The money or the work?

Hello there.....
Here's a question some interviewers ask...
WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU: THE MONEY OR THE JOB?

I reckon that many of us already have our answers but allow me to share a few thoughts. Mind you, there are no right or wrong answers, just what you believe.

Have you noticed how fast money goes? Well everybody needs money, the question is how much money would we need until we stop needing money? or perhaps we can look at it from another point of view...Money does a lot for us.....we need to get comfy, take good care of ourselves, afford ourselves some deserved luxury as many of us would say after suffering for so long...truth is money goes into a lot if things as we see fit.....

The work part though, hmmm, this has got me thinking, i can't currently have an IQ of 130 and just want to live a less challenging or productive life style...where would all that zeal go?

To want to know more, do more, say more, touch more. You know, I was once privileged to be lectured by a great man who said and I quote:
"There is so much more to see than you have ever seen"
"So much more to know than you have ever known"
"So much more to hear than you have ever heard"
"So much more to do than you have ever done".

As I heard those words, in that moment, I knew I would always want to know and have more knowledge....and according to Charles  Ogbulogbo, Professor of Linguistics and Vice Chancellor Covenant University, speaking to the Elite set of 2015 "I will forever be a Life Long Learner and an example of properly developed CHARACTER".

My conclusion: If you're putting your heart and soul into an assignment and you aren't properly rewarded or if you neglect the place of being productive up until a point where your life's work begin to set others in line for the money, it wouldn't be a decision well made.

Kindly share your thoughts in the comment section. Thank you

To Nurture 2

...I nodded as I continued to stare at the coffin. "Mark talked about you a lot," he said

After the funeral, most pwople headed out for lunch, Marks mother and father were there obviously waiting for me. "We want to show you something,"His father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times.

I knew without looking that the papers were the ones I had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him. "Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."

Mark's classmates started to gather around us. Chuck smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list, its in the top drawer of my desk at home." John's wife said, "John asked me to put his in our wedding album." "I have mine too." Marilyn said. "it's in my diary." Then Vicki, another classmate reached into her pocket book, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me all the time," Vicky said without batting an eyelash. "I think we all saved our lists".

Thats when I finally sat down and cried.

                                                                     END

What would make so many adults hold on to a piece of paper they had received years ago as a kid, some of them carrying those papers every where they went, even into battle in a rice paddy halfway around the world. Its appreciation every one is incredibly hungry for APPRECIATION and RECOGNITION. As you interact with people, walk slowly through the crowd. Remember peoples names and take time to show them you care. Make other people a priority in your life over every other thing. IT WILL MAKE YOU A PERSON OF SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE IN THEIR LIVES.

To Nurture...

Hello wonderful people, allow me to share a short story of a teacher I encountered while reading a book.

BRAINS are like HEARTS, they go where they are APPRECIATED

One day in the classroom, things just didn't feel right. We had worked hard on a new concept all week, and I sensed that the students were growing frustrated with themselves- and becoming edgy with one another. 

I had to stop this crankiness before it got out of hand. So, I asked them to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving  a space between each.Then I told them to think of the nicest thing to say about each of their classmates and write it down..

It took the remainder of the class period to finish the assignment and as each student left the room, each handed me their papers....

That Saturday, I wrote the name of each student on a fresh piece of paper and listed what every one else had said about the individual. On Monday, I gave each student his or her list. Some of them ran two pages. Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" I heard whispered,"I never knew I meant anything to anyone", "I didn't know others liked me so much!"

No  one ever mentioned those papers in class again. I never knew if they discussed it after class or with their parents. It didn't matter the exercise had accomplished its purpose.The students were happy with themselves and one another again.

That group of students moved on. Several years later, after I had returned from a vacation, my parents met me at the airport.As were driving home, Mother asked me the usual questions about the trip: How the weather was, my experience in general. There was a slight lull in the conversation, mother gave dad a sideways glance and simply said "dad?" My father cleared his throat. "The Eklunds called last night," he began.

"Really?" I said. "I haven't heard from them in several years, I wonder how mark is....." 

Dad responded quietly, "Mark was killed in Vietnam," he said . "The funeral is tomorrow, and his parents would like it if you could attend." 

I had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before.....

The church was packed with Mark's friends. [His old classmates] Chuck's sister sang "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" Why did it have to rain on the day of the funeral? It was difficult enough at the grave side. The pastor said the usual prayers. One by one, those who loved Mark took a last walk by the coffin and sprinkled it with holy water. I was the last one to bless the coffin. As I stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as a pallbearer came up to me "Were you Mark's maths teacher?"

kindly check newer post for the complete story.

Perspective on our Generation

Hello everyone, its been a long while and I duly apologize for being absent for two months due to operational constraints. I am back and stronger. 

 

I  came across this challenging write up in my study...till i completed reading it. There are two ways to view this post, what is your perspective on our generation?

 

Our Generation

 Our genertion will be known for nothing

Never will anybody say

We were the peak of mankind

That is wrong, the truth is

Our generation was a failure

Thinking that we actuallly succeeded

Is a waste and we know 

Living only for money and power

Is the way to go  

Being loving, respectful and kind 

Is a dumb thing to do

Forgetting about that time,

Will not be easy but we will try

Changing our world for the better

Is something we never did

Giving up

WAS how we handled our problems

Working hard 

Was a joke

We knew that 

People thought we couldn't come back 

That might be true

Unless we turn things around

(READ FROM BOTTOM TO TOP NOW)

His Presence

I shut my eyes tight
The microphone is so firm in my hands
I bounce like I keep stepping on snakes with venom, yet I am not hurt....

I don't even need to look at the keyboardist and the back up worshippers

I feel heaven
I taste the glory of God
I can't even feel my feet on the floors
I leave the Holy spirit to do His work
I know he is touching hearts and spirits

He's everything
Feeling everything
Seeing everything
Changing everything in obedience to God
Working everything to his supreme will.

I have always wanted this supreme being to engulf me and make me see life as it should be worshipping him. He heard me. He used me for his glory.

I feel alive in his presence and do u know the best part? I love him and I'll never leave him.

Love Always
Ireti

TELLING

This section was inspired by a friend very close to my heart.... He said to share some of my experiences as you I really would not know who would benefit from it.

Life is all shades you know and pretty interesting..In every relationship, your true self is involved and we begin to make the most painful mistakes when we tell white lies or hold the truth back....

My first nerve-unsettling encounter ate me up so much and I felt like I didn't know my body, I could be very firm, straight faced and official with other people, smiling only when necessary but around him I couldn't hold out for long.....

Seeing him with other girls was so annoying but i didn't have anything on him so.....I longed for a release. It was eating me up and you know what?  One day, I just told him, 'I have something to tell you'....After walking a few steps, I just rapped my speech ....his response was 'I knew all along'....and we kinda got closer from then.......

So looking back now, I don't think telling it was the smartest decision but I just couldn't live with the lie, but if I have anything to my credit now, its the fact that I was truthful and I cooked up the courage to TELL...We didn't date but life goes on....

There it is...
The truth will hurt when you deny it
Love happens every time.....
So spread ur wings and cut down on the blocks you've built....

U can also share your experiences with me on this platform....I'll be happy to hear from you..

Someone Heard Shhhhhh

So someone actually read and heard me, I would love to think. Thirty minutes of light is  a good start I think. But we have got to do better.

I embrace positivity not negativity
I embrace enthusiasm not ill sarcasm
I embrace optimism not pessimism
I embrace love not hate

Same goes for all that's happening in the world, Nigeria and beyond,  let's choose to do good in our own ways. Notice, I did not say " do good in our own little ways"  because there is nothing little about the every single good thing we do. 

Music Icon, Lionel Richie, once said, "Talent is a God given gift not a colour". The same applies. Your skin color is no better than the other person. Evey life is invaluable.

Saving a persons life is a great deed, so also giving a small parcel of your equally small food" to someone else. I am begging, let us stop killing.

I love Nigeria
I love Africa and
I love Gods earth.

Who's To Blame? PT 1

(Hey people, been a long time since I did this so enjoy and leave your comments. Bless Up)

Festac, Nigeria

“Doctor, can you give me a sensible explanation, how did I end up here?” Marilyn Duke looked the doctor over with an expression that was no less than irritation. “You don’t even know what happened to you, do you? Your husband brought you up here and had to leave for work later. You were unconscious” He leveled her stare. In that single moment, understanding flushed. Ronald had beaten her bad again. The last time, he had sworn with heaven and the sands of the sea that he would never hit her again. She never understood why she always forgave him and stayed back with him despite her resolution to not.

This time she would rather die than be mocked by herself again. “Thank you for your time doctor but can I be discharged?” This time the doctor was nicer “Marilyn, this is the fourth time we will be treating you of these injuries. This time, it is very serious”. Her chest did a fast take. She didn’t understand what he was saying but she sensed ill news. 

“Marilyn, you were three weeks pregnant but you lost it. I am very sorry.” “Ah”, she couldn’t say more, her eyes produced tears in a quantity she had never seen before, wiping was no choice as she chewed the edge of her skirt. The muscles of her face contracted and released themselves in succession as she kept sniffing in and out.

 

In that moment, nothing was more appealing than frying Ronald in hot oil or cutting off his tongue, hands and ears. She wanted to die. ”Err, Marilyn, your husband just put a call through, the nurses told him you’re better and he is on his way as we spe..” She didn’t even give him the luxury of finishing his sentence as she pulled Doctor Montgomery by his lab coat collar forcefully with all the strength she had just gained from recovering. “You will get me out of here this minute!”

Things should change

Its highly unfair that in a Country like this, the only reason when we see light for about six hours in a day is because there is a political aspirant around, How is a society expected to make progress when simple light to charge our phones, we don't have!

Now I  haven't been able to use my system for close to two weeks. Don't shake your head and say "you never see" because indeed light is our right and there should be a message to the people when there's a need for power to go out! A day is too much but here its like, "whenever, you see light, thank your stars and quickly plug your devices ki ina to lo"

All of these are very frustrating, I can't remember the last time I did GMAT tests with my system, I decided to make hard copies and the shop I got to uses generator CONSTANTLY. They told me to pay #30 for a page. That was absolutely unacceptable, I was going to pay her above #5000 if I printed all that I put on my flash drive.

What is it sef with this country, can someone tell me why I can't even have constant light, a truly working system( not overly expensive), a printer and a photocopier in my room?!

Why do I have to power water from a well every blessed time I need water in my house? It is strenuous and SO NOT a woman's job! What happened with the government water projects. What exactly do the youths have to look forward to in this country after striking endlessly, taking years off their lives. Why can't some schools release results of graduated students during their pass out? Must it be five years later?

I must also mention. Have you seen queues people form to collect their money at bank ATMS? People get angry that they have to queue for so long and begin to raise their voices at each other almost causing a riot. Mark my words, it is absolutely wrong for Nigerians to wait more than 30MINUTES to collect money that is surely theirs. If you wonder where I am talking from, Its Obudu, Cross River. Don't dare say its a small town and start comparing it to Calabar because when bad things happen? They start with the small cities!

Change must really come. I am bitter about all these but I hold onto hope ... If you think I have said something wrong or you want to hear more of the Nigerian child's conditions from my point of view, send  a mail to iretiyanu@gmail.com

I AM NIGERIAN AND CHANGE MUST OCCUR IN ALL SECTORS

You Can and will Be Better

GET GOING

Different thoughts are on my mind so I might not be able to tell it all in a very corresponding manner. First thoughts i wish to share revolve around the essence of life as we see it and know it to be. I know you all have puzzled back and forth what the essence of life is. For those of us youths trying to define our career path, I know it seems like a hell of a task, we have to sit with our devices and tabulate or group that which we know we can do and should set about doing, its in this same duty that we find out what it is that we aren't supposed to be doing.

You know, in my own search, I discovered the following things I do not excel at:

I have no desire to become an engineer of any type

I have no desire to sit at tailoring machine but I can critic and admire styles

I have no desire to be a medical practitioner

I have no desire to be a musician

These few....... 

THESE I KNOW I CAN DO AND BE BETTER AT:

I have a strong passion to reform the Nigerian Education sector

I have a strong voice and a body that moves well but i will not bank on it

I love children and look forward to doing a great deal for children, nursing mothers and the aged

I love to keep learning, learning from the works of other authors

I love to one day render life changing speeches

I love to bare my heart out through every piece I write and I would never stop writing

 

SO.....Maybe i haven't mentioned something you are good at or even if we do not have anything in common OR if we do, lets all keep this in mind, we all are different but at the end of the day we all are the same. My mother would fondly say when someone takes up her business idea, "The sky is enough for all birds to fly without touching each other". Love you Mama.