Secret of life.

 Hello eku, dee de iwoyio.

It's February already everybody! I hope you are following up on your verbal promises with some solid planning and action I mentioned last month?

Do you remember the famous Yoruba poem “ Ise loogun ise”?

To back it up, I would like to share another short story I came across recently with you again this month. Enjoy it.

A father used to say to his children when they were young: When you all reach the age of 12 I will tell you the secret of life. One day when the oldest turned 12, he anxiously asked his father what was the secret of life. The father replied that he was going to tell him, but that he should not reveal it to his brothers.

The secret of life is this: The cow does not give milk. "What are you saying?" The boy asked incredulously. As you hear it, son: The cow does not give milk, you have to milk it. You have to get up at 4 in the morning, go to the field, walk through the corral full of manure, tie the tail, hobble the legs of the cow, sit on the stool, place the bucket, and do the work yourself.

That is the secret of life, the cow does not give milk. You milk her or you don't get milk. There is this generation that thinks that cows GIVE milk. That things are automatic and free: their mentality is that if "I wish, I ask..... I obtain."

"They have been accustomed to getting whatever they want the easy way...But no, life is not a matter of wishing, asking, and obtaining. The things that one receives are the effort of what one does. Happiness is the result of effort. Lack of effort creates frustration."

So, share with your children from a young age the secret of life, so they don't grow up with the mentality that the government, their parents, their association, or their cute little faces are going to give them everything they need in life. This will help them avoid making poor choices in an attempt to meet up with life's demands.

Remember "Cows don't give milk; you have to work for it." Of course, we may need some support to get to where we want to be, but we need that initial effort that will encourage the support which is why they say "Omo ti o ba shipa langbe". Therefore our forefathers knew it when they said it and eloquently put together and published by JF ODUNJO. There is no shortcut!

We celebrate those who were born in February. We hope your celebration gives you many happy memories!

Happy Birthday!

Have a wonderful month everybody and stay safe!

Eric O. Thompson

YAJ.