Create Your World.
"Make sure you bring your laptop to class tomorrow... "
Somehow, I never wanted to hear those words because I had a laptop that I had started to compare to a desktop computer, since I could only use it for at most, an hour, before having to plug it into a power source. This increasingly became cumbersome especially in the time of 'dumsor' (which I hope is genuinely over for good!) and made taking the laptop to class a whole task on its own. My frustration caused me to forget how 'faithful' it had been to me through my class assignments and other important tasks, till I actually started to treat it like the desktop I was unknowingly trying to force it to be.
Imagine my dismay when one day, immediately after an accidental disconnection, the laptop went off completely in the middle of its use. Somehow, I knew it was a combination of fact and words. Fact was that the laptop was quite old and would have eventually needed to be changed, but words were "My laptop is 'condemned' ", a confession that eventually became a reality.
What am I driving at?
This laptop may not have been an animate object, but it taught me quite a few lessons.
How we view people and situations in our minds, could eventually reflect in how we treat them or react to them. How often do we write people off because of one or two mistakes they have made? How often do we callously utter a discouraging word before we realise the gravity of our thoughtlessness?
My faithful laptop had a way of reminding me that we need to be constantly appreciative and not take the seemingly little things for granted. We need to appreciate others, no matter how small whatever they may have done for us is. Appreciation does not only have to be felt, but also expressed...you never know when someone just needs to hear it.
Faithful L, as I eventually decided to call the laptop, also had a way of reminding me of the importance of every moment we have. 'L' finally gained its status of being 'condemned' when I least expected it. No doubt, if I had treated it better, it would have lasted longer. We do not need to wait for people to walk out of our lives before we realise how important they are to us. Every moment with the special people in our lives is a precious opportunity to make life (both ours and theirs) count...and everyone is special in their own way.
At this juncture, I just want you to take a moment to reflect... What were the last words you said prior to this? Were they positive or negative? Did they build someone up or tear them down? Did they take you one step closer to a brighter future or indirectly stole something good from your days ahead?
I came across some stories of a few people who made it despite the discouragement they faced....
*Colonel Sanders
Founder of the famous KFC. He started at the age of 65! In trying to build his business, he was rejected 1009 times! He still pressed on despite the discouraging feedback.
Words have a great effect, which means, if you do not have anyone to speak positively into your life, take up the task YOURSELF and CREATE YOUR own WORLD.
*Stephen King
A famous book writer, his first book was rejected 30 times. He eventually gave up and threw his work into the trash. He just needed an encouraging word, and he found that in his wife, who retrieved the book from the trash and encouraged him to submit it again. That encouragement opened the door to many more books, and today, he has sold more than 30 million books!
Why don't you also be that encouraging voice in someone's life today?
*
This space has been left blank, to be filled by your name someday. Your name could also be someday etched in the sands of time, if only you choose to CREATE YOUR WORLD with positive words and overcome whatever challenges you face.
Ghana is waiting for you.
It's amazing how something as trivial and mundane as an old laptop could teach me these important lessons. What lessons are out there waiting to catch your attention? We do not only learn for ourselves, but also to share with others. More than once, I have been humbled by the store of knowledge that those around us in our everyday lives have in them, just waiting to be shared. The only key to unlocking such wealth is TO ASK.
Changing the Status Quo can never be half of what it is without you, the reader. The power however, does not lie only in reading, but spreading the word to others. A word could revive someone, teach another and yet correct another. That is how powerful our words can be. No doubt, my laptop experienced the power of my words firsthand! The world is waiting to be changed by your words. You could start with an encouraging word to someone or even by sharing this post with others!
CREATE YOUR WORLD TODAY!
Recommended books on the power of our words.
*The Books of Proverbs and James (found in the greatest book ever written, The Bible.)
*'Claim Your Inheritance' by Richard Roberts
*'The Game of Life (and how to play it)' by Florence Scovel Shinn.
If you were to think in a second, of three people who have impacted your life greatly by their words, who would they be?
Appreciate them today.
Friday 11 March 2016
CREATE YOUR WORLD.
Create Your World.
"Make sure you bring your laptop to class tomorrow... "
Somehow, I never wanted to hear those words because I had a laptop that I had started to compare to a desktop computer since I could only use it for at most, an hour, before having to plug it into a power source. This increasingly became cumbersome especially in the time of 'dumsor' (which I hope is genuinely over for good!) and made taking the laptop to class a whole task on its own. My frustration caused me to forget how 'faithful' it had been to me through my class assignments and other important tasks, till I actually started to treat it like the desktop I was unknowingly trying to force it to be.
Imagine my dismay when one day, immediately after an accidental disconnection, the laptop went off completely in the middle of its use. Somehow, I knew it was a combination of fact and words. Fact was that the laptop was quite old and would have eventually needed to be changed, but words were "My laptop is 'condemned' ", a confession that eventually became a reality.
What am I driving at?
This laptop may not have been an animate object, but it taught me quite a few lessons.
How we view people and situations in our minds, could eventually reflect in how we treat them or react to them. How often do we write people off because of one or two mistakes they have made? How often do we callously utter a discouraging word before we realise the gravity of our thoughtlessness?
My faithful laptop had a way of reminding me that we need to be constantly appreciative and not take the seemingly little things for granted. We need to appreciate others, no matter how small whatever they may have done for us is. Appreciation does not only have to be felt, but also expressed...you never know when someone just needs to hear it.
Faithful L, as I eventually decided to call the laptop, also had a way of reminding me of the importance of every moment we have. 'L' finally gained its status of being 'condemned' when I least expected it. No doubt, if I had treated it better, it would have lasted longer. We do not need to wait for people to walk out of our lives before we realise how important they are to us. Every moment with the special people in our lives is a precious opportunity to make life (both ours and theirs) count...and everyone is special in their own way.
At this juncture, I just want you to take a moment to reflect... What were the last words you said prior to this? Were they positive or negative? Did they build someone up or tear them down? Did they take you once step closer to a brighter future or indirectly stole something good from your days ahead?
I came across some stories of a few people who made it despite the discouragement they faced....
*Colonel Sanders
Founder of the famous KFC. He started at the age of 65! In trying to build his business, he was rejected 1009 times! He still pressed on despite the discouraging feedback.
Words have a great effect, which means, if you do not have anyone to speak positively into your life, take up the task YOURSELF and CREATE YOUR own WORLD.
*Stephen King
A famous book writer, his first book was rejected 30 times. He eventually gave up and threw his work into the trash. He just needed an encouraging word, and He found that in his wife, who retrieved the book from the trash and encouraged him to submit it again. That encouragement opened the door to many more books, and today, he has sold more than 30 million books!
Why don't you also be that encouraging voice in someone's life today?
*
This space has been left blank, to be filled by your name someday. Your name could also be someday etched in the sands of time, if only you choose to CREATE YOUR WORLD with positive words and overcome whatever challenges you face.
Ghana is waiting for you.
It's amazing how something as trivial and mundane as an old laptop could teach me these important lessons. What lessons are out there waiting to catch your attention? We do not only learn for ourselves, but also to share with others. More than once, I have been humbled by the store of knowledge that those around us in our everyday lives have in them, just waiting to share. The only key to unlocking such wealth is TO ASK.
Changing the Status Quo can never be half of what it is without you, the reader. The power however, does not lie only in reading, but spreading the word to others. A word could revive someone, teach another and yet correct another. That is how powerful our words can be. No doubt, my laptop experienced the power of my words firsthand! The world is waiting to be changed by your words. You could start with an encouraging word to someone or even by sharing this post with others!
CREATE YOUR WORLD TODAY!
Recommended books on the power of our words.
*The Books of Proverbs and James (found in the greatest book ever written, The Bible.)
*'Claim Your Inheritance' by Richard Roberts
*'The Game of Life (and how to play it)' by Florence Scovel Shinn.
If you were to think in a second, of three people who have impacted your life greatly by their words, who would they be?
Appreciate them today.
"Make sure you bring your laptop to class tomorrow... "
Somehow, I never wanted to hear those words because I had a laptop that I had started to compare to a desktop computer since I could only use it for at most, an hour, before having to plug it into a power source. This increasingly became cumbersome especially in the time of 'dumsor' (which I hope is genuinely over for good!) and made taking the laptop to class a whole task on its own. My frustration caused me to forget how 'faithful' it had been to me through my class assignments and other important tasks, till I actually started to treat it like the desktop I was unknowingly trying to force it to be.
Imagine my dismay when one day, immediately after an accidental disconnection, the laptop went off completely in the middle of its use. Somehow, I knew it was a combination of fact and words. Fact was that the laptop was quite old and would have eventually needed to be changed, but words were "My laptop is 'condemned' ", a confession that eventually became a reality.
What am I driving at?
This laptop may not have been an animate object, but it taught me quite a few lessons.
How we view people and situations in our minds, could eventually reflect in how we treat them or react to them. How often do we write people off because of one or two mistakes they have made? How often do we callously utter a discouraging word before we realise the gravity of our thoughtlessness?
My faithful laptop had a way of reminding me that we need to be constantly appreciative and not take the seemingly little things for granted. We need to appreciate others, no matter how small whatever they may have done for us is. Appreciation does not only have to be felt, but also expressed...you never know when someone just needs to hear it.
Faithful L, as I eventually decided to call the laptop, also had a way of reminding me of the importance of every moment we have. 'L' finally gained its status of being 'condemned' when I least expected it. No doubt, if I had treated it better, it would have lasted longer. We do not need to wait for people to walk out of our lives before we realise how important they are to us. Every moment with the special people in our lives is a precious opportunity to make life (both ours and theirs) count...and everyone is special in their own way.
At this juncture, I just want you to take a moment to reflect... What were the last words you said prior to this? Were they positive or negative? Did they build someone up or tear them down? Did they take you once step closer to a brighter future or indirectly stole something good from your days ahead?
I came across some stories of a few people who made it despite the discouragement they faced....
*Colonel Sanders
Founder of the famous KFC. He started at the age of 65! In trying to build his business, he was rejected 1009 times! He still pressed on despite the discouraging feedback.
Words have a great effect, which means, if you do not have anyone to speak positively into your life, take up the task YOURSELF and CREATE YOUR own WORLD.
*Stephen King
A famous book writer, his first book was rejected 30 times. He eventually gave up and threw his work into the trash. He just needed an encouraging word, and He found that in his wife, who retrieved the book from the trash and encouraged him to submit it again. That encouragement opened the door to many more books, and today, he has sold more than 30 million books!
Why don't you also be that encouraging voice in someone's life today?
*
This space has been left blank, to be filled by your name someday. Your name could also be someday etched in the sands of time, if only you choose to CREATE YOUR WORLD with positive words and overcome whatever challenges you face.
Ghana is waiting for you.
It's amazing how something as trivial and mundane as an old laptop could teach me these important lessons. What lessons are out there waiting to catch your attention? We do not only learn for ourselves, but also to share with others. More than once, I have been humbled by the store of knowledge that those around us in our everyday lives have in them, just waiting to share. The only key to unlocking such wealth is TO ASK.
Changing the Status Quo can never be half of what it is without you, the reader. The power however, does not lie only in reading, but spreading the word to others. A word could revive someone, teach another and yet correct another. That is how powerful our words can be. No doubt, my laptop experienced the power of my words firsthand! The world is waiting to be changed by your words. You could start with an encouraging word to someone or even by sharing this post with others!
CREATE YOUR WORLD TODAY!
Recommended books on the power of our words.
*The Books of Proverbs and James (found in the greatest book ever written, The Bible.)
*'Claim Your Inheritance' by Richard Roberts
*'The Game of Life (and how to play it)' by Florence Scovel Shinn.
If you were to think in a second, of three people who have impacted your life greatly by their words, who would they be?
Appreciate them today.
Sunday 6 March 2016
STAR OF THE WEST.
Star of the West.
"Ghana is 50..Congratulations! Ghana is 50, let's all celebrate.. "
This song was composed nine years ago to mark the golden jubilee of our beloved country; a time that witnessed quite a number of festivities, adverts and even some renovation of the Black Star Square.
'This day must be really special', the whole atmosphere caused me to think. But nine years on from that day, do we as a nation really have much to sing about?
In spite of the various challenges we may have faced as a country, this Independence Day should be extra special to us because it presents us with an opportunity, especially the youth, to reflect on how far we have come as a nation and what difference our presence in this country could and should make.
Ghana is sometimes referred to as the Black Star of Africa. This star, like every other star, is meant to illuminate whichever space it finds itself in, and in effect make a difference. How have we shined as a nation amidst not just our neighbouring countries, but Africa and the world as a whole? How have we as individuals made an effort, be it singular or collective, to make our country shine?
Scientifically, a star is said to be made up of a number of gases, mainly hydrogen and helium. Today, and every other day, I would like us to view ourselves as an important constituent that blends with other constituents to make up a bright star. The land is ours and can only shine if we do our part. We need to be the light this nation needs to see.
I would like to make a brief comparison between Ghana and two other countries, namely Singapore and Malaysia.
Singapore, like Ghana, was once a British Colony and gained independence in 1965. One unique feature of Singapore is its location and size. It is a small island, but has managed to rub shoulders with great nations. One lesson I have learnt from this country is that size does not need to determine our rate of success. We do not always need to be surrounded by successful people or nations before we feel the urge to make the most of what we have.
Singapore has used its human capital over the years to its advantage by depending heavily on the size of their population to build a commercial hub that is still vibrant today. The nation boasts of amazing infrastructure and great sanitary conditions.
Malaysia, also a former British colony like us, gained independence in the same year we did... 1957. Being the 44th most populous nation in the world, Malaysia has used its diversity to its advantage, becoming one of the best economies in Asia, and is still growing. Unlike Singapore and more like us, Malaysia is blessed with abundant natural resources and has capitalised on this as well to achieve great development.
What makes these two countries, and others, so different from Ghana? Nothing really. We have virtually the same opportunities they do and Ghana boasts of a population far greater than quite a number of countries, a fact we can use to our advantage. Ghana can be even greater because above all, she has you and me. It is up to us to make the difference.
As a nation, we have quite a lot to be proud of despite our challenges, including our constant peace and our diversity; traits we need to hold on to in our quest to develop, irrespective of our political affiliation or ethnic group.
Ghana is hopeful that with us, more 'birthdays' will witness greater strides in development. We are the only ones who can make the Star of West Africa and beyond, shine again. It is only by our initiative that the word INDEPENDENCE can become truly meaningful to us. Then the star against the backdrop of red, gold and green will truly stand out.
The Star of West Africa can only shine with YOU. The time to shine is NOW.
Happy Independence Day!
OPINION:
Do you think our annual March Past is still a necessary way to commemorate our Independence Day, or it could be improved?
"Ghana is 50..Congratulations! Ghana is 50, let's all celebrate.. "
This song was composed nine years ago to mark the golden jubilee of our beloved country; a time that witnessed quite a number of festivities, adverts and even some renovation of the Black Star Square.
'This day must be really special', the whole atmosphere caused me to think. But nine years on from that day, do we as a nation really have much to sing about?
In spite of the various challenges we may have faced as a country, this Independence Day should be extra special to us because it presents us with an opportunity, especially the youth, to reflect on how far we have come as a nation and what difference our presence in this country could and should make.
Ghana is sometimes referred to as the Black Star of Africa. This star, like every other star, is meant to illuminate whichever space it finds itself in, and in effect make a difference. How have we shined as a nation amidst not just our neighbouring countries, but Africa and the world as a whole? How have we as individuals made an effort, be it singular or collective, to make our country shine?
Scientifically, a star is said to be made up of a number of gases, mainly hydrogen and helium. Today, and every other day, I would like us to view ourselves as an important constituent that blends with other constituents to make up a bright star. The land is ours and can only shine if we do our part. We need to be the light this nation needs to see.
I would like to make a brief comparison between Ghana and two other countries, namely Singapore and Malaysia.
Singapore, like Ghana, was once a British Colony and gained independence in 1965. One unique feature of Singapore is its location and size. It is a small island, but has managed to rub shoulders with great nations. One lesson I have learnt from this country is that size does not need to determine our rate of success. We do not always need to be surrounded by successful people or nations before we feel the urge to make the most of what we have.
Singapore has used its human capital over the years to its advantage by depending heavily on the size of their population to build a commercial hub that is still vibrant today. The nation boasts of amazing infrastructure and great sanitary conditions.
Malaysia, also a former British colony like us, gained independence in the same year we did... 1957. Being the 44th most populous nation in the world, Malaysia has used its diversity to its advantage, becoming one of the best economies in Asia, and is still growing. Unlike Singapore and more like us, Malaysia is blessed with abundant natural resources and has capitalised on this as well to achieve great development.
What makes these two countries, and others, so different from Ghana? Nothing really. We have virtually the same opportunities they do and Ghana boasts of a population far greater than quite a number of countries, a fact we can use to our advantage. Ghana can be even greater because above all, she has you and me. It is up to us to make the difference.
As a nation, we have quite a lot to be proud of despite our challenges, including our constant peace and our diversity; traits we need to hold on to in our quest to develop, irrespective of our political affiliation or ethnic group.
Ghana is hopeful that with us, more 'birthdays' will witness greater strides in development. We are the only ones who can make the Star of West Africa and beyond, shine again. It is only by our initiative that the word INDEPENDENCE can become truly meaningful to us. Then the star against the backdrop of red, gold and green will truly stand out.
The Star of West Africa can only shine with YOU. The time to shine is NOW.
Happy Independence Day!
OPINION:
Do you think our annual March Past is still a necessary way to commemorate our Independence Day, or it could be improved?
Your opinions are always welcome. Changing the status quo is always ready to learn from you.
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