The young shall grow, is a popular saying in this part of the world. The young, in fairness, ought to grow into full maturity and succeed. That’s my wish for everyone. But for the young to grow, they require balanced nourishment.
Any form of healthy growth requires balanced diet, a combination of regular intake of quality nutrients, vitamins and food supplements. That’s how healthy kids are nurtured into full maturity. If we take that beyond the physical, there are growth equivalents in other aspects of life, to engender very sound development.
Balanced growth is achieved if we develop physically, intellectually, spiritually, morally and materially. Deficiency in anyone of these areas produces an imbalance, which could invariably upset other areas of life. Physical growth is as important as intellectual growth. If a person is deformed as being a dwarf, autistic, is affected by Down syndrome, or any stunted growth manifestation, such an individual is then classified as physically challenged.
It then means that their growth process was hampered by a certain dysfunction at a certain stage of development, which could be congenital or degenerative. Sometimes, deformity could be a result of poor antenatal or post-natal care. Failure to take some vaccines could inflict serious damage to a child’s health: we know that iron deficiency could affect brain development in a child.
Lack of quality medicaments at certain stages could likewise interrupt a child’s intellectual balance; that’s why some kids are maladjusted. The mind and body should be balanced for one to function optimally. The question of spirituality cannot be dismissed in the human growth process. From infancy, a child ought to receive religious instruction.
The Bible says, train your children in the way they should go, when they grow up, they would not depart from it. You train your children at infancy, not when they are already grown up. Adults have they own mind, which is why they are opinionated and hard to teach. Spirituality tends to influence moral growth because morality grows out of religious doctrines and education. We should never take moral education for granted. The fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom, is rooted in religious instruction.
Material growth, which seems to be our priority in this generation, should not be pursued at the expense of all the other vital growth areas discussed in the preceding paragraphs. Whoever does that would end up as a dysfunctional personality. People like this think money does it all. They turn money into god, an object of worship, instead of a mere means of exchange.
While I constantly write about wealth creation, success, wisdom and all of that, I must not fail to teach the importance of balance in the pursuit of life’s goals. Success and balanced growth are not mutually exclusive. They are like inseparable Siamese twins. A balanced life is reflective of all growth areas which are physical, intellectual, spiritual, moral, and material. They must all develop together in balanced harmony.
Personal success development based on material prosperity is deficient if devoid of good moral values and sound spiritual growth leading to godliness. We must continue to maintain our health as we strive to be rich and successful. Health is wealth. If you are rich without being healthy, you are poor indeed: what does it profit a man who gains the world and loses his soul?
My message here is that, human development must be balanced in all areas of life to be worthwhile. Within each component of growth, physical, intellectual, spiritual, moral and material, you have to balance your growth to be fully healthy in that particular area. Nutrients, vitamins, supplements, and good food translate into balanced diet, so does sound mental development based on healthy staple of good education. Up-to-date knowledge, and quality information give vibrant intellect.
The operative word here is balance. Extremism of any kind is bad for healthy growth. Too much of anything is bad. Anything done in excess produces bad outcomes. Moderation should be the watch word for anyone who intends to succeed and still retain their sanity. Extremist ideologies threaten world peace, as does religious intolerance, racism, tribalism, or any form of supremacist philosophy.
Sometimes, indiscriminate reading without caution could lead to atheism, which is self-immolation. Also, a holier-than-thou attitude is hypocritical and dangerous for community harmony. It could lead to strife. People must learn to maintain a balance in whatever they do. All work, no play, makes Johnny a dull boy. That’s a warning for the so-called “workaholics,” who believe that they must overwork to make money at all cost.
While hard work is good, it is working smart and the grace of God that can make one rich. The wisdom for wealth creation is given by God Almighty to anyone He pleases. That’s beside the point. Let’s learn to live a balanced life. It is exhilarating for anyone to achieve an equilibrium in all spheres of life.
Nature itself compels us to take a break, or we break down, if we refuse to rest. You are supposed to sleep well. Nature sleeps; if you don’t rest, you become restless. Rest, holiday or any kind of break from normal daily hustle and bustle helps the body to recover from the wear and tear of daily struggle.
Have you noticed that when things lose balance, they collapse? That’s precisely what happens to you when you lose your balance. This is a wakeup call for you to adjust any area of your life that’s out of order before it’s too late.
Weekend Spice: The ability to rejoice comes when you trust God in spite of all you are going through. – Dr. Jane Onaolapo
Ok folks, let’s do it again next Friday. Stay motivated.
Ayodeji is an author, rights activist, pastor and life coach. He can be reached on [email protected] and 09059243004 (SMS only)