CHOICES and FREEDOM

 Hello eku, dee de iwoyio.

Tick, tock, tick, tock, the year is gradually winding up. We need to be thankful that by grace, we’ve been kept healthy and alive through all the troubles and tribulations (rogbodiyan) of life in the year.

I would like to share another short story with you again this month. Enjoy it.

A “mouse” was put at the top of a jar filled with grains.

He was so happy to find so much food around him that he no longer felt the need to run around searching for food and now he could happily live his life.

After a few days of enjoying the grains, he reached the bottom of the jar.

Now he was trapped and he couldn't get out of it. He now has to solely depend upon someone to put grains in the same jar for him to survive. He also may not get the grain of his choice and he cannot choose either.

Here are a few lessons to learn from this:

a. Short-term pleasures can lead to long-term traps. b.If things are coming easy and you are getting comfortable, you are getting trapped in dependency.

c. When you are not using your skills, you will lose more than your skills. You lose your CHOICES and FREEDOM.

d. Freedom does not come easy but can be lost very quickly.

NOTHING comes easily in life and if it comes easily, maybe it is not worth it.

Please do not be like this mouse.

Happy birthday if you were born in December. Live today like it is a special gift because it is the best birthday gift. Have a wonderful happy, healthy birthday, and many more to come.

Have a great month everybody! May His sustaining grace keep us still

and see us through the coming year. Stay safe and stay healthy.

Eric O. Thompson

YAJ.

Precious Time

 Hello eku, dee de iwoyio.

I would like to share another short story with you again this month. Enjoy it.

After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, “I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you.”

The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who had been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my 3 children had made it possible to see her only occasionally.

That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie.

“What’s wrong, are you well?” she asked. My mother is the type of woman who suspects that late-night calls or surprise invitations are a sign of bad news.

“I thought it would be pleasant to spend some time with you,” I responded. “Just the two of us.”

She thought about it for a moment, and then said, “I would like that very much.”

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited at the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an Angel’s. “I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed,” she said, as she got into the car. “They can’t wait to hear about our meeting.”

We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Halfway through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. “It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,” she said. “Then it’s time that you relax and let me return the favor,” I responded.

During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation — nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events in each other’s life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, “I’ll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.” I agreed.

“How was your dinner date?” Asked my wife when I got home.

“Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined,” I answered.

A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to do anything for her.

At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: “I love you,” and giving our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till “some other time.”

Happy birthday if you were born in November. You were brought into this world to be a blessing and inspiration to the people around you! May you be given more birthdays to fulfill all of your dreams!”

Have a great month everybody! Stay safe and stay healthy.

Eric O. Thompson

YAJ.

Kindness

Hello eku, dee de iwoyio.

I would like to share another short story with you again this month. Enjoy it.

 There was once a worker who was working in a fish freezing and preserving factory.

One day, before the end of work, he entered the fish-keeping refrigerator

To get the rest of his work done that day..!

And while he was getting his work done, the refrigerator door happened to be closed and he was locked inside it..!

The man tried to open the door, but he couldn't, he screamed and called out at the top of his voice seeking help but the work was over and there was no one in the factory to help.

After about 5 hours, the man was about to die of cold, the factory guard opens the refrigerator door, and saves him..!

And when the factory manager asked the factory keeper,

How did he know that worker was inside the factory?

He did not go out with the rest of the workers.

The guard said: I have been working in this factory for thirty years

Hundreds of employees and workers enter and leave the factory every day,

None of them greeted me every day, asked me how I was, and smiled at me

Except for that man..!

At the end of the day, I did not hear from him and missed him when the workers have gone.

I knew he was still in the factory, so I looked for him until I found him.

The moral of the story is; Be kind to people. A kind word is a key to hearts..!

Perhaps, a kind word that you may not pay attention to will awaken hope in the soul of others, without you knowing.

Do not belittle anyone and do any favor, even if it`s just smiling at people.

Happy birthday if you were born in October. They say the older you are, the smarter you become. At your age, you must be a genius! May the day bring you all the joy you deserve.

Have a wonderful month everybody! Stay safe and stay healthy.

Eric O. Thompson

YAJ.

Slow and Steady.

 Hello eku, dee de iwoyio.

I would like to share another short story with you again this month. Enjoy it.

An Airbus 380 commercial plane was flying across the Atlantic Ocean at a cruising speed of 800km/hr.

Suddenly a Euro Fighter plane equipped with a Tempo Match technology allowing it to fly at double the speed of sound appeared.

The fighter pilot slows down and greets the commercial pilot saying: it must be very boring to fly an Airbus, isn’t it?

The Airbus pilot greets him back and asks: why do you think so?

The fighter replies: watch me!

Then he start making some acrobatic maneuvers, ascending sharply, flying upside down, descending to near sea level, flying subsonic, etc, then he returned back beside the Airbus cockpit, saying: what do you think of that?

The Airbus pilot replied: impressive! Now watch me see what I can do that you can’t!

The fighter pilot flew beside the Airbus in a straight path at a steady speed.

5 minutes later the Airbus pilot called the fighter pilot asking him: what do you think of that?

The fighter pilot replied sarcastically: what did you do?!

The Airbus pilot laughing: I stood up, stretched my body, went to the bathroom, and had a cup of coffee with my favorite cinnamon roll while having a small friendly chat with one of my beautiful lady passengers!

The moral of the story is; when you are young the speed and adrenaline rush may seem tempting, but as you grow wiser, you accommodate more, you talk lesser, you teach more and you appreciate the value of peace and tranquility.

We celebrate with you if you were born in September. Wishing you divine peace and happiness today and throughout your life. Happy birthday!

Have a wonderful month everybody! Stay safe and stay healthy.

Eric O. Thompson

YAJ.

MORAL LESSON

 Hello eku, dee de iwoyio.

I would like to share another short story with you again this month.

Long-time ago in the Animal Kingdom,  a sheep was passing and saw a lion crying inside a cage trapped and the lion begged the sheep to save him with a promise not to kill and eat it but the sheep refused. After much persuasion and for the sheep's gullibility it opened the cage for the lion.

Now the lion was very hungry having stayed in the cage for days without food. It quickly grabbed the sheep to kill and eat but the sheep reminded him of his promise. They were still there arguing when other animals came passing and they sought to know what happened. Both the lion and the sheep narrated their own side of the story but because of fear and in trying to gain favor in the sight of the lion, all the animals took side with the lion except the Tortoise who claim not to understand the whole scenario.

Now the Tortoise asked the lion to show them where he was before the sheep rescued him, he pointed at the cage. He asked again, "Were you inside or outside when the sheep arrived"? The lion said he was inside. The tortoise again said, "ok, enter let’s see how difficult it could be inside". The lion entered and the tortoise locked him back inside.

In amazement, the other animals asked the tortoise "why" and he replied "if we allow him to eat the sheep today, he will still go hungry tomorrow and we don't know the next amongst us to be eaten tomorrow.

The Moral of this story; don’t support evil today because it doesn't affect you directly, it could be your turn tomorrow.

We celebrate you if you were born in August. Birthdays are a new start, a fresh beginning, and a time to pursue new endeavors with new goals. May today and all of your days be amazing!

Have a wonderful month everybody! Stay safe and stay healthy.

Eric O. Thompson

YAJ.

Humility

 Hello eku dee de iwoyio.

I would like to share this short story with you. You may have seen it before but it is worth sharing and revisiting because it may help someone.

I recently ran into an old classmate, we had not seen each other for about 30 years.

When I saw him in a hotel lobby, he was looking simple. He wore simple clothes. I felt touched. He walked up to me and was glad to see me again. But deep within me, I was not impressed with his status compared to mine, and poor me, I couldn't hide it. We exchanged contact details and I could see the joy in him as he collected mine.

I offered to drop him off at his home in my brand new Range Rover I pointed to it but He declined and said he had already called for his car. It looked old, a 2001 Honda Accord.

I invited him the next day for lunch at my house. A part of me wanted to impress him, to show off my success and affluence to him, while another was to discuss opportunities and possibly help him.

He drove to where I live. He looked impressed I had taken a heavy mortgage. In fact, I was heavily in debt. we had lunch. He told me he was into small business and particularly real estate. I brought up more business discussions, but he didn't sound too interested. I asked him how I could help him. He said he was fine. I even told him if he was interested, I could help him secure some loans... He looked at me and smiled.

He told me he would invite me over soon to his place. His old car came for him. I was grateful for what I had.  “Fingers are not all equal”, I thought to myself...I was lucky. I worked in a good place.

Two weeks later, my wife and I went to see him in a remote area.

She was reluctant to go because she was not impressed with the man's status as to warrant our visiting him in his house. I was able to convince her that we were close friends in college. We saw the Estate. We asked for directions to his home. Those leading us spoke his name with deference and reverence.

It was a simple but lovely home. It was a 4 bedroom bungalow. I saw 4 cars parked in front. We entered his home. It was simply elegant with a touch of class inside. He welcomed us warmly. Lunch was well served.

During lunch, he asked about my MD. He said they were friends. I saw a company gift on one of his tables nearby. That company owned about 38% of the shares where I worked. I enquired from him about it. He smiled. He told me he owned the company. He also owned the estate.

I did not know when I called him sir... I was in awe of him.

I had learned a lesson in humility, a big one! Appearances are deceptive.

Driving back home, I was very quiet. My wife was humbled and extremely calm. I could perceive the thoughts in her mind. I looked at myself. Living on loans, heavy loans, and showing off while someone who pays my salary is quite modest and living a simple life!

Adjust your perception toward life and others because indeed Deeper Rivers Flow In Majestic Silence!

We celebrate you if you were born in July. Your birthday is the first day of another 365-day journey. Be the shining thread in the beautiful world and be a blessing and inspiration to the people around you! May you be given many more birthdays to fulfill all your dreams!

Have a wonderful month everybody! Stay safe and stay healthy.

Eric O. Thompson

YAJ.

Statements of Encouragement: Legacy.

 Hello eku dee de iwoyio.

I would like to share and encourage you with this article which is an excerpt;

“How Dad's name from his Grave saved my life” by Tunde Jakande

I suddenly took ill last week and had to be rushed to the Hospital.

I was given some Medication that eventually stabilized my condition.

When I became conscious of my Environment, the Doctor who attended to me began asking some health-related questions.

While punching my details into the computer, he asked me; Are you Tunde Jakande?

I answered; yes Doctor.

Are you related to Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande?

Yes.

He immediately stopped what he was doing and went emotional.

That Man made me a Doctor. Oh LKJ!

I come from a very poor home and was brought to Lagos from the East as House help to one of my Uncles. The People were not interested in sending me to school.

While they sent their Children to Private Schools, I was left on my own.

But I wanted to go to School and grudgingly, they sent me to Jakande School which was free. I probably would have ended up as a Street Boy but that man gave me hope.

The day he died, I cried. I prayed for his soul.

Listen I will give you my private number and will personally make sure you are ok.

I am so happy to meet you, Mr. Tunde. Please be my Friend.

The doctor has called me more than five times since I left the Hospital, enquiring about my health condition.

He is doing this not because of money or other benefits but to pay back a deed done by a man he had never met.

How are you affecting the lives of People around you today?

How will or can your deeds today affect the lives of your Children, Grand Children, or Relatives decades from now?

All through my life, People have welcomed me into their Homes, Offices, and lives. They have given me opportunities because of the name I carry.

I realized early that planting positivity in the lives of People and doing good to them is what will eventually impact the lives of my Children and Grand Children on their journey in life.

I urge us all to take a moment to reflect on our values and the reputation we are building for our future generations.

We must reset our priorities and strive to leave a legacy such that someone, somewhere, whom we probably have not met, will say, if not for that man.

We celebrate you if you were born in June. Happy birthday to you. From good friends and true, from old friends and new, may good luck go with you always and happiness too!

Have a wonderful month everyone! Stay safe, stay strong, mask up, and stay healthy.

Eric O. Thompson

YAJ.

Statements of Encouragement: Space

  Hello and eku deede iwoyi o!

I would like to share these three sentences I read in a book some time ago with you;

 Between stimulus and response, there is a space.

In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response.

In those choices lie our growth and our happiness.

Those sentences really touched me that I even coined them for my classes.

I`m sure everybody has also learned from various sources about our freedom to choose our response to whatever happens to us. I have even shared something similar in the past but this aspect of space between whatever happens to us and our response to it is special.

             Stimulus   -------------Response

 I will spare you the detail, but I have come to understand that the size of the space is subjective, that is, it depends on our genetic makeup, our upbringing, and our present circumstances. To some it is wide or long, to some it is short. It is the use of the space that is very important. Some with a short space may cave in when facing adversity while others with the same or wider space size may swim upstream against their circumstances to happiness and make use of their priceless gift. The difference is that they used their space or their freedom to choose differently. The awareness of our freedom and power to choose can excite our sense of possibility and potential and our responsibility or response-ability and accountability. It is certain that there may be things that happen to us over which we have no choice. We still have the power to choose how we respond. No matter what has happened, or is happening, or will happen, there is a space between those things and the response to them. Even if it`s only a fraction of a second between stimulus and response, the space represents our power to choose our response to any situation.

We celebrate you if you were born in May. May you be gifted with life’s biggest joys and never-ending bliss. Happy Birthday!

Have a wonderful month everyone! Stay safe, stay strong, mask up, and stay healthy.

Eric O. Thompson

YAJ.

Statements of Encouragement: Perceptions

 Hello and eku deede iwoyi o!

I will like to share this story I came across some time ago. It goes like this;

A farmer walked into an attorney's office wanting to file for a divorce from his wife.

The attorney asked; May I help you?

The farmer said; "Yea, I want to get me one of those Day-vorces."

The attorney said; "Do you have any grounds?"

The farmer said; "Yea, I got about 140 acres."

The attorney said; "No sir, you don't understand, do you have a case?"

The farmer said; "No I don't have a case, but I have a John Deere....."

The attorney said; "No, you don't understand, do you have any grudges?"

The farmer said; "Yea I have a grudge, that's where I park my John Deere."

The attorney said; "No sir, I mean do you have a suit?"

The farmer said; "Yea, I have a suit, I wear it to Church on Sundays."

The attorney said; "Well sir, does your wife beat you up or anything?"

The farmer said; "No sir, we both get up at 04:30."

The attorney then said; “Okay. let me put it this way, Why do you want a divorce?”

The farmer said; “Well, I can never have a meaningful conversation with her.”

My experience is that, if people really try to understand each other, they will in most cases come to agree with each other because over 90 percent of all communication problems are caused by semantics or perceptions. Whenever people listen to each other with true empathy that puts them on the same page, then they discuss their disagreements in agreeable ways and may possibly solve them through synergy, the third side of the coin, or the third alternative or a form of compromise.

We celebrate you if you were born in April. Don't count your years but the life you live. Happy Birthday!

Have a wonderful month everyone! Stay safe, get vaccinated, or get the booster shot as soon as possible if you haven’t done so, stay strong, mask up, and stay healthy.

 

Eric Thompson

YAJ.

Statements of Encouragement: Reality.

 Hello and eku deede iwoyi o!

There was a popular song in the ’90s called “I Believe I Can Fly.” The song has made its way around the world, inspiring millions of people to believe in themselves. It’s of a similar theme to the old saying you’ve probably heard many times from a parent, mentor, or teacher: “If you believe it, you can achieve it.”

The truth is, just believing something doesn’t make it so. A pig will never fly, and neither will you. There’s a big difference between a fantasy and a dream. Fantasies exist only in the imagination, but dreams…well, dreams can come true.

But it takes work to make a dream a reality. After all, a dream that has no chance of becoming reality is nothing more than a waste of time.

That’s the tricky thing about dreams. The best dreams are bold and ambitious full of hope and possibility. But what makes a dream worthwhile is your ability to bring it into reality. The difference between a fantasy and a dream is reality.

We don’t have the ability to achieve whatever we believe. It doesn’t matter how much you believe you can fly, if you jump out of a plane without a parachute, the law of gravity will take over, you cannot change your mind and it’s all over.

Think about the difference between fantasizers and dreamers:

Fantasizers rely on luck. Dreamers rely on discipline.

Fantasizers wait. Dreamers initiate.

Fantasizers make others responsible. Dreamers take responsibility.

Fantasizers focus on the destination. Dreamers focus on the journey.

Fantasizers minimize the value of work. Dreamers maximize the work they do.

Successful people don’t leave everything to chance. They focus on what they can do and they do it.

If your dream is unrealistic, you will depend on things that are outside of your control to make it a reality. There must be a balance between the boldness of your dream and the reality of your situation.

Successful people have mastered the art of reaching beyond what they’re capable of while depending on factors within their control. This is called aligning your dreams with your talent and skills.

I want to challenge you to look in the mirror and be honest with yourself about your dreams. Are you trying to do things that you really aren’t suited for?

Reality is never the enemy of a dream as long as you are depending on factors within your control. Factors like your knowledge, your skill, your potential, your habits, and your attitude.

Ask yourself these questions as you seek to find that place where dream and reality meet:

What is my dream? What are my strengths? What are my weaknesses?

What are my positive habits? What are my negative habits?

How long must I practice my positive habits to reach my potential?

Believing in your dream isn’t enough. You must understand your reality if you want to see your dream come true. I want to encourage you today—dream big, dream bold, and dream beyond imagination!

But more than that, I want to see you accomplish your dreams. And I believe that is possible—with a lot of work. So what are you waiting for? Go for it!

 

We celebrate you if you were born in March. Wishing you the happiest of birthdays and many more that top the year before, and may all your wishes come true!

Have a wonderful month everyone! Stay safe, get vaccinated, or get the booster shot as soon as it`s available, stay strong, mask up, and stay healthy.

 

Eric Thompson

YAJ.

Statements of Encouragement: Priorities.

 Hello and eku deede iwoyi o! It`s already February everybody!

I will like to follow up on last month`s write-up with this because they work hand in hand.

Anytime a person doesn`t know what his priorities are, he can find himself in trouble because he is liable to make poor decisions. German Poet John Wolfgang said, “Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.” I must admit this has been an area of weakness for me such as pleasing people at my expense. I experienced a crisis that caused me to come to grips with my priorities.

What are your priorities? I once asked my students this question and I want to ask you; In fifty or a hundred years from now what are you doing now, that will still be important? The house you live in, the car you drive, the position you hold, the money you have, etc. won`t mean much. What really matters? I encourage you to work hard to keep unimportant from becoming important and vise vasa. I must tell you that the secret of your success, depending on what the definition of success is to you, is determined by your daily agenda. It boils down to what you do today. Every day of our life is merely preparation for the next. Each is a process.

Growth, success, and fulfillment come from making wise decisions on the priorities for your life and managing them well daily. You need to know what priorities to set for every aspect of your life. It is also necessary to be disciplined and persevere to be able to maintain it and avoid distractions daily.

We celebrate you if you were born in February. May you always follow your own unique path when walking through this life's journey!

Have a wonderful month everyone! Stay safe, get vaccinated, or get the booster shot as soon as it`s available, stay strong, mask up, and stay healthy.

Eric Thompson

YAJ.

Statements of Encouragement: Distractions.

 Compliments of the season everyone, Odun a yabo fun wa o!

I will like to encourage you not to be distracted as we are experiencing the rise of omicron, the new covid-19 variant. I will like to share this story with you;

A man and his son were once going with their donkey to market. As they were walking along by his side a countryman passed them and said, "You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?" So the man put the boy on the donkey, and they went on their way.

But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said, "See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides."

So the man ordered his boy to get off and got on himself. But they hadn't gone far when they passed two women, one of whom said to the other, "Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along."

Well, the man didn't know what to do, but at last, he took his boy up before him on the donkey. By this time they had come to the town, and the passersby began to jeer and point at them for overloading the poor donkey. The man and boy got off and tried to think about what to do. By the time they arrived at the market, they were carrying the donkey on their shoulders.

Don't let this covid-19, omicron, and other variants or people keep you from pursuing your dream.

This is the time, 2022, to stay focused on your purpose.

We celebrate you if you were born in January. Your birthday is a perfect occasion to pause, reflect and promise yourself another great year full of adventure. Wishing you a wonderful year ahead!

Have a wonderful month everyone! Stay safe, get vaccinated, or get ready for the booster, stay strong, mask up, and stay healthy.

Eric Thompson

YAJ.