THE LONG HAUL

The Long Haul.

I heard quite an interesting song this past week which had a catchy phrase... 'small, small' being constantly repeated. It got me thinking about just how willing we truly are in this day and age to start great things from scratch. Our time is witnessing a fast movement in every way, from fast food to fast cars to fast developing buildings...you name it...so fast that we hardly find time to just pause and reflect on what truly matters anymore.

Let's meet four people :
Kwesi and Adjoa, and Osei and Naana.

Kwesi is a driven guy, passionate about the next thing he can do to make his world a better place. Though he has a treasure of ideas within him, he does not have much in terms of possessions...at least, not yet. He feels he is barely even noticed wherever he goes. However, his friend Adjoa constantly pushes him to press on and not give up, and to believe in himself with a view of what he could achieve in the future. This constant push drives Kwesi to start small, with just some confidence and encouragement to work with.
Fast forward seven years later... Adjoa becomes Kwesi's wife, and they are living quite comfortably with both of them excelling in their businesses and giving back to society. Kwesi always makes it a point to remind Adjoa of how much he appreciates her, no matter how 'bigger and better' they get.

Osei has it all... Whatever any 'normal' girl could want a guy to have, just direct her to Osei and she will be mesmerised. However, Osei faces one problem...how will he know whether the people who come into his life are genuine or just want a piece of his cake? He finds out when he meets an acquaintance, Naana,  who later becomes a close friend.
Naana feels life should always be at a quick pace, and there is no need to struggle for anything. Whereas Osei feels she is genuine, Naana has one agenda in mind...to eventually become part owner of all that Osei has.
Her dream eventually becomes a reality, as four years down the line, she and Osei get married. Not long after however, the dream boat sinks as Osei goes bankrupt. He is at least comforted because he knows he has Naana by his side, but comes home after a few weeks of his predicament to meet his wife gone...to 'seek greener pastures.' Osei eventually regains everything he lost, but is more careful with whom he allows into his inner circle...and Naana is left to regret her hasty decision.

This story may not be real, but it does pose a number of questions I would like us to think about today...

"What do we truly look out for in people? "
The saying 'not all that glitters is gold' gets more real everyday. There is more to people than just what they have or the name they are addressed by. What truly matters at the end of the day is what they have when all else fades; a genuine character that stays solid through the furnace of life's situations.

"How long are we willing to wait to be the next big thing? '"
Comparing ourselves to others could either be helpful or detrimental, depending on our perspective.
Someone's success may just be a lesson or stepping stone for you to the next stage of your life, and not necessarily a call to compete. Everyone's race is definitely different. What may take one person five years to do may take another two years to do, but what matters at the end of the day is the quality of our works and not who won the race first.

"How much are we willing to pour into people's lives, so their gifts and talents could also overflow into the lives of others and their society? "
Do we find our boost in belittling others or by looking out for the good in them and letting them know how special they are?
I have come to learn that encouragement can be likened to water... Constant encouragement poured into someone's life is like water being poured into a vessel... No matter how long it takes to fill it, it will eventually get full. The greatest part of it all is that you will eventually drink from the same vessel you filled someday, if not sooner, later.

How can we talk about patience and sacrifice without remembering our beloved country Ghana?
Ghana is like soil...and the seeds are in our hands. How carefully we plant these seeds into this soil will determine the quality of plants that will eventually spring up.
Do we take the time to build our nation in every way we can think of, no matter how small it may seem? How long are we willing to wait to see our nation shine its brightest?

"SMALL SMALL"...
One simple word stated twice, but full of lessons.
The greatest buildings started with just a few materials like cement, water and stone. All these materials on their own look drab, but when mixed together, make a strong foundation on which great edifices are built.
You could be sitting by the next president, CEO, game changer, generational thinker... You name it.
Do not despise little beginnings... Your 'SMALL' could eventually become a great thing that could  shock Ghana and the world!

BEYOND THE SHINE.

BEYOND THE SHINE.

"Please bear with me, I would like to pass by someone's place to drop something off... ",  a taxi driver, whom I later found out was called Emmanuel, said to me in one of our local languages, Twi.
I wondered what it was that could not possibly wait till after he took me to my destination.
" A lady I picked earlier this week left her phone in the car", he continued..."and I keep going there to see if she is around, but she hasn't been..."

I was quite surprised. I seemed to have forgotten that such people still existed. Even if they did, they were quite few, and I felt so privileged to meet this man. His act brought a few questions to mind and taught me some lessons I would like to share with you today. Before we proceed however, I'd like you to ask yourself this question :
Beneath your outward appearance, what true treasure lies within?

My taxi driver friend had a way of reminding me of the power of honesty even when no one is watching or there is no likelihood of being rewarded. His act may have seemed 'little', but it went a long way to have an impact on me. Which brings me to my next question...
What image has your life imprinted on others' hearts and minds? Or better still, what impression will someone leave with when they spend just a few minutes with you?

I have learnt not too look down on others and not to quickly jump to conclusions about people, especially based on their outward appearance. When was the last time you chose to be nice to someone based on the way they were dressed or how affluent they looked?
Appearances are and can be deceptive and that is why we need to make it a point to look BEYOND THE SHINE to what truly lies within; a character that refuses to be bent by time and conditions. We need to take the time to know people for who they are and what they have been through.

No doubt, it may seem as if I concluded hastily about my taxi driver friend based on just one act of his... but isn't that how life is? Like it is often said, 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step..'
The story of your life being written by someone begins with the first step they see you take towards them and others. This could either be good or bad, depending on which path of life you decide to choose. Your actions always speak volumes about you.

If you were to do the right thing over and over again without being acknowledged, will you finally throw in the towel?
I believe Ghana has more people like Uncle Emmanuel hidden in different corners of the country. What makes the difference is whether they will continue to walk in that stead no matter the conditions...whether the light of recognition will some day shine on them or not. With or without a pat on the back, we at least owe it to our nation to do what is right and be one another's keeper. Right will always be right even when the world disagrees. We are even more privileged because there is a manual available to us; the Bible, which constantly reminds us not to conform to the standards of this world. The world's standards always change, but we can decide to be that constant factor that never changes no matter what.

So, the next time we meet, what will I see beyond your shine? What will others be able to say about you after a brief encounter? How will the story of your life be summed up by others?
You have the great privilege of being the light this world needs to see. Ghana will be even brighter if we all work towards being much more than what is seen on the outside.
Work on the treasure that is BEYOND THE SHINE.
A life is waiting to be impacted by no one else but YOU.