Bula readers and greetings to you for the first Saturday of September.
As lockdown restrictions start to ease, I am sensing some negative energy around as people go about their business and slowly but surely try and begin to rebuild their lives which has been torn apart by the pandemic.
We are a long way away from any form or normalcy, but we must remain optimistic that the situation will improve little by little.
The rich and poor, the haves and the have not and the powerful and powerless are all trying to come to terms with what has happened to us in the past five months.
It has indeed been very tough and challenging and now is the time more than ever to be tolerant, compassionate and forgiving as we all try and move forward. I am a follower of Nelson Mandela’s teachings and try and integrate his philosophy into my everyday life, which has made me into a much calmer and certainly more content individual than I have ever been at any point in my life.
Today, I want to part with four of Mr Mandela’s wise quotes that can certainly be of help to members of our society, who may be unknowingly or knowingly doing more harm than actually good for the nation as we move forward.
This is not a criticism, but merely an observation that we can all learn from and improve ourselves as we continue along our very short journey in life. “When you are at the top, be careful of the monster called pride – pride will make you look down on the people who haven’t attained your level of success.”
We have seen this all too often when people perceive to have pow- er over other people and eventually have a hard and fast fall from grace and a stark reality check. It is a very common story especially among politicians, but unfortunately only a few people ever learn from this lesson.
“When you are at the bottom be careful of the monster called bitterness — bitterness will make you jealous and think that other people are the reason you haven’t made it.” This is a common story with many individuals, who continue to blame circumstances and individuals who get ahead of us. This is particularly true in the competitive business world where people take things very personally and this can lead to the dread- ed feeling of bitterness.
“When you are on the way to the top, be careful of the monster called greed – greed will make you impatient and make you steal or seek shortcuts.”
This monster called greed can cause ruin and chaos in your life at the flick of a switch. I have seen this unfold numerous times with professional individuals such as lawyers, engineers and accountants who have got ahead of themselves in terms of believing they basically know it all and won’t listen to advise. It is a sad reality of life when all it takes it to be humble and patient to enjoy the fruits of life.
“When you are on your way down, be careful of the monster called despair – despair will make you think it’s all over, yet there is still hope.”
This is a common occurrence in the entertainment and sporting world, when the bright lights start to dim, you will feel you are no longer appreciated, this is when despair will burn within you and doubts will start entering your mind as to whether you are worthy of being in your profession anymore. This can be avoided by knowing that there is only one guarantee in life and that is change and change you must, to adapt to the environment and ever-changing world we live in.
Well folks there you have it, four very important life lessons for all of us to ponder on. We can look at these lessons and decide how to deal with them, some of us will breeze through them, while others will stumble and fall. Finally, take heed that human traits such as pride, ego and arrogance will ultimately be the downfall of all that go down this road and those who remain humble, selfless and modest will be the ultimate victors in life. God bless and stay humble, adios amigos.
AJAY BHAI AMRIT is a freelance writer. The views expressed in this article are his and does not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.
