Atimes i wonder the what is the core essence of life.
You wake up, go out to work, make money, fall in love, out of love, get back home, sleep, and the circle goes on.
Several motivational speakers or put in another way, several folks have talked about getting the vision for your life and setting goals and all the sorts.
Just came across this and its sending me thinking…. Thought to reproduce it here.
Stay hungry and foolish……
This is yet the most celebrated speech made by Steve Jobs. It was the 114th Commencement Address to graduating students of Stanford University on June 12, 2005.
I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That’s it. No big deal. Just three stories!
The first story is about connecting the dots
I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?
It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife.
Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: “We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?” They said: “Of course.” My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.
And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents’ savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn’t see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn’t interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.
Early this morning, i got a call from my younger Brother, “Hello Bros, Mama Adamasingba has gone ooo!!!” For a moment i was shocked and told him on the phone, its not possible. Burt why is it not possible?
This is a woman, 90yrs+ who has been on her back for about 10yrs due to an illness that left her paralysed and partially blind. This was a woman, who before she was rendered incapacitated, would come visiting us at home and ready to stand for us and fight for justice and fairness for us. Continue reading
Times I wonder the passion with which we criticize and castigate our leaders for flaws and errors of judgement that they make.
Several time I think to myself, if i am on that seat, to what extent will i go? Will i do worse or do better?
I have had reasons several times in the past to be wary of such and times without number i have been proven right on it.
What moral right do you have to judge someone when you are susceptible to doing the same thing and even worse off?
Scriptures read, remove the log in your eye before attempting to remove the log in another person’s eye. The moral, examine yourself first before you slam your neighbour. The good book also says, the same measure you use to judge others will be used to judge you. My point, i try to put myself in the position of the victim, if am that other end, how possible will i avoid not falling into the same pit?
Contrary to what does who are close to me may think, I perform harsh appraisal and do scenario playing on myself. And each time the way i react to people who do wrong is the way I would react to myself if am the offending party.
That is to say, when i walk into a mall, i will go to the section where i want to buy…there all that appeals to me will be selling to me if you get my point.
I find it objectionable if you condemn public holders for not following due process in their dealings but try to take short cuts, yet you take short cuts for granted.
You mock them for giving a political answer whereas you readily give a political solution to issues.
You criticize for double-speak yet you do a triple speak.
You criticize for swaying with the winning crowd, yet you sway to the side of whatever issue that suits your whims at any point in time.
You castigate men for not standing firm yet when you stand….you tow the same line…
You tell men follow this path but you turn the other way..
You preach peace with one hand holding the Olive leaf the other holding an SMG…
Am i absolving myself here…..nein…far be it because it’s a thin line and I fall overboard a times. But as i said earlier, i judge myself harsh if i do it.
But the question still is;
Where is the moral authority……..
Its quite amazing peoples notion of resting. Different views exist with different people as to when to rest. I don’t have the luxury at my disposal now to expound on it but i just want to share my experience of last week.
I have been feeling malaria symptoms for a while but kept postponing its treatment simply because i was caught up with my work. Eventually, i saw a pharmacist, and complained and requested for a medication that won’t knock me out. Now i happen to get knocked out whenever i take anti malaria drugs so i was quite particular about what i wanted. But talk of postponing the day of reckoning! Took the medication quite alright, no side effects whatsoever (or so i thought). But, instead of getting better, i went worse! Lost weight within two days! And feeling at the worse end i could think of! So i took a break, went home to meet my folks, away from the busy bustle of office and Lagos. Went to put my head somewhere to recuperate. The results? Amazing! Didn’t take any extra medication, no doctor, nothing just a sweet blessed long deserved rest|!
Its amazing how we take our health for granted during our most productive years. When you look into our dailies, topping the list of obituaries are young men and women and you wonder whats happening. According to United Nations Statistics for average years of 2005-2010; Nigeria ranks 130th in position in life expectancy with overall life expectancy at birth at 46.9%. Males were 46.4% while females 47.3% which is 30% below world average!
All we think of is to make money, to make a breakthrough all at the expense of our health. I sometimes wonder, if people hold eternity in perspective at all. I reflect on the fact that, if after making all the money at the expense of your health, family, friends etc what would you be thinking on your deathbed? What would cross your mind, when the cold hands of death gradually inch up snuffing life out of you.
When i see obituaries and i check the age, its always between the age of 40 to 60 at most, and due to one illness or the other. And i wonder (as i always do) so short?!
People, its high time we take our health seriously, that we rest when we need to and prioritize our activities appropriately. Life is short, but we can blaze a trail and make maximum lasting impact if we live by the right principles and take responsibility for our actions.
samaderibigbe 