The Maze Of Life

I was pondering recently on some of my friendships, or would I say the relationships I’ve had along in life so far. Some are still very alive, some just there and others almost put out. I’ll say categorically that I’m one of those who don’t believe in cutting a friend off. Why? Why would you wake one day and decide not to keep relating to someone you share nice memories with? For those who do, some guts there I must say. But this topic would be for another time.

While I refer to these relationships, my focus is on the fact that I’ve discovered that each individual has a path to go through in life, and if you decide to walk yours comparing yourself to others in a negative way, you’ll be doing yourself more harm than good. “They that compare themselves with themselves are not wise”, says the scriptures. While we can learn from others, we should never be caught in the web of ungodly comparison. It can paralyze instincts and also make you to see yourself in the moulds of others, and not in your God given mould.

It would therefore be wrong to assume that someone is at an advantage to you all because of how things are working out for them now; because you really don’t know what lies ahead of hem

The truth is that, while keeping relationships, we tend to go through certain phases of life with certain people, even sharing the same experiences with them and making the same choices. However, a time will come when those seemingly same or familiar paths will get to separate (or come back together for some), all because of the different paths designed for each individual to go through in life. There is a proverb that says 20 children cannot play together for 20 years. How true!

It would therefore be wrong to assume that someone is at an advantage to you all because of how things are working out for them now; because you really don’t know what lies ahead of hem in the path they have to go through or what they might have even overcome before getting there. As such, comparing yourself with another person would only do you good, when you consciously make it a positive exercise.

I’ll emphasize positive exercise because the focus would be on how to challenge yourself by what the other person has become or has, or the lessons the person has learnt when they didn’t do it right. Take for example, a colleague who is doing well in business and has prospered. You can whine all day daydreaming about the days you spent together in school – how that you were a better student than him, how you were more spiritual than him (and probably still is), how you had better opportunities than him, and all that. That wouldn’t help you much. What will help is to ask what he has done to get to where he is today. What has he learnt on his way to the top? What are the shortcomings and failures he has learnt from? This is the positive way to challenge yourself to greater heights.

I hope I can exposit further on this in the coming posts.

Happy Independence!

Don’t Just Do It

I spent a larger part of my August preparing for another diet of my certification exams. That really shouldn’t be the excuse for not posting an article for a while now though, but I am really working on making every post a worthwhile read, so I’d rather miss out on my timing for just that while than post what won’t add value.


In the mean time however I have as usual been learning a number of new things which i look forward to sharing as time goes by.

In life, we often get the option of doing certain things, varying from regular daily activities to periodic ones, seemingly simple to complex or difficult things. These activities would vary for us all, the level of expectation would also vary depending on age, gender, educational achievement, work experience or social affiliation. While pondering on this recently, I’ve come to realise that getting to do some of what is expected of us is a level many need to reach, however, how well it is done along with how timely it is done is also another level.


My initial plan when I started the process to being certified as a Human Resource practitioner was to make it through the stages required of me. Since it was a challenge to attend the tutorials, I basically covered the syllabus on my own, but consoled myself with the fact that if I could make the minimum pass mark I could sail through.

I must confess I’ve been blessed so far with the past 2 diets but on completing this recent one I saw another angle to it. The body managing the certification is a local one, but I have an eye to also go international. I realised that if I attempted to request some form of exemption from the international body, my performance on all courses beyond just making the diet would be probed. So it was no longer about my being certified when I do go through the process, but how well I went through it.


My intention now, is to make sure that for the next and God willing last diet, I’ll study to excel through all the courses, so I can have an edge when I present my results to any foreign association. I won’t limit this drive to only my exams though, I work at making it a standard to work towards excellence and not just a pass mark in all else I do.

On this therefore I challenge all, what is it that you have found necessary to do, don’t just do it, do it real well, so you don’t only prevent the possibility of re-doing it, but you also allow it to speak for you wherever possible.

A Step Ahead

I’d always been and still remain a supporter of being updated, of being current, and of developing one-self continually but basically being a step ahead.

From time memorial, information has been the factor that takes one a step ahead and keeps one on the cutting edge. Continuous harnessing of information makes you current and abreast of what is going and trends which would likely predict future occurrences. This inevitably gives you an advantage.

Look for someone who is up to date on issues that concern his life and more and you’ll be sure to have found one that is a step ahead of his peers and contemporaries. From certain recent occurrences I’ve come to humbly accept this fact. And I’ve been challenged to remain informed, especially on those topics that affect me the most – the God I serve and what He is saying for the now, family & relationships, and of course finances. This however does not deter my learning more on other life issues as well. I just make sure I keep myself open to continual learning.

Despite my firm position on staying informed, another discovery along this line which further challenged me is not just getting informed but getting it fast and early enough as well as acting on it timely. It won’t be enough in these times to seek to have information, but getting it on time for it to make a significant difference and then acting on it.

Adam happens to know that free food would be available at the newly opened restaurant on the Friday the 13th, Benjamin got to know this on Thursday the 12th, and Caleb however didn’t just know on Thursday but put a reminder to have his lunch there which he made eventually. It’s very clear that the one who is a step ahead here is Caleb, making his timely information on hand work for him.

Information sources abound in numbers, the media, and the internet and of course the people around you. For much life changing information would also come from word of the mouth.
Therefore, to stay steps ahead, I challenge you with this acronym – GETA – Get (Information) Early, Take Action.

Know That End

As I type this post, I have directly sleeping in front of me a new bundle of joy in my small knit family. I must confess this has been the reason for the delay in updating this blog, since my intent for now is to share at least two new learnings every month. So my apologies for keeping you all in suspense, but sincerely, no apologies for sharing this wonderful news.

At a few minutes past 5 in the morning of the 17th of May, I was safely delivered of our baby boy, and it was indeed some experience. Looking back at the events that took place just before the actual birth, I can say there was indeed another discovery for me that I believe would encourage some of us at this time.

It is easier to labour when we know the reward that awaits us at the
end…

In life I have come to realize that nothing good comes easy – from excelling through school, to being happily married, to getting a good job / keeping a profitable business and even to something as seemingly small as eating a good meal or looking good. There’s usually that “tough” phase that we must just go through. It may be staying up all night to study ahead of an examination or waking up early to be at work or even standing in the kitchen for more than an hour to put together that meal.

The truth is this, when we do know what it is we actually intend to achieve or receive or own at the very end, that ‘tough’ phase is more bearable.

And for me, knowing that I was going to hold and smile on a baby that I could call my own again (in addition to the lovely daughter I already have) was an encouragement through that one and half hour of labour after the water broke. For the mothers reading this post, you’ll definitely agree this is one experience that is not easy to forget or go through however the wonderful reward of a new life coming through you is worth it all.

My encouragement therefore is this; always identify clearly what it is you intend to reach for. It’ll keep you going when it gets tough, when you have to sacrifice some conveniences or luxury of some sort just to get to that end. Keeping also in mind that that ‘labour’ period is only for a limited time.

Taking That Step

I don’t quite know how to start this post, especially since I have a number of things on my mind that I would love to share. Though I must confess it was not that easy getting behind the system to type this.

It’s a new habit – putting down thoughts to share for many to read. But like a lot of habits and addiction, it starts someday, continues with commitment or dedication of some sort and remains even in the subconscious till it becomes hard to break. I’m believing that FOOTSTEPS will become like that and remain.

Taking steps for many of us in any direction may not be much of a deal, particularly when it’s just walking from one point or place to another. It’s very much different for a toddler though, that has mastered crawling as a movement style and wishes to walk just like everyone else around. There’ll be moments of falling and landing hard on the “bom-bom” but with just the right motivation and consistency in trying, taking those steps, walking and even running eventually become sub-conscious activities.

So I’m ready to take my share of the tripping but have decided to keep getting up and taking those steps to share all I can from my learnings and those of others so that many may be guided, many may be encouraged and many may be enlightened.

On a final note today, I’d say…the truth is many of us have desired to take a step in a certain direction and somehow being unable to even lift our foot to take that step; some have started but not remained consistent, my challenge to you is if this step is towards a worthwhile cause then just take that step. Take time to ponder deeply on what stirred that desire, talk to anyone who shares the same passion or understands the cause, just do whatever you need to let that flame of the desire burn again and then just like me…take that step.

…the best time to plant a tree is 10 years ago, the next best time to do so is today.

My first Step

Mmmhh…This happens to be my very first post and I’m quite wondering how best to start it, you know how it is when doing something for the first time. You want it to be all nice, all memorable, so I’m trying to do that…

Okay let me confess that I’ve noticed that of late I say a lot of “truth is…”, so please do not be too alarmed seeing that often on Footsteps.

So…truth is I almost fought doing this. I believe strongly that there must be a logical reason at least when you take a step. When a number of my good friends started to open their blog pages or is it blogger? I was asked then when I’d start. I felt it’d be wrong starting ‘cos everyone was doing so. However I purposed that when I’m certain I had something to share and many of it, or rather the area I’d like to focus on and add value to others, then I would start.

Sometime at the end of August '07, the nudging came and the ideas came rushing in an overwhelming way and I had to agree I was close to my launch of a blog.

I feel honored to have this privilege to post a few lines regularly and would just use this opportunity to say my focus would be on what I have learnt, what I have discovered, and maybe sometimes what others have learnt. I will try not to make it too long especially since I know how it is seeing a long post and having so many others to still read.

I’d appreciate comments, views but would be really blessed to know my posts have helped others.

So on this official launch of Footsteps, I welcome you all, as I reveal my learnings, my discoveries and leave them like footsteps in the sands of time.



P.S – I eventually put myself together for this launch to coincide with my birthday this year especially as it’s a major milestone in my life… more on this in subsequent posts.