me go to bed hungry. You’ve always protected and kept me away from any form of danger.

You’ve always made sure that I have roof over my head and food in my stomach.

Each time I behaved naughty, you never failed to reprimand me and teach me the difference between right and wrong.

When daddy died, you adapted to the new realities of life and with your gentle shoulders, you carried the weight of the family and still ensured that you give us comfort.

Mama, you’ve done so much for me and I don’t think I can ever repay you for everything. You are the strongest single mother I know and I pray that God continues to give you strength.

Words alone cannot explain just how much I truly love you. I am eternally grateful to God for your life.

I respect and honor you, I treasure your presence in my life, I value your wisdom, I admire your courage but most of all, I cherish the endless sacrifices you have made for me and my siblings. God bless you, and I love you endlessly.

Even though Mother’s Day is a great day to honor Mothers, one day out of the year is not just enough to show appreciation to our mothers. Every day is a good day to appreciate and show our mothers just how much they mean to us so let every day be YOUR mother's day.

Endeavor to appreciate and celebrate the unique human being whom we call "mother".

Just Sharing My Thought
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