This is the penultimate chapter of this series. One more and we are done. What a marathon this has been. Surely, this one blessing will remain ever after.
Today, focus is on little things that matter big. Another way to put that is: the little that beat big. In some sense, this is a continuation of the serving on wisdom. You need more than sense to understand that some little stuff outclass the big.
Over the course of 50 years, I have learnt that all the money in this world shall only manage a miserable second place in a competition with good name. However, please, don’t run with that; you need first to have the full picture. As things stand, money is a big deal, good name is a small one. If you didn’t catch the drift of the social media slang -the small girl who has a big gee- now you know.
Nobody should condemn those who put money first. Money is mostly irresistible, as it has the potentiality of opening doors to a good (if you like, easy) life of fame, enjoyment, love, power and access. The returns on money are instantaneous. A good name is not like that -at all.
A good name is a whole journey. A good name is a seed: you plant it, allow time and then the harvest, which might even come posthumously. That is, the returns on your good name might be enjoyed by your children and grandchildren. Any sense in living like that, dying for others to reap?
Overall though, a good name has no good second. A good name is eternal. Generations upon generations write, read and talk about a good name, fondly. On the other hand, money is ephemeral: it never lasts forever.
The rare situation of a good name with money is one prayer point everyone should pray. Unlike now when right money is in wrong hands, a wealthy good name will engender a peaceful, clean and sweet society for all. But, how many are willing and ready and able to patiently grow a good name? Just how many of us?
Let’s take up another small thing that’s greater and better than its alternative. For too long, we have been told that giving is above while receiving is under. We have been taught amiss. Receiving is it.
There’s only one giver, with whom there’s no competition. He gave us life and the earth -complete with His Son. Even the substance and evidence that we give out daily, He first gave them to us. There’s nothing we have that we were not given, that we did not receive.
I have learnt the understanding that receiving is higher than giving. Receiving is key. We must learn how to receive so we would know how to give and have enough to give. Most people lack because they know not how to receive -from God and from man!
Next in the league of small but superpowerful things is listening. Listening is a disappearing virtue, which belongs -along with love and patience and humility- in the endangered species category of human positives. Side by side with something as big, showy and loud as talking, it is the small, discreet and noiseless neighbour called listening that is master. In the same room with listening, talking is a mere apprentice or learner or -as we say in Nigeria- ‘youth corper.’
Nobody has ever got into trouble for listening, except perhaps by choice. But always, people are jailed or dethroned or de-moneyed or in worst case scenarios killed all because they (over)talked. Even creation acknowledges the importance of less talk by giving us just one mouth as against two ears and two eyes. There are far fewer dumb (deaf and blind) people in prison, globally!
Another small thing mightier than its purported senior counterpart is rest. Work hard and long and extensively the much you can, to make all the money you can, but if you can’t find time -intermittently- to rest, all that hard work and the concomitant fruits can come to the noughtness of illness or death. Yes, hard work is the next big vehicle to success but -double yeses- rest is the small yet more important driver. You work to earn money but rest helps you enjoy it; which leaves you wondering who’s greater: the worker or the enjoyer?
Semi-finally: who’s better, boss or adviser? Of course, the leader is the big one; chosen and known by all to be in charge but the small one -the adviser- is the catalyst. A bad adviser can overwhelm the good leader, derail the system and rock the boat. Who is your adviser; who do you listen to, most?
Finally: you can get me to write on any area of your choice next werk. Some Facebook friends have requested lessons on gossip, love, relationship, focus, growth, consistency, leadership, peace, religion, etc. Email yours now so we see what’s possible vis-a-vis that miscellaneous chapter.
God bless Nigeria!
Small games big people shouldn’t play
Someone said that just as the world has become churchy, the church has gone worldly. I see that analogy in most big people acting small and, on the other hand, many small men and women acting big. Just why would an adult do or say ridiculous childish stuff?
Imagine publicising a private or confidential chat just to get back at someone. Pray, is there any more puerile comedown? Adults should not turn children’s playground antics into a bitterness publicity strategy.
Furthermore, big people should never seek vengeance. They should never render help only because they anticipate apron-strings loyalty or such other slavish gratifications. They should never be timid in front of people younger than them.
If someone younger (or older) annoys you, call their attention directly rather than resort to cowardly rants and sickening innuendos. Any of the foregoing is petty and evil. Big people should (and must) be bigger than some things.
No big man should act or behave small only to turn around and claim the alibi of politics or joke. If you ‘kiss and tell,’ you are an idiotic, small-minded big man. Such schoolboy mannerisms as setting people up or plotting to clash heads are unacceptable from young people, let alone adults.
When relationships go south, going public with what transpired up-north is childish, felonious and an indictment that you didn’t grow up well or haven’t grown up at all. The big thing to do in moments of provocation is restraint. Only small people react classlessly.
Similarly, the emerging trend of so-called big people trading insults publicly is both a time bomb and a wrong mentoring material for our gullible youngsters. You’re not a big man but an untrustworthy, dangerous small green snake when you appear in public hugging and smiling with someone you had defamed or slandered or libelled. In fact, you are a big-for-nothing scoundrel.
Lastly, no big person should do small (or big) dirty jobs, the almightiness of the expected reward(s) notwithstanding. No big person should kowtow to ‘any small boy’ or girl or anyone at all. Bigness is a brand -protect it, even if you can’t!!