It is well known fact that westernization has brought more harm than good and raised more questions than answers, What makes our lives much more easy has consequently made it much more worse. So, many of us live 70% of our lives in denial or fantasy because its way easier than confronting our lives - the pain, and dealing with it is totally unbearable. Then what do we do? We rather turn ourselves to big fishes in little pounds; streamlining our idea of success to designer clothes, wads of cash, a big house, Brazilian hair and being able to ‘Pop champagne’ at any time in the club to make a point to people who really don’t give a hoot about you. It becomes our thought which in turn becomes –purpose-character-habits. So the problems of majority of us lie in our thinking process.
There is a bigger problem with our belief system that is now fed into everyone and is now passing on from generation to generation. Our parent who probably had the best of the country are still dazed since the rug was pulled off their feet and hardship set in, most parents find it so hard to exert authority to their tutored kids who've become overnight breadwinners which has now evolved to a sad case of the blind leading the blind.
Years back when a beverage company came up with the “Orange men” marketing concept people immediately concluded that they were gods and the world was coming to an end. We don’t ask questions, no How’s no ‘why’s, it is too tasking for the typical. It is so much easier to attribute all to God. Even getting married and staying married these days has been zeroed to be on attribute of how much we sin. Economic and social factors which are the major factors aren’t considered. I know a woman who’s child was convulsing she was rushing the child to a church, the child later died and the mom kept asking God ‘why me?’ everyone was too angry or too aggrieved to reply her.
Our belief system will make an Aristo girl call prostitution ‘runs’, a yahoo boy call scamming ‘yahoo’ or ‘yahoo plus’. We have to fast shed away this he’s a maga; I’m the sharp one belief system. Despite what you may be gaining losing your prestige isn’t really sharp, it is tacky-yeah with so much poverty going on I agree it’s hard to tell the difference.
Our ladies are so pretty, however the prettier we come the shallower we are. How far will our bodies take us? It’s not okay to prostitute so long as you pay your tithe, it’s not okay to scam or cheat anybody so long as you feed beggars or renovate your religious house; it is wrong, no matter how noble your motive, it is very wrong to rob Peter to pay Paul. If you would sleep with man to buy a car, that is a form of stupidity, if you buy a tokunboh car, that is plain stupidity because you will need to sleep with more men to maintain that car, and Yep! Wait for it!! If you can’t drive or you abandon the car due to its maintenance cost that is the height of stupidity a.k.a thoughtless waste of money.
It takes a lot to survive in this country. Even I am a student myself writing from the slums of Lagos.
A neighbor just discovered his son was the person who often sent ‘hate-mails’ to a popular internet blog. He was a supposedly a successful U.K banker. His parents were disturbed by his tribalistic and aggressive comments. I was more bothered at the productive hours of his life he wasted on cyber space. The only place left where people can be all what they want to be an outlet of escape, a ‘living illusion’!
The youths aren’t the only ones guilty here. We all have some form of escape, the old pontiffy objects, worship people, phenomena’s and even animals. The young escape to religions that people have abused, some kill to resurrect with virgins, even normal people fight everyday with real or perceived enemies. Little kids aren't left out they have their own world too were super heroes are glorified and pop icons are idolized…….it is a vicious cycle, it takes a lot to live in this world, this country, this society, so for 1 second don’t think my write up are meant to judge anyone.
For the poor, most people can’t understand the feeling of being a ‘nobody’ until you walk a mile in their shoes. As every day the harsh reality of being helpless and powerless stare us in the face like a wicked teacher and flogs our egos blind, believe me the pain is far worse than labour- people believe!, in a country where there is no dignity in class.
But we the youth especially need to realize that hardworking made-men (not billionaire debtors) didn’t make these millions overnight many not till their late 30’s, 40’s, 50’s even 60’s. Forget the misleading hip-hop culture where students want to wear original LV’s and Gucci’s. Oh! Forget them, concentrate on yourself forget taking short-cuts lets embrace hardwork - because we CAN!
Still on the media, when we watch T.V. or listen to music, we see sex in its rawest, without its consequences, we see money without its pain, we see fame without its ugliness, killings being justified and everything perverted without their dark side.
Many of us have issues from childhood but have never really had anyone help us confront them. We may easily find adults willing to help us with school, relationship even finances but we have very few role models, and really everyone seems hurried to nowhere.
So here it is casual sex unlike what we see in the movies isn’t liberating and friends with benefits only benefits 1 party. After all has been said and done, they don’t solve our deep rooted problems or insecurities they only suppress them like drugs and alcohol does.
Every time people complain about public figures and supposedly role models people defending them often go “they are better because they have more money” or “people are jealous because they aren’t as rich” etc. methinks there should be better ways or things to defend people with, other than with how much they earn.
From our monarchical to economic class the totality of success is often gauged on the scales of money. This is a total error because if success determines Happiness and money determines success then we could conclude that money determines happiness which is the greatest fallacy the media has had many youths buy into.
Money may buy someone political authority but not control and that's why the balance of power often shifts. Money may make us a quiet home but not necessarily a happy one that is why some tastefully furnished houses still appear cold. Money on its own no matter how much eventually becomes obsolete with time and that's why we hear of old money and new money.
Which leads us to the issue of determination? This thing called determination works like a science, it is a gift from God and is freely given whether you believe in his existence or not, it’s a gift like the sun, moon, rain, etc. and so it get annoying to hear some say peoples sin’s don’t make them successful it’s a blatant lie. People need not be misled God is just and faithful to all his creation. Laziness, negativity, self-doubt and unreadiness are some of things that make a person fail not just with finances but marriages, education, relationship etc. it is a natural law and one of the many sciences that makes us appreciate the power of God.
I had a friend once in our 1st year in school the day a group leader said she didn’t want dullards in her group & exempted her, that singular incidence moved her from. A 2.2 GPA in her 1st year to a 1st class in her finals. I’m yet to have such earth shattering academic achievements (lol) but I developed a brand new respect and appreciation for the force called determination. Let our pain ignite a better us in a positive manner and that’s the moral of the story.
It is very true the Jews who are said to be the most industrious people once depended on God for their every manna, let us not fail to realize that an ‘F’ student could either stay up all night to read or stay up all night to pray. 1 will reflect on the report card the other will not, doing both will propel him to excellence.
After all has been said lets always remembered that life without good character development no matter how your weigh your success is an empty existence!
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