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| The GDA, Dr. Segun Fatoye & Chief Dele Momodu |
To know what
counts and what doesn’t, you have to know what you are dedicating your life to.
There are, of course, no right or wrong answers to this one as it’s a very
personal choice—but it’s really useful to have an answer, rather than not
really knowing.
counts and what doesn’t, you have to know what you are dedicating your life to.
There are, of course, no right or wrong answers to this one as it’s a very
personal choice—but it’s really useful to have an answer, rather than not
really knowing.
As an
example, my own life has been driven by two things: (a) Someone once told me
that if my soul or spirit was the only thing I was likely to be taking with me
when I went, then it ought to be the best thing I had: (b) my curious
upbringing.
example, my own life has been driven by two things: (a) Someone once told me
that if my soul or spirit was the only thing I was likely to be taking with me
when I went, then it ought to be the best thing I had: (b) my curious
upbringing.
The first
one isn’t for, for me at least, in any way religious. It just struck a chord
with me, triggered something. Whatever it was I was taking with me, then
perhaps I ought to do a bit of work on it. Make sure it really is the best
thing about me. That got me thinking. How on earth do you go about that? The
answer is still that I haven’t got a clue. I have explored and experimented,
learned and made mistakes, been a seeker and a follower, read and observed and
wrestled with this great problem all my life. How do you go about improving
your life on that level? I think the only conclusion I have come to is to live
as decent a life as possible, to go go through causing as little damage as
possible, to treat everyone with whom you come into contact with respect and dignity.
Its’ something to dedicate my life to and it works for me.
one isn’t for, for me at least, in any way religious. It just struck a chord
with me, triggered something. Whatever it was I was taking with me, then
perhaps I ought to do a bit of work on it. Make sure it really is the best
thing about me. That got me thinking. How on earth do you go about that? The
answer is still that I haven’t got a clue. I have explored and experimented,
learned and made mistakes, been a seeker and a follower, read and observed and
wrestled with this great problem all my life. How do you go about improving
your life on that level? I think the only conclusion I have come to is to live
as decent a life as possible, to go go through causing as little damage as
possible, to treat everyone with whom you come into contact with respect and dignity.
Its’ something to dedicate my life to and it works for me.
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| Chief Dele Momodu, Dr. Iyiola Ayoade, the GDA & Others |
And how can
my curious upbringing cause me to focus on what I am dedicating my life to?
Well, having had a ‘dysfunctional’ upbringing and having chosen to let it
motivate me rather than affect me, I am acutely aware that many people also
need to throw off that feeling of being badly affected by what has gone before.
This is what I dedicate my life to. Yes, it might be crazy; i be crazy. But at
least I have something I can focus on, something (for me) that counts.
my curious upbringing cause me to focus on what I am dedicating my life to?
Well, having had a ‘dysfunctional’ upbringing and having chosen to let it
motivate me rather than affect me, I am acutely aware that many people also
need to throw off that feeling of being badly affected by what has gone before.
This is what I dedicate my life to. Yes, it might be crazy; i be crazy. But at
least I have something I can focus on, something (for me) that counts.
Now none of
this is big stuff and by that I mean I don’t go around with this emblazoned on
my forehead—‘Templar dedicates his life to…’ sort of thing. It’s more that
quietly, in my heart, I have something that I can devote my attention to. It’s
a yardstick by which I can measure (a) how I am doing, (b) what I am doing and
(c) where I am going. You don’t need to trumpet it. You don’t need to tell
anyone (See Rule 1). You don’t even need to think it out in too much detail. A
simple internal mission statement will do. Disney’s mission for example is “To
make people happy”. Decide what is it you are dedicating your life to. It makes
the rest much easier.
this is big stuff and by that I mean I don’t go around with this emblazoned on
my forehead—‘Templar dedicates his life to…’ sort of thing. It’s more that
quietly, in my heart, I have something that I can devote my attention to. It’s
a yardstick by which I can measure (a) how I am doing, (b) what I am doing and
(c) where I am going. You don’t need to trumpet it. You don’t need to tell
anyone (See Rule 1). You don’t even need to think it out in too much detail. A
simple internal mission statement will do. Disney’s mission for example is “To
make people happy”. Decide what is it you are dedicating your life to. It makes
the rest much easier.
(Excerpts from the Book: The Rules
of Life by Richard Templar. Read
Rule 7 in our next post on Asabeafrika)
of Life by Richard Templar. Read
Rule 7 in our next post on Asabeafrika)