CHIEF LOKO: THE TRAGEDY.

There had been no power supply in the community for two days and that night, the whole community was in total darkness. It was that same night that Chief Loko returned from a business trip to Lagos.

‘What?! Darkness in my house? Bring out my generator!’ he ordered his servant who obeyed immediately and in a minute, Chief Loko’s house was lit up.

When everyone in the community saw light in Chief Loko’s house, they were astonished. ‘Are my eyes deceiving me?’ each one said to the other. Then everyone holding a candlestick went to Chief Loko’s house to charge their lamps.

On getting to the house, they spoke with the servant, ‘Please, if we have found favour in your sight, grant us permission that we might come in and charge our lamps.’ The people said, all holding candlesticks.

‘I will call my master so he can grant you permission.’ The servant said and went to call his master. Loko returned in rage.

‘Did I buy the generator for you?!’ he yelled pointing at the running generator outside.’ Am I the one who brought misfortune to your family? You better clear off now before I lose my temper.’ But he had already lost it. The people fell to their knees pleading with Chief.

Infuriated, Chief Loko returned to his room and emerged outside with a big cane which he used to chase the people away. As the people fled, one of them hit his foot against a stone and fell and then another tripped over him. As they crumbled to the floor, their candlesticks fell and caught the generator wire. Chief Loko didn’t see this and went on beating the people. They all disappeared and Chief Loko returned to his room.

Few minutes later, Loko’s   house was on fire, sending smoke to the sky. The candlesticks had caused disaster. Chief Loko’s servant managed to escape but Loko wasn’t lucky, he perished in the fire.

MORAL:

1.         It’s not good to be selfish. Loko was selfish and refused to share his things with the needy, he died in the end.

2.       Wickedness is a destroyer. Not only did Chief Loko refuse to help, he also sent the people away with a big cane to the extent that some fell.

3.       Your resources are not your own. You might be saying ‘I work for my money.’ Of course! Everybody does. However, life is meant to be shared. You might not be beating up your neighbours like Chief Loko but are you generous? Out of your abundance (and even your little) are giving? Can people run to you for help?

Remember, God gave you what you have so you’d share it with others.

‘You have not lived today until you’ve done something for someone who can never repay you.’ – John Bunyan

MON AMI

We have heard a lot about making friends from our schools, churches, mosques, seminars and the likes. We are told to make friends with good people and distance ourselves from bad ones. But what exactly are we to consider when choosing friends?

1. Choose friends who will always encourage you to serve and please God. That's the most important because Godly friends are always moral but moral friends are not always Godly; there is a difference.

2. Choose friends that have similar interests and beliefs with you. Your friends must be compatible with you or else your friendship might not go on well.

3. Choose friends who will add virtues to your life and subtract vices. Your friends should be able to correct you when you are doing something wrong. They should be able to help you overcome addictions and social vices.

4. Choose friends who will multiply your talents and help you in building your dreams. You abilities can be killed by the type of friends you keep. Don't have discouraging friends or else you will not do anything profitable in your life.

5. Choose friends who don't talk too much. If your friend is a talkative, you are likely going to be one. Why? Because when he/she talks, you will want to say something and remember 'In a multitude of words, sin abound.' Quiet friends are the best.

6. Choose friends who will be able to stand for you in your absence. You are sick or you miss a class and all your friends can't speak for you, they can't say where you are then you've got no friends.

7. Choose friends who will be proud of you in the public. When you mention someone as your friend and people start to move away from you, then you don't have a friend yet. Remember, people look at you through the eyes of your friends.

'Friends are the flowers that beautify our garden without which our garden will be empty.'

Have a blessed day.
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P.S: MON AMI (FRENCH) MEANS MY FRIEND.

CASILLOS THE ASSET.

Mother hen had 10 chicks. She hatched them all the same day and they all enjoyed the same motherly care. However, as they grew up, they all became different in nature. Some big, some small. Some lazy, some hardworking. Some noisy, some quiet. Some rude, some respectful.

Among all the chicks, mother hen cherished a particular chick that was very (small though) hardworking, respectful and quiet. This particular chick always went with mother hen to search for food. Her name was Casillos, or as mother hen would call her; Casillos the asset.

And it happened one day that Casillos was taken away by a very wicked hawk. This was unbearable for mother hen. She wept all day and refused to eat, Casillos was a fortune to her, an asset. And so she begged the parrot to tell the hawk to return Casillos. The parrot did as mother hen asked her and the wicked hawk returned the next day with Casillos. However, she asked for another chick in exchange for Casillos.

On hearing this, all the other chicks went into hiding. But mother hen, determined to get casillos back fished then out and brought them before the wicked hawk. Then mother hen took Papillo, the biggest, most disrespectful and laziest chick and gave her in exchange for casillos. Being big, the hawk liked Papillo and she took her away and dropped Casillos. As from that day bon, all the other chicks were as hardworking and as good as casillos. One cannot say when the hawk will return.

The End.

Moral: be an asset,not a liability. Casillos was an asset and mother hen was ready to give away Papillo, who was of no good to her, to the hawk. Are you useful to your organization that your boss can do anything to keep you? Are you useful in your class/dept. That your teacher will not let you go no matter what? Are you active in your church that vigils can be kept if you fall sick? Finally, are you useful to your family? Better be useful or else you’d end up like Papillo.

TEENAGE LIFE 002: A MOTHER’S RESPONSE TO HER TEENAGE DAUGHTER’S LETTER

               My daughter,

                                Am sorry about my attitude towards you and the questions you used to raise at family discussions, forgive me. Now to your letter.

               About the cleric. I’ve also heard many stories about rape especially those involving religious leaders and teens. No one can be trusted. However, Pastor Adedibu is a trusted man of God who will never rape you. But since you insist, I’ve told him you won’t be coming to his place again. I hope you are happy about that.    

               Your boyfriend. I should have listened to you all these days, forgive my stupidity. I know Davis is a handsome and good-looking guy but still he shouldn’t be your boyfriend. Not because he isn’t qualified but because it’s not yet time. You shouldn’t have allowed him to touch you or even kiss you but since you have made that mistake, don’t repeat it. Also, don’t give him sex. If he loves you, he should wait until you are old enough. My daughter, please don’t give him sex. To be safe, don’t spend time with him again; no long discussions, no love letters and the likes. Am saying this for you safety. If you don’t give him sex, he might want to rape you so distance yourself from him. Teenage years are not for sex and snogging, there is time for that later.

            Your teacher. I understand your fears. I had an experience like that while I was like you. My daughter you are too beautiful too be deflowered or pregnant now. Your teacher has no right to summon you to his house, he has an office if at all he needs to (and not at odd hours). Nevertheless, I have written a letter to your principal concerning that. Relax, I didn’t reveal your identity.

           My jewel, menstrual pain isn’t caused by virginity. You MUST remain a virgin till your wedding night. Please my jewel, it’s important. Your friends are wrong and they want you to be deflowered because they have been deflowered. They are not good friends my daughter, dump them and get good ones.

         I commend your courage and promise to always pay attention to you anytime you need me to. I love you and I want the best for you. Do all what I have written here and let me know how you feel afterwards I love you.

                                                                                        Mother.

 P.S: I didn’t tell your father.

                                                       


IF YOU DIDN'T READ THE FIRST PART OF THIS, CLICK HERE: http://inspirationalsquad.blogspot.com.ng/2015/09/teenage-life-001-teenage-girls-letter.html                                            

            

7 THINGS ABOUT SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE

            Are you a student, parent or teacher? Or are you a leader somewhere? Or you are just that nobody who wants to be somebody? Here are 7 tips that will help you on your journey to success, they are things you need not know about successful people

1.       Process not Proceeds: Everyone who wants to be successful must have a dream. However, it is not everybody who cares how their dreams are achieved, all they want is to see their dream come true. Great people are not always like that. They don’t want to achieve their dreams through the wrong means. There is no good turning yourself into a thief all in the name of being rich.

               “Means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek”- Martin Luther King Jr.

2.    Think more, Talk less: Great people don’t talk away their time; instead they think. Wonder why people applaud them when they speak? ‘Cause think before they do so. Before you contribute in a discussion, listen to what people are saying and think before you contribute so that when you do, they’ll respect you.

                       “Men of few words are the best men”- William Shakespeare.

3.    No Discrimination: To be great, you have to be unbiased. Don’t let a person’s history, tribe, skin colour, name, sex, religion, age etc. determine how you relate with them. Remember, on the road to success, every passer-by can be helpful. Successful men are not bias, if they are, they’ll be known only in their villages. Remember the result of Orwell’s

              “All animals are equal

                But some are more equal than others.”

4.    Living the belief:  Most of us don’t live our belief. We carry it with us and express it when we are in an acceptable society but drop it when we find ourselves in a hostile one. This is not supposed to be so. Live your belief, don’t practice it. Be yourself, that’s what successful people do.

               “To believe in something and not to live it, is dishonest.”- Mahatma Gandhi.

5.    Dying for the Dream: The most inspiring thing about great men is that they are ready to die for their dreams. They can go to any length to see it come true.

“I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society…It’s an ideal I hope to live                                                  for…but if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”- Nelson Mandela

6.    Lead by Example:  On of the most amazing things about great leaders is that they don’t sit back at home and order their followers around, instead they do as they want their followers to do. They lead by example.

           “The best way to teach a dummy how to write is to do it.”

7.     Love: Of all the points discussed above, love is the greatest. Love allows you to accommodate and associate with everybody with the same mind. It keeps selfishness at bay.

                “ Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and relationship. The foundation of such method is love.”- Martin Luther King Jr.

        Can you now see why these men are great? If you can work on these tips, you will soon see the you you’ve dreaming of. Remember:

                             I.            The means we use to achieve our goals

                          II.            Thinking more, talking less

                        III.            Unbiased mind,

                        IV.            Living your belief

                          V.            Dying for the dream

                        VI.            Setting examples and the greatest of all,

                     VII.            Love.

                   Thanks for reading. Someone else might need this, so share.

                     

TEENAGE LIFE 001: A TEENAGE GIRL’S LETTER TO HER MOTHER.

      Dear Mother,

                             I have been looking for a way to tell you these things but I haven’t found a better way than to write you this letter. Please mum, am confused and I don’t want to be misled. I can’t tell dad this ‘cause he'll misunderstand me and start yelling at me.

                          To start with, the Cleric. Mum I don’t want you to send me to the cleric for special prayers again, I can be raped. I read a lot about young girls getting raped in churches and mosques. Bisi, my friend was raped last week at Pastor Kamilu’s place. Same thing happened to Aisha while learning the Arabic language at Mallam Shehu’s place. Honestly, am scared know if I tell dad, he’ll just snap at me and tell me am secular. Mum please don’t send me to him again. Am still a teenager I can get raped.

                        Also, my boyfriend. I know you don’t want to hear anything about Davis but please don’t tear my letter. I love Davis and he loves me too, why shouldn’t he be my boyfriend? I don’t like the way you and dad see him. Besides, I’ve been trying to convey my fears to you all this while but whenever I mention his name, you shut my mouth. Mum, Davis has been touching sensitive parts of my body these days and I don’t know how to tell him to stop. Last week we kissed-don’t know if that’s bad- and now he’s asking for sex. Mum, what do I tell him? I love Davis and he loves me too but am still a teenager, I can get pregnant.

                    Similarly, my teacher. Mum, Mr. Bosun has been pestering me all this why to pay him a visit in his house. I don’t know why. I know if I tell you this, you might think am making it up. Mum, I can’t hold it back any longer. Yesterday, he threatened to mark me down in my final exams if I don’t visit him. Mum, why does he want me to visit him? I don’t trust him. There is something fishy about his request. But still, I don’t know. Maybe I should just go and see what he has to say ‘cause am still a teenager, I don’t want to fail.

                      Furthermore, my friends. Mum, some changes are occurring in my body lately. Two days ago, I was having menstrual pain. Mum it was painful so I told my friends about it. They said it’s because am still a virgin and once am deflowered, the pain will cease. Mum is it true? I thought this virginity of a thing is what you keep for your future husband. Please, am still a teenager, I don’t want to be misled.

                         Mother, thank you for reading my letter to this point. I didn’t expect it. But please don’t tell dad about this and reply me secretly and quickly. I love you mum.

                                                                                          Your daughter.

THE ANT AND THE ANTELOPE.

     Long ago before the evolution of man, the animals lived together
happily; mammals, birds, fishes and amphibians. The kingdom was such a
peaceful and united one that they celebrated festivals here and there.
One day the Lion announced that very soon there would be a Boxing
Contest in the kingdom and the final winner would be awarded a place
in the king’s palace.
   “So if you are interested, register with the parrot before tomorrow,”
the Lion concluded.
The goat, leopard, antelope, hen, sheep and many other animals
registered for the contest. The ant also registered.
    “What are you doing here?” the parrot chuckled. “You are too tiny for
this.” But nevertheless, the ant put down his name on the big scroll
the parrot was holding.
     

    The contest started a week later. It was scheduled for mornings and
evenings and one by one the animals were being eliminated.
Surprisingly, only the antelope and the ant made it to the finals
which was scheduled for the coming week.
“Both of you should go and prepare yourself for the final match.” The
king advised

     During the days of preparation, the antelope busied himself with
purchasing the best boxing materials that were available in the
kingdom: gloves, armours, mouth guards and the likes. He even borrowed
loans from various animals when he went bankrupt.

    However, the little ant started training himself. He went to every
animal in the kingdom and challenged them all to a contest, one by
one. Though he was defeated by some of them, he learnt new skills and
developed his pincers.

   When the D-day arrived, the antelope appeared with gloves, armours and
materials which he didn’t even know how to use. And then the fight
started. The antelope was a good boxer but all the materials he put on
weighed him down. The armour was too heavy, the gloves weren’t any
better and worse still he had never used them before. Eventually, he
was defeated by the ant who made use of what he had: pincers.

LESSON: Why was the antelope defeated? Because he didn’t get himself
prepared. Preparation is a catalyst to success. No matter the amount
of money you have; no matter the fame; the material possession you
possess; you still have to get yourself prepared for the future.
          Whatever it is that is coming up, if you are prepared then you are
ready. Despite the antelope’s gloves and everything, he wasn’t ready
and so he was defeated. Even though the ant didn’t have much, he still
won the contest because he was prepared. Acquisition of wealth or fame
doesn’t really mean you are preparing for the future, it doesn’t. The
little you have, how are you using them?
         

As The Guide will say: Be prepared

5 SECRETS OF HIGH-FLYING STUDENTS

Are you a student? Then you have to read this (remember everybody is a student) perhaps the fact that any or all of these are missing in your life is the reason you are not a high-flying student. The following are secrets of high-flying students:

1.        Games: Yes! Don’t be surprised, brilliant students paly games often. Educational games like Chess, Scrabble, Jigsaw, Monopoly, and Backgammon are favourites of high-flying students. Wanna be a great student? Play games! Balance the fun with the work. Games help you think and allow you to exercise you brain in a way nothing else will. They even allow you to test your skills. However, not all games are beneficial to the brain so know the type of game you play.

      Rest: By rest I don’t mean sleeping like a log of wood. Brainy kids sleep very well though. Why? Because they need too. As much as I don’t want you to spend your entire life sleeping I also don’t want you to spend it working. So balance the equation. Rest your brain and body, sleep when you need to, it helps.

   Friendliness: High-flying students are not those who lock themselves up in a cubicle all day reading. They are friendly and spend time with the few friends they have. They are ready to talk with you regardless of who you are. After all, friends are the flowers that beautify our life garden and without them, we are ugly.

.      Curiousity: As I do say, curiousity killed the cat, not the man; not me; not you. Whiz-kids are curious about everything. They ask questions and demand answers. They want to know everything about everything and that’s why you will always see them in the library. By doing this, they increase their knowledge on every topic so that they have something reasonable to contribute on any issues being discussed anywhere.

.     Books: You wonder why I put this as my last point? Because it’s the most important! All the other four without this can be a waste. High-flying students read books and when I say books I mean books (not only textbooks and class notes) of every kind. Magazines, newspapers, novels, historical books, name it! This allows them to widen their knowledge beyond class level. It allows them to know what their teachers don’t even know. Aside magazines and newspapers, I’ll advise that you read at least 24 books a year (for a start); two per month.

               “Some things aren’t taught, they are learnt” Michael I.O.

How? Through books.

So have you been able to point out what’s keeping you from being the best.Goodluck

LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS FROM GOD

                Every individual in life is striving to be a leader, and we try all
our best possible to be that leader, but before you become that
leader, you have to be a follower.

NOTE: It is not a bad thin to be a follower, but it will be worse for
you if you remain a follower.
Before you become a leader or even if your are a leader now, I will
like to just point out few out of many leadership qualities you can see
in God.
1. FAITHFUL: as a leader you have to be more than faithful to
whatsoever is committed into your care.

2. TRUST: this is somehow related to been faithful. You mush not
betray the trust your followers have in you.

3. LOVING: God is Love. To be successful as a leader, you have to love
your followers unconditionally, because if you love them, you will not
cheat them, you won't lie to them, e.t.c.

4. DEFINITE PLAN & DECISION: as a good leader, you have to have a plan
that will not waver, and when you make decisions, you must abide by
it, because followers won't want a leader that doesn't have something
to stand for.

5. SELF-CONTROL: as a leader, you MUST be able to control every aspect
of your life, this will go a long way in your achievement. Because you
won't be able to control your followers if you can't control yourself.
Lastly, before you reach the level of a leadership, ask yourself these
questions;
Am I a good follower?
Am I a wise follower?
Do I do as i want my followers to do to me when I become a leader?

       


If the answers are negative, then you have to change, so as to attain leadership post, because, trying to bring others down only shows you
are down, and it won't take you up.
Keep the fire burning
Keep the dream alive
Thank you.