YouthUp

THE LOUDEST SILENCE

You remember this common phrase, "short people over do"? If that's a crime of some sort, then, We all are culpable.

I can't remember with absolute precision what my attention-seeking techniques were as a child, but I can bet they're very effective.

My little boy commands an array of such tricks too, and he always wins. Children are very good at that

Growing up, salutations, for many of us means love. At other times, we'd wished we’re treated with much respect called praise names, and have people say pleasant things to and about us.

As far as I understand , life's a race for recognition, acceptance and validation.

I'd never allowed myself to be associated with weakness and failure. And I'd not stand rejection.

Understandably, my chastisers were branded foes, and praise singers were christened buddies.

As I reflect the whole scenario now, I can't help but realize how childish I really was both in words, thoughts and deeds.

Found in a generation of celebrities where many're left feeling guilty and deeply insecure about who they are, nothing can be as soothing as getting the solicited attention.

There's nothing wrong with seizing the moment. We all need attention at some points in our lives, and want to be sure our friends and relatives appreciate our worth.

It's not only socially acceptable, its completely natural to want to feel respected and valued.

Attention-seeking habit isn't always a sign of deficiency or low self-worth, unless of course, it stems from an indiscriminate hunger for approval and a deep sense of desuetude and or neglect.

It's very unhealthy however, to allow one's happiness and comfort to be determined by others.

Again, It's pertinent to know what one can and cannot do. And if one knows how to do anything at all, then, there's a possibility of being the best at it.

All it requires is innovation and consistency in silence.

Don't be vague, but also don't be too obvious. Let them speculate; that's what humans do. It's allowed. It's the style of the game changers who imprint their names in the sand of time.

Like David, the shepherd boy, who was despised and overlooked, who had no form nor comeliness.

But became a King, preferred over his brethren who were extraordinary in physique but lacking in substance.

Crowned "Man of the Moment" because he killed the Giant thanks to the lonely moments in the bush,

The isolation, the drills and the rehearsals, the patience and the resilience, the vigils, the pains, the diligence and the resolve, the consistency and the faith that drives the hope that some day, "Hustlele go Pay" when jungle mature. (A set of stuff that makes a king).

David's ascendency came as a surprise to all but the Lord who sees in secret. There's always an open reward for every secret adventure.

David understood that to get the real attention one has to work hard, not scramble for it.

Genuine attention, true compliments come unsolicited to those who'd earned it.

It's a function of possessing the right values. Humans are attracted to values not puzzles.

It's a good thing to attract attention, but it's better to equip oneself with the right values.

That's the silence more effective than words.



They'll look for you someday, and you'll be celebrated.



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NDUB'ISI (LIFE'S SUPREME)

I was in Katsina then, when the call came in; "hello.., hello..,
where are you? your brother is dead", the caller said.

Excuse me, please what did you say? I enquired.
"I said your brother is dead", the caller reiterated, and then dropped the call.

The caller must have dialed a wrong number, I thought, perhaps I didn't hear him clearly. I wasn't sure what the feeling was like but there was enough confusion in my head at that point I'd nearly called it a bluff.

My heart started getting heavy almost immediately, and not being prepared for a gloomy news, I'd hesitated before redialing the number;

"hello, pls who're you..?" I enquired again. And a few seconds into the dialogue, it'd dawned on me. The thing I dreaded most has befallen me.

That was my first dessert experience, not my first major loss though. I'd never been that devastated. This's different, in that I never saw it coming.

I recall sharing with NDUB'ISI years before his passing, my thoughts about life. (Not knowing what his name translates then) I'd told him why I think life's supreme.

He was surprised to hear it from his little brother. He didn't have to tell me how grateful he felt for that; I saw it in his eyes.

It wasn't too long after his passing on that I learnt the meaning of his name - LIFE'S SUPREME.

It's been said "People don't realize what they have until it's gone" The same can be said of life itself. Sometimes, It's through our losses that life can truly be appreciated.

Our lives can be so busy we forget how it's so fragile.
Without the right appreciation of the essence of our lives, we can waste it so easily.

Someone once said "The purpose of life is to live it". Being alive is the very essence of life. Every other thing is dependent on it.

Life presents us with all the opportunities to a happy and fulfilled life. It's the only access we have to all nature's gifts and treasures.

Life is the most precious gift that we have of God. We should take care of it, embrace and cherish it. Life's as precious as Living it is fun.

Nothing is as amazing as being alive, to behold all the beautiful things around us, to hear all the pleasant sounds, and to pursue all our wonderful dreams and aspirations, to love and to be loved, to grapple with all life's ups and downs, Etcetera etcetera.

Life's so good, but being alive is our greatest asset. It's the guaranty we can achieve those lofty feats, become better human beings for ourselves and others.

Life may frown at you sometimes, but it sure will smile at you in due time. No matter how bad you have it, just don't forget to breathe.

Living is the only validation of all we hope for, the only way we can express our essence.

Do not put your life or anyone's in harm's way for any reason. Just as you can't give it, don't take it.

Live, and let's live. Life's the ultimate, life's supreme. Please stay safe, stay alive.

GIVE AND TAKE
The "Urashi" river in my community used to serve as a primary source of drinking water until recent times.

The growing presence of pipe borne water and borehole in many rural communities have brought a sigh of relief to many who hitherto travel far distances to access potable water.

Whereas trekking a reasonable distance for water could be so daunting a task for many, it was on the contrary a great fun and a fascinating exercise for many of us in our early teens.

In a bid to maneuver the crooked and rigorous river path, we'd a meticulously devised technics that helped us stay afloat. We ran the marathon among other things. And before you'd say "Jack Robinson" we're already home, with such and such gallons of water.

Faced with my current trekking reality a few years down the line, I just can't help wondering how we'd managed to achieve such feat. It beats my imagination to think of the long distances to and from school too.

What changed?

The law of diminishing returns applies as much to life as it applies to economics. There are opportunity costs to everything. We can't have it all.

Life comes in stages. Each stage is expected to school us through to another. If we miss it in one stage, we'll struggle in the next, and if we fail to maximize the lessons in one, we'll constitute a nuisance in the other.

Though people hit their prime at different ages, we must admit the inevitable: that ageing often comes with a whole lots that combat inherent abilities.

As we climb the ladder of life, we might find that we no longer can do the simple things we once did with great ease. That's the way it is.

But if we do the little we can today, they just might turnout to be the great things for tomorrow.

It's better to stay focused on what we have the best shot at and commit to it while we have the chance.

TWO SIDES OF A COIN
We've heard that "the world turns around", it's so big, and so small too, full of light, and darkness. It just depends on where one's standing.

It's also been said, " two are better than one;" because they have a good reward for their labour. If they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. A tree doesn't makes a Forest:

But if there're two sides in a coin, One's the "Have", and the other, the "Have Not", they both carry that burden of care and fear, a common identity. If it's the turn of one today, it'll be the other's tommorow. Not their fault, it's the outcome of natural selection, a reflection of diversity

One's wise, the other's not. One's smart, but the other's smarter. They both are and have things but always differing. One wants victory, the other wants progress. One wants the peace, the other wants the war. One's got the East, the other, the West, both are well equipped for survival, the ultimate goal.

What has the wise more than the fool, and the rich than the poor? One is as much a human as the other.
They both breath the same air and are headed the same destination, maybe.

The North is as good to one as the South is to the other, diversity is inevitable. They may understand and work out a common ground.

Else compete one with the other and both perish or complement one the other and both live, happier, to leave the world better than they met it.

This, except that they heed each his own way would have been a collective goal and path to a fulfilled end.

We're who we're, because of where we're.

...POOR ON THE SURFACE

Have you learnt to see beyond the surface? Do you know what might be lying beneath a surface?

Often times, great things don't look it on the surface. Don't be deceived by the surface. The story of Naomi is a case in point.

It's inherent in man to appreciate what he can see than what he can't.. Ignorance of the things not visible to the eye is one common deficiency man shall always carry with him.

Moses carried his rod for years before realizing "it isn't just a rod". He was carrying uncommon power bud didn't know it. He was looking at the surface.

Nigeria isn't looking what it truly is, so are it's citizens. Look beyond the surface, get the real thing before you "Japa".

OIL & THE WHEEL

The 19th century was remarkable for a number of historical events, the most notable being the industrial revolution - the prime mover of a trend of major events in Africa.

It marked the beginning of an era - the era of the deployment of machines in the production of industrial goods and machinery.

The IR however, would have been a total failure but for the adequate supply of raw materials from Africa.

To keep the wheel of the industrial machines spinning, Vegetable oil (Palm & groundnut oil) was an essential prerequisite, and had to be sourced at all costs.

This was the main factor that led to the colonization of Africa. The rest is history.

That's how far the colonialists had had to go to sustain their industrial potentials.

How far are you willing to go to sustain your God-given abilities?

It's one thing to discover your potentials, but sustaining it is another. Your God-given abilities are kept alive by the streams of inspirations you're exposed to.

While there maybe different sources of inspiration, divine inspiration is ever unparalleled. It'd however require you to maintain a stable state of mind and spirit to be able to enjoy it.

You'd probably experienced an unusual emptiness, confusion and some feeling of power failure and or a disconnect at some point. Those could be signs you're not maintaining the right mindset.

To enjoy the best of inspirations from other sources, you'd have to firstly identify, treasure and be committed to the one(s) that suites. It's your power house.

Inspiration is to your potentials what oil is to the wheel of the industrial machines.

BE INSPIRED!!!

BEFORE THE FALL

He had been nominated to anchor one of the Department's interactive sessions at the time. It was one of the few occasions where students had got to dip their filthy hands in the same dish as their distinguished lecturers. Jokes were allowed, and Mr. Willson was a Lord of it.

He had barely grabbed the Mic when jokes started flying from every angle. And in a bid to keep the pitch high before a cheering audience, Willson, a final year student of History, had cracked one of his most controversial jokes:
"This gathering reminds me of the ancestors who had had to gather like this in their days, except that they did it without coverings of any kind, and felt no shame as it was the norm. If it were today, it means I'll be able, from this podium, to see everyone's THING. Including that of my Profs."

The audience had started feeling very uncomfortable when he quickly added;
"But, you don't have to contemplate it: that was before the "FALL".

How this early primitive man had transitioned into the master of the planet over time leaves everything to be desired.

It has alienated him from his natural self and habitat and left a major dent on his humanity with the attendant social disintegration and spiritual emptiness.

He's far more civilized than the ancestors, but is he much happier?
Does modern life make him smarter?

He's gained so much but lost a great deal too.

The ancient human much more likely lived a happy rather than a depressed life, in peace than in war.

He lived in caves, simple huts, Hunted his games, and gathered food from trees and other plants.

He lived in a community where very body was a worker. There was hardly any loiterer or idler. Security was a collective responsibility

Acquisitiveness for the purpose of gaining power and prestige was not necessary. "I pass my neighbor" was a rare phenomenon as there was a fair and equitable distribution of wealth.

From each according to his ability, and to each according to his needs. There was enough to satisfy everyone's need, not greed.

But that was before the FALL.
Before his humanity was lost.

Thousands of years of inventions and discoveries have not made him any better. Running faster and faster but getting nowhere

Compared to what most people in history dreamed about, he may be living in paradise, but for some reason, he doesn't feel that he is.

Higher standards of living doesn't translate into greater happiness and fulfilment. All that glitters are not gold.

Have you pondered? The life before the "FALL"? Someone had delved into it and constructively arrived at "There Was A Country".

Not to applaud the distant past, no: not to chide the present, but perhaps to save what remains of the precarious future.

An unending dialogue between the past and the present might guarantee safe corridor to destiny.

So, before your next move, before you take that next step, before History repeats its self on your account, think first of the standard before the "FALL".

Whose'd you copy, the ancient or the modern? Whatever your resolve,

Do not stifle the humanity in you. Be the best you can be. Learn from what's good. Be kind to all kinds. You were human before the FALL.

Remain human, remain blessed.

"...NOT OF HIM THAT RUNNETH"

I once asked an Uber driver how he coped with the rising insecurity in his city at the time, the answer he gave me left me questioning my age long safety precautions.

He said to me, "bro, I'm out here to pursue just one goal: and as far as achieving it is conerned, there's no amount of threat to my life that can deter me.

When I asked him what his goal was; "to put food to the table", he said.

He then concluded with these remarks: "if it's not in my agenda to bring anyone down, then, no one can bring me down. Nontheless, if the worst happens in the cause of my hustles, then, I'd 've lost nothing since I was serving out my purpose".

"Ooomor"! This guy no be from here o, I exclaimed. That's one hell of a mindset many would rather consider unscrupulous.

But wait a little: shouldn't we rather maintain a similar disposition? How much of a constraint does our fear of the unknown pose to our legitimate hustles?

If you think you have a very dubious and reckless adversary, then you need to hear this:

Herod Antipas was an unsavory and unscrupulous puppet ruler of the Romans, and certainly not one to be trifled with.

The Pharisees, aware of his unholy devices had previously send warnings to Jesus, asking Him to stay away from his city - Galilee.

Jesus would have had every reason to have been afraid of him and to possibly had halted His mission after all.

But He'd said instead; "Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the day following.."

.In a similar situation, He had also retorted; "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world".

And yet again, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them falls to the ground without your father's approval. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows".

If this still doesn't make any sense to you, then, permit me to explain.

God alone is in charge of our safety and security. If He lifts us, no one can pull us down. If He's for us, no one can be against is.

As we set out to accomplish our purpose this week, the adversary shall pursue in vain. As we hustle to put food to the table, in vain shall the enemy lie in wait for our lives.

Fret not, Your Security is Guaranteed!!!

IT'S NEVER A COINCIDENCE

Some time in 2013, there was a particular "All-Night" in my CHURCH. As the keyboardist, I'd usually leave school every weekend to go play each Sunday service, and maybe during major church events.

Before the All-Night, I'd never been known to possess any singing ability much less leading a praise/worship session. So, it appeared strange to all who watched me sing that night.

...What Happened...?

Back in my final year in school, I used to visit this particular playground at night, (about 1KM from the boys hostel where i stayed). I'd often go there to meditate and pray, in a bid to avoid the usual noise and distractions in the hostel.

Before long, I'd started noticing striking differences between this new place and other places where I've had quiete times.

I could dance and sing out loud here, always on my feet. (Never used to it). Felt more renewed staying longer than usual, plus, I'm more energetic and more expressive here than elsewhere.

I was like; come oh! What's happening here? Different worship songs getting into my head with a proportional energy to shout it out loud. It was so strange! Over time, it became my daily routine.

So, at the All-Night, I'd felt the same way. It was an urge too strong to resist. I simply said to my team "I feel like singing tonight".

Out of respect, they obliged and the result was mind blowing. One of the biggest shocks ever.

...My Lessons...

You see, the gift is always there, but like the seed of an apple, our gifts do not and cannot grow on a wrong soil.

The manifestation of our gift can never be by coincidence. There'd never had been a story of David and Goliath if there had not been the forest experience.

To identify and grow our gift, our environment is everything. Our world is full of noise and distractions, same with our lives.

We've got to learn to walk away from our noisy and distractive comfort zone. Abram left his family and country. There's never been a better time to walk away than now.

Avoid people who give you all those negative stuff and talk you out of your vision. We can carefully hand pick our friends.

Meditation and quiet times offer opportunities for deeper self-reflections that activates multiple parts of the brain and give us time to turn down the inner noise. It also helps us with increased awareness of the treasures that have long been neglected.

We can start our exodus today. We can spice up our every day with quiet times. We can learn to keep company with people who are pregnant with dreams. We can surprise our world.

CHEERS!

HOW TO KNOW HE'S WITH YOU EACH DAY.

Waking up each morning is one of the ways I understand God is with me, and has given me the day.

Because I know only Him dishes and allocates life to every thing that has breath, and that He cannot make a mistake about it.

Another way is to feel my body, perhaps with a little strength and energy enough to mumble out a "Thank You" to Him, and "Good morning" to my folks.

The above two are more reassuring a sign to me than any other thing anyone can think of in the whole wide world.

That feeling of "God chose me" then beget another feeling of "He knows I'm here" at any point in my life.

That's the feeling that strikes out all my fears and sense of insecurity. It gives me that uncommon boldness and confidence to face each day.

It's my guarantee that I'm not alone, and need neither fear nor worry. That I'm the sheep of the good Shepherd. That I can go in and out and find pasture.

So, I lay me down in Peace and sleep. I confidently swing into action and hit the ground running as soon as He wakes me up each morning. I don't wait for life, I go to meet it. Cos, i ve got the approval of God, I'd sure make the most of it.

He's always on your side as long as you have the breath of life, for He it is that chose you to live and to succeed, not anyone else.