Do You Build Up or Tear Teardown?

Most of the time we say things to people without thinking of their possible consequences. We either enjoy seeing others hurt or we as a people don't value the worth of our words.

The moment words are uttered, they can never be taken back. It's so strange how one word which is wrongly spoken can generate a very heated war. With our words, we can build up tear down a nation.

Words are extremely powerful. A whole lot of people who had the potential to be of greater good to society gave up on their dreams because of words that others uttered to them. Some people also who gave up on themselves have become more than what they could never anticipate just because someone believed in them and encouraged them.

It is so sad that people choose to destroy. My question is, if with words you can help build a better society by building a better people, why then do most of us find it difficult to build but easy to tear and destroy?

It will sound unbelievable, but it takes much more energy to destroy than it takes to build. Why can't we just say "well done", "try again if it doesn't work out the first time", "keep up the good work", etc. Instead, we take all the time and tell people why we think what they are doing is never going to work. We talk and talk until we convenience them that truly, it's not going to work.

Do we act out of ignorance or we are just indifferent towards the feelings and passions of others? Won't we all, no matter how remotely, be beneficiaries of the achievements of these people if they make it? Won't we be proud to be a part of their success stories? Wouldn't it be worth our while if through our encouraging words, one more youth is employed or change from a bad behavior?

If you answered 'yes' to all or even one of the questions above, then you agree with me that we should be proactive. We should change our words, actions and attitudes toward others, especially those who are trying to make something meaningful out of their lives. We should learn to offer words that will help them realize that, though they are not where they want to be, they are better off today than they were before they started.

So when next you see or speak to someone who wants to give up on life, remember this and let your encouraging words build them up.

You never know when your words will be the fuel that another will need to continue on in the journey of life. Be there for me when I need you and maybe, someday I may be just who you will need to go on. 

CELEBRATING MY MOTHER

How can anybody replace her?

 

Imagine working single-handedly to feed ten children of your own and those of other people as well. When the world is asleep, she is thinking of where to get the next meal for all these "soldiers". As early as 2:30 am, she is up getting things ready just so we would not be late for school.

I don't remember even one morning any of us woke up to bathe with cold water. Water was always on fire for our use.

All of us had our preferences when it came to food  and not once did any of us compromise on what to eat. Imagine cooking more than two different foods every morning.

 

When it comes to soup, some didn't like palm nut soup, some didn't like 'light-soup' and some some still didn't like any of the two. That meant that, at any point in time, there should be more than one soups per each serving. 

Call her at anytime of the day and tell her what you would want to eat and it would be ready by the time you get there.

What more can I write? And this is not even a tip of all that she has done and continues to do.

 

She really is the only one of a kind.

Partial Truth or Lies

Is there truly anything called 'partial truth'?

 

The truth, as Jesus said, will set you free. It has a healing capacity. However, it mostly hurts in one way or the other. Because of this, some people would rather opt not to know. They always say that, what you do not know doesn't kill you.

 

However, there are some who would rather get the truth as it is without any pretence. Such people can't tolerate any iota of lies. They are capable of 'crucifying' any person who lies to them.

 

To be on the safer side, people who are unwilling to speak the truth these days have gone in for a more sophisticated term instead of what it is - a lie. The sophisticated term? Partial truth.

 

Isn't it ironic? I mean, is there anything between the truth and the lie? It is just like saying that something is neither good nor bad. How in the world can that be? A partial truth is called a lie. There is no point in not calling it what it is. Just like a lie entangles the one who speaks it, partial truth does same.

 

If you choose not to say anything to a person who assumes wrong about you on who you know you are not, it is tantamount to speaking a lie. If they are not in the known about who you are, then, the onus is on us to correct them.

 

Of course, this is where the temptation of partial truth comes in. If you don't say anything to debunk their assumptions, you don't end up as the bad guy. After all, that way, nobody will accuse you of lying.

 

You shouldn't let the little burden our consciences with the guilt of partial truths when we can truly be free with whole truths.

 

So, when next you are tempted to encourage others who are mistaken about who and what you really are, you should remember that there is nothing like partial truth. Opt for the right thing - the TRUTH.

Loosing our values - doesn't anybody care?

 

 What a Change?

 

 Some few years ago, growing up, we were taught to respect the elderly. I mean, we were taught to offer our seats to the elderly in public transports, offer them help in carrying their loads and so on and so forth. Those days were phenomenal. Unfortunately, few years down the lane, there is a dramatic change.

 

These days all we seem to focus on are their "rights". It's good and all that we teach these kids about their rights but the world would be a better place if we could teach them about the rights of others as well as respect for others. 

 

 Kids don't offer their seats to the elderly anymore because it is "their right". Teaching a child to offer his or her seat to the elderly might sound "old-fashioned", but then, most of the times, the truth sounds old-fashioned.

 

With all the "rights" going about these days with so little responsibilities, it's not surprising at all that the younger generation act the way they do towards the older generation. What we all seem to forget is that, one day soon, we will all find ourselves at the other side of the coin.

 

We , the younger generation of today, will be the older generation of tomorrow. In our own interest as a people, we should go back to the old ways.

 

After all, what is the essence of right if there is no responsibility attached to it? 

How difficult it can be

is there a better way to deal with difficult persons?

 

It's very strange how some people will use every opportunity to attack and demean others. Around such people, one is always on the lookout.

 

These people are always on the edge. In their own insecurities, they try to make others pay for what crimes they have not committed. There really is no way of getting used to living with such people.

Most of the time, you don't even have to be wrong. They always get issues even where there is none. With the least provocation, they descend on you. They make mountains out of ordinary molehills. The question is, aside acknowledging that they are right even when they are not just to accommodate them, is there a way that one can get used to them?

 

I know one has to avoid them whenever possible but what is the way out when this option is not an alternative?

 

We might always have the desire of taking a bow.

 

Contrary, we have to make room for such people. We have to be strong where they are weak. We need not concentrate on their shortfalls. There are so many people out there putting them down with their pointing fingers.

 

If we are only interested in telling the world what is wrong with such people, then what is the difference we want to see in these people?

Let us try harder with such people and be the change that we want to see in them.