BE CONTRIBUTIVE TO THE SOCIETY

In our to day’s life, some people never cared about, what the outcome might be when they take their decisions. What will they do to live a peaceful life? What will they contribute to the society? Whether positively or negatively? While other people are the types that are always conscious about, what the outcome might be, when I make this decision? What will they do to live a peaceful life? What they will contribute to the development of the society?

John wooden said “the only pressure that amounts to a hill of beans is the pressure you put on yourself. So i don’t worry about outside pressures. But if I don’t put pressure on myself to do the best job I’m capable of doing, then I’m cheating everybody, including myself”.

When one is conscious about the life he or she is living, it affects the person behaviour towards the way he dresses, talks, eats, makes friends and even when it comes to choose whom to marry or not. He founds out that he is responsible for every action or decision taken by him and that every success or failure made today is attributed to him. He sees himself as a winner not a whiner. A winner always progress and accept responsibility while a whiner makes excuses and blames others. Winner produces regardless of the situation because he is a master of circumstances.

One question that one should ask his or herself at any point in time is: what I’m I to my society; a contributor or a consumer? Are you the type of person that will like to contribute to the development of your church, your community and to your neigbours? Do you really have the mind of giving? Under what condition will I give? Will people need to beg till they get tired before I give them what they need? When I give them, do I expect them to pay me back?

But before we proceed to read, let us look at the words of tom peters “taking responsibility, not giving in wholesale to cynicism… it is a moral issue. You are the one who has to look in the mirror at age 60 and ask yourself what you have contributed”.

When we have contributed, be it anything, once it is good to humanity no matter how big or small (to an individual, community church, government, etc) will never be forgotten even when we are dead or living. Let us use Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, Chinua Achebe, Andrew Carnegie, John Rockefeller, etc these people have helped to the development and service to humanity both financially and morally and they are being recognized everywhere and never forgotten.

What impacts have you make or are you making in the life of people around you? Do you see yourself as a “god”? When we give out something no matter how big or small and never expect reward in any form pays better than when we give and expect people to praise us. When giving never let everybody know you are giving and how you have given. For instance “let every body come and see that I want to help him before people will say I don’t want to help him” or “if not because of me, how will he survive”. The creator is watching the heart that gives and rewards it at the appropriate time. Remember the old wise saying “givers never lack” try and be a giver not a collector. We should see ourselves as stewards and adopt the “principle of stewardship” derived from the bible, which requires business and wealthy individuals to view themselves as the stewards, or caretakers, of their property.

If you see yourself in a better position try and do something contributive to the people around you and the society at large because they are watching and expects you to do something for them. Do you ask why people say, “I like this person’s government and I don’t like this person’s government”? May be because the person they like meets their demands which might be security, good governance, god roads, good motivator, etc and vice-versa. We shouldn’t wait till people come to us for help while we know they have problem and that we can help them solve their problem. Richard Feynman said “the worthwhile problems are the ones you can really solve or help in solving, the ones you can really contribute some thing to”.

If you help people solve their problem be it financial problem they can as well help you solve your problem be it social or moral problem or even emotional problem. If you don’t help them when they need you most, when you need help, they might not even listen to you.

Do you ever sit down in your golden position, where you feel like “lord” and think about those wise sayings “No condition is permanent?”

We use to hear stories, using family issues as illustration. You will hear people say “our father said to us while he was alive that this man helped him when they were youths or that I’m great, responsible today is because of this person” and may be those times this stories were told, the people in question are no more living and the one that helped out, the children are suffering now and the other person remembering what their dad told them, tries every possible means to make sure they help. That we are rich to today doesn’t mean we are to be rich forever and vice-versa. Help people when you can and they will never forget you when you need their help though some disappoints but few.