THE WRONG MINDSETS OF SUCCESS

JUST THINKING

I see a lot of cars and vehicle floating driving rules on the road because they want to get to their destinations on time. What stops them from waking up and leaving home on time? This is one of the reasons there are a lot of accidents on the road. It is either those drivers do not understand driving rules or they have decided to ignore it.

In my country, bus drivers try to outwit, overtake and even block others behind them because they want get their buses filled up with passengers before others. They do it to prevent and outsmart other vehicle users on the road which causes a lot traffics on the road. It is a form of lawlessness but they do not care. Their lawless acts have not made them better in life than other drivers and road users in anyway.

Ridiculously, this is exactly what we do to ourselves in offices, organizations, in the business world and in life. We think success is when you outwit and outsmart others to get to the top. Some of us see it as speed, hence they do everything to get to the top even at the expense of their integrity and values. They also do it at the expense of other people's growth, careers and jobs. Some would blackmail others, set them up, lie about them, connive with others and outwit them politically to take over their positions, jobs or to get the promotion, the recommendation and the lead role. Others will circumvent the growth, progress and the promotion of others because they do not want them to get to their levels. They do not mind frustrating others if they are intimidated by them, their skills and abilities. Those with complex problem may think that if that person gets promoted, he may take over their position. This is one of the reasons office relationships are always plastic and superficial. 

Someone once said that nobody is your friend in the office because everyone in the office is vying for the same top job or position. No wonder people back-stab themselves in offices. Offices ought to help build our relationship and soft skills but it has become a place of silent wars, intrigues, betrayal and gang ups. This is one of the reasons people and companies do not achieve their full potentials, goals and target. The time and energy they are supposed to use to be productive, they use it for scheming and plotting the downfall of others. It could lead to the collapse of an organization because a kingdom, a company, or an organization that stands against itself cannot stand.

Furthermore, people do not realize that success does not necessarily mean speed. Some could go slow and steady and still become successful while others could go fast. This is where problems can come from if you do not understand that your path in life is different from other people's paths. 

Ecclesiastes 9:11 says, "I returned and saw under the sun that— the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all".

A sloth will get to its destination as the rabbit no matter how slow it is. A tortoise will finish its race just like the fastest land mammal that is the cheetah. Did you know that the tortoise got into Noah's ark the way the cheetah did enter the ark? The tortoise is not slow because it wants to be slow. It is slow by nature and a cheetah is fast by nature. But that does not make that the tortoise a failure and a cheetah a success. Some people's road to success could be short while others could be very long. If one's father is a very wealthy personality, his path to the top may be smooth and easy compared to the son of a pauper. Each of them has to take their chances and make use of the time given to them.

THE IMPLICATION OF DESPISING PEOPLE

 JUST THINKING:

A neighbor is a person who lives near another, or one living or located near another, or a person or thing that is near another and one's fellow human being. A neigbour could also be one’s colleague in the office, a fellow bus passenger, a friend and so on.

Many of us have had some very good neigbours over the years and some have had some very difficult and troublesome ones. However, we all as neigbours should live in harmony, help ourselves and look out for each other. But this will only happen in a very perfect scenario because of people's mentality, background, experiences and level of exposure.

There are some people who do not want others living around them. Also, due to their racist and tribalistic nature, some people want to live far from others or associate with people of their kind, tribe and race. A few will only live and associate with the rich and not the poor. But we all should be able to live together no matter our status. If i may ask, did you know that the way you live with and think about your neighbor affects you?

Proverbs 14:20&21 says, “The poor man is hated even by his neighbor, but those who love the rich are many. He who despises his neighbor sins [against God and his fellow man], but happy [blessed and favored by God] is he who is gracious and merciful to the poor”.

From the above scripture, a neigbour can hate and despise his fellow neighbor if the neigbour is poor. People could also despise their neigbours if he is not up to their status, as knowledgeable as they are, and as educated and exposed as they are. Some do not even talk or relate with their so called poor neigbours because they feel and think that it is a let down on them to condescend to their levels. 

Remember that a neigbour could be your friend, colleague, next door neigbour and so on. But when you look down or despise them, you sin against God. When you get promoted before your colleagues and this makes you look down on them, you sin against God. Also, when you despise others because you feel, think and know that they are higher or more intelligent than they are, you have not only sinned against God but against yourself. Ridiculously, some despise others because they think they are more beautiful and anyone who is not beautiful, handsome or have money, they despise or make jest of the persons. The truth is that many of us despise others for one or two reasons without realizing that we are endangering ourselves.

As long as you are not in their league, they will despise you. But they are shooting themselves in the leg by despising their neigbhours because any time they do it, they sin against God and man. This may sound strange to us but it is a sin to despise people for any reason. If you have been doing it, you need to repent of it and stop doing it.

WHEN THE EAST MEETS WITH THE WEST

JUST THINKING:

We meet with people daily who are from different tribes, countries, and background. This has become possible because of globalization. The world has become a global village that traveling, communicating, and living together have become easier and more interesting. What was impossible years ago has become very possible today.

However, one will think that globalization will make us live together in one accord. But this is not the case because when people meet, they may have cultural problem, language problem, tribal problem, religious problem, beliefs challenge, and background problem and so on. Many years ago, I was taught in school that the problems with international trade are the language barriers, currency, government policies, inflation rates, exchange rates and so on. 

When the East and West meet, love should prevail. Love breaks barriers the Easterners and Westerners experience when they meet. Love makes you accept people for who they are no matter their colour, background, tribes, mentality, culture, status and so on. But, there is so much segregation, hatred, anger, war, racism, bitterness, strife, and so on in the war today. Nations fight against nations, family against family, friends against friends are what we see and hear about daily.  This problem is affecting us in many ways and it makes it difficult for "The East and West to meet". But love conquers all. Love is the element that makes the elements (East and West) come and live together in harmony.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 says, “ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things”.

People will segregate but love does not do that and it does not look down on people. It forgives no matter what because it does not keep record of wrongs. Also, for the East and West to meet, live and do business together, they need to trust each other. You can’t trust without love. Loving someone means you have to be patient and kind to them. It is not touchy, haughty, selfish, rude, irritable, and glad about injustice or other people’s downfall but it rejoices whenever truth wins out. If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him.

Ordinarily the East and West cannot meet without fighting, arguing and scheming each other. But with Love, both of them can come together and live as one if only they will embrace love. I am not talking about Hollywood kind of love or Disney-world kind of love but the God kind of love that forgives easily because as long as you are on the earth, people will offend you.