YOUTHS AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

For a positive and increased development in any developing country (like Nigeria), there is need for the introduction of a well-grounded ethics in the public service and transparency by administrators such that each one is accountable for his/her action/inaction.

When there is transparency of actions by administrators, accountability emerges thereby promoting development and growth of the economy, which will to a large extent reflect on the lives of youths.

Also, the empowerment of the youths towards development is very important. Empowerment Programmes/Policies should be put in place by government, aided by the international bodies to change the orientation of youths positively in developing countries.

Be that as it may, for development to exist in any country, the government, the people and the civil society of such country needs to improve on their various responsibilities towards the growth of the country, else, development remains a far cry.

AS YOUTHS, OUR EFFORTS TOWARDS DEVELOPING NIGERIA IS AS IMPORTANT AS MAKING OUR VISION COME TRUE, FOR OUR FUTURE IS CENTRED AROUND HOW WELL WE HANDLE OUR TODAY.

SO DO SOMETHING TODAY TO TAKE DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

THE BALL IS IN YOUR COURT

The meaning of life is deeply mixed with the philosophical and religious conception of existence, consciousness and happiness.

There are times in life when gloomy thoughts such as ‘life is a drag’……….‘what’s the point of anything’…………‘Can I ever be happy’………………come to the mind. Though it is perfectly normal, but should not be allowed to linger for long as negative thoughts can fester and lead to serious depression. That’s why it is important to take action early to bust yourself out of a slump.

In order to be able to stand firm in slippery places it is always important to engage in activities that are productive and also the ones that make you happy. Well, the following suggestions could help if accepted;

Understand the emotional cycle. Life is an emotional roller coaster. Some days you feel like nothing can stop you. Other days you feel utterly hopeless. Most of the time you’re somewhere in between. Understanding the pattern of positive and negative emotions will help you put your feelings in perspective. Such that any time you feel down, you remember that it’s a natural emotion that will inevitably pass. Knowing that a feeling of depression is only temporary makes it less dreadful.

Spend time with positive people. Nothing affects the way you think and feel more than the people you interact with. Thoughts (be it negative or positive) are contagious. If you are surrounded by negative people, it’s only natural that you’ll start to think and feel the same way. To improve your outlook in life, spend time with positive people. Search them out and try to understand the way they see the world.

Reflect on past success. In the wake of a colossal failure, it’s easy to forget everything you’ve ever done right. Take a few minutes to remember your past accomplishments and build yourself up. What made you successful before? What are your strengths? Frequently, this exercise will build self-confidence, help you figure out what went wrong, and generate ideas for success in the future.

Focus on gratitude. It’s human nature to measure ourselves against those ahead of us on the social ladder. As studies have it, people care more about being richer than their friends than actually making more money. When you consider everything good in your life and compare it to the problems of less fortunate people, the issue that is making you depressed won’t seem as serious.

Change of scenery. One of the best ways to change the way you feel is to change your environment. When you get in a slump, you start to associate your problems with everything around you. It can get to the point where your environment is a constant reminder of your problems. This can be a dangerous cycle. The solution is to change things. Change doesn’t have to be fundamental. Cleaning up, adding more lights, or putting up pleasant decorations can completely change the look of a room.

Break your routine. Going through the same routine, day after day, can be boring and depressing. It often leads to getting caught in a rut. To get out of it you need to temporarily change your routine. If you can, take a day off from work. Do something you don’t normally have time for or something you’ve never tried. In the long run, making ways to get out of slump will make you happier and more productive.

Get moving. Moving to a beat makes one feel better. The same is true for movement in general. Going to the gym or for a walk will help you shed the weariness that comes with feeling depressed. The more enthusiastic your moments, the better you will start to feel.

Do something to help yourself. Like making others happy. The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes. Cultivating a close, warm-hearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. Above all, the best way to stop feeling depressed is to take action. What is your biggest problem? How can you alleviate it? Once you decide to stop moping and start moving forward you won’t have time to feel depressed. Action will occupy your mind and give you something to look forward to. Once you get some results, you’ll build momentum and positive thinking will keep getting easier.

The key to a happier world is the growth of compassion (for yourself and people around you).
We do not need to become religious, nor do we need to believe in an ideology.
All that is necessary is for each of us to develop our good human qualities.
Going by all these, your life will be as cool as a cucumber.

Anyway………..the ball is in your court.

HAPPINESS AND WISDOM

The key to a happier world is the growth of compassion.

We do not need to become religious, nor do we need to believe in an ideology.

All that is necessary is for each of us to develop our good human qualities.

Dalai Lama, Tibetan spiritual and political leader, Voices from the Heart.

BE SPECIAL

There is power of life and death in the tongue.

An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.

A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them.Be careful of what you say.

Speak life to those who cross your path.

The power of words ... it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way.

Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times.

DECEMBER is the last month of the year, you can still make a POSITIVE CHANGE in someone’s life.

Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.

Be SPECIAL to others…

BEWARE OF FRIENDS

Your friends go a long way in determining how your life goes, because they wield a lot of influence over your life. Our friends influence the way we think, talk or act. So you should choose friends that would better your life, because they can make or mar you.

Watch out for friends who are always quick to set unreasonable standards for you, avoid them like a plague and keep moving. Make friends with enthusiastic and optimistic fellow who would encourage you to be your good self and would sincerely correct you where need be. Friends that will help you achieve your dreams and hopes, always be there when needed and ready to stand for you when required, as you would like to be kind to them too.

QUOTE:

That I have been able to see further, I am sitting on the shoulders of giants.

What leaves your hand does not leave your life. So, the victory we need is the ability to conquer.

THE PRICE OF FRIENDSHIP

Friend is love with understanding
Family made us siblings
Destiny made us friends
A friend remembers the need to share
Finds a time to listen
Friends are of two types;
The ones you share your time with, and
The ones you share your heart with
True friends are kind to each other’s hope
They cherish each other’s dreams
Friendship is a living thing that lasts
Only as long as it is nourished in empathy, understanding and kindness
A fruitful friendship is the most fragrant blossom in life’s garden
The way is never too far to a friend’s home
A true friend is one who comes to your house and makes you feel at home
Having a true friend makes you a happy person
Spouse makes the very best of friend- if rightly chosen
So pay the price and get the prize of a true friendship.

Today's Word:
Look backwards with gratitude, upwards with confidence and forward with hope.

DO YOU KNOW

I hope you are having a good time out there and do you know….

That there is a bank that credits your account each day with #86,400;
And carries over no balance for the next;
At every end of the day deletes whatever balance you failed to use.

That everyone has such a bank;
The bank allows you to invest all you have for good purpose;
As it writes off as lost any unused balance everyday and gives no room for overdraft.

That if you fail to use the day’s deposit, the loss is yours;
As it opens a new account for you each day;
And burns the remaining balance every night.

That you must live the present on today’s deposit;
Invest it so as to get utmost health, happiness and success in return;
As there is no going back.

The bank is TIME
To realize the value of a year, ask a final year student who failed a course in his final examination.
To realize the value of a month, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of a week, ask a presenter of a weekly programme.
To realize the value of a day, ask a media reporter.
To realize the value of a minute, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of a second, ask an athlete who won a silver medal in the Olympic.

Do you know that the time you don’t respect is the one you waste?

So,
Treasure every moment you have;
Remember that time waits for no one;
Yesterday is history;
Tomorrow is mystery;
Today is a gift, that is why it is called the present.

DO YOU KNOW YOUR BIG OPPORTUNITY MAY BE RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE NOW?

THE EDUCATION OF WOMEN – A National Priority in a Developing Nation.

Everyone needs a well-grounded education, no matter what you end up doing in life. Education, according to the Chambers Dictionary means ‘bringing up or training’. Education stimulates the mind, thereby increasing awareness on political, social and economical matters, just to mention a few. It makes one to know that there is more to the world than just ones’ own backyard. And it also allows for contribution towards the betterment of the society.

A developing country/nation is a country/nation which has a relatively low standard of living, an underdeveloped industrial base, a low per capita income but in a phase of economic development. A state which is neither a developed country nor failed country but in a transitional stage.

In a developing country like Nigeria, education is very essential to all and sundry and most importantly to women for reasons that are pertinent to the growth of Nigeria.

To start with the primary function of a woman in her home, and in contemporary African settings, she is the second in command in any home, she performs so many functions such as taking care of the children, assisting her husband when/where necessary, taking good care of the house, just to mention a few.

A woman who is saddled with all the above-mentioned responsibilities needs to have an expanded mind and the ability to think logically. For example, an uneducated woman will find it difficult to read and her knowledge will not help the children in case they (the children) need help on their homework(s). Being educated, she will know how best to be a good wife and mother from what she has learnt. Humans don’t rely on instincts like animals do, we have to learn things. An educated woman is able to teach her child things even before going to school which will stimulate the child’s ability to be optimistic such that he/she wants to contribute to the growth and betterment of the community he/she finds himself/herself as a result of the upbringing by his/her mother, especially, and to forge ahead in the pursuance of his/her future objectives. So therefore, it is how well a woman is able to impact good behaviour into her child that determines the kind of product the child will be.

Also, women must have good knowledge in several areas of life to be able to take care of all the household business with confidence and in areas where her knowledge of education will be of valuable assistance in administering the home front, such as knowledge about nutrition, hygiene, just to mention a few. She needs nutritional knowledge to be able to feed her family well and rightly. She needs a good knowledge of hygiene to take the right approach/decision when they (the family) are ill.

Furthermore, she can use what she has learnt as a conversational aide with her husband, as education should be a lifetime experience and not limited to the youth years alone. As a result, she can talk professionally and earn a good job so as to compete with the male counterparts in the society she belongs and also to attain high standard such that she is not looked down on, as women is seen as just a person that is job is mainly in her husband’s kitchen. Being educated allows a woman to take active participation in the leadership role of her society.

Be that as it may, I cannot say that education will ever make a woman a good mother, but I believe that it is something that is inside of her, psychologically and or spiritually or rather how she perceived her role as a mother. To commend my words with examples of two different women of different views in Nigeria, it is imperative to note that Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, who was the former Minster of Finance and Mrs. Patricia Etteh, the recently impeached Speaker of the House of Representatives, viewed their role in office differently and acted differently while in office, which has helped described their personality.

In conclusion, all these put together describe why the education of women should be a national priority in a developing nation like Nigeria, as women play a vital role, based on their quality, in the success of a society as home is a part of a society.

FEMINITY AND MODESTY

You may wonder why it is necessary to find purpose in life when you are young, a young girl who drifts along letting things happen to her with no plan or purpose will become an old woman with the same failures. A person without a plan will be prey to destructive influences, but one who follows a time-worn path of success will avoid many pitfalls that are common to young ladies. Decide early if you want to have victory in your life and begin the steps to success.

God has put adults in our life (parents, grandparents, religious leaders and other leaders) for a reason. These people are not just doddering old folks or biological parents. They can actually warn you about things they have seen and experiences they have had, which can save you a lot of trouble. There is an old saying worth repeating, “Learn from the mistakes of others”. Other young people do not have the wisdom or understanding necessary to be good role models for you, though you can learn some good things from some of them. Associate with people who are having victory in their lives morally.

Before you follow the crowd or listen to anyone, have a good hard look at their lives. Be sure of how peaceful and productive they are as well as what they say. Your life will be just like the people you listen to, if you listen to foolish people who have nothing to show for their lives (people who have bad habits and vices, no home, no job, wasted talents, awkward talents, of bad reputation in the community, and many others), you will become just like them.

Associate with people whose lives are a reflection of what is lovely, true, good, pure, of good reputation and virtuous, who make wise use of money and possessions, and have steadfast of purpose in their lives. It is no secret that we become like the people we associate with the most.

One thing that stands out in my mind regarding friends is a warning to all young girls; avoid friends who dress carelessly, lack courtesy, awkward in talents, who do not have prospects or goals and ambition in life and to cap it all, friend who are not Godly. Though, you can through love for others, put the ones who are ready to make a change right by your modesty. This will save you many heartaches.

Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for others and be contented with people God has already placed in your life, such as sisters, brothers, parents, grandparents who are living right. These people can often provide you with a rich and meaningful social life.

BE GIRLS WHO LOVE GOD AND BELIEVE THAT THE GOOD LIFE IS FOUND IN HIM.