Zoe Inspired: Recent Episodes
Obukome Abu
Listen to challenge your perspective, gain insight and transform your mind. I believe if we take the time to transform our minds, we can all be the best, presently imperceptible versions of ourselves.
It is okay that I spend time praying about my life and my needs, yet it wouldn't constitute the majority of my prayer. Others do and this is because that is where my purpose is at. The kingdom of God is about what God wants to do through me. My purpose is not about me and my life is not about me. My purpose is to do good works that I have been preordained by God to do. I am not alive to pay bills and pursue career advancement. I was carefully crafted by God to fulfil His desires in the life of another, so people are the focus!My service to people is my service to God, so my prayer for people is my prayer to God. I know I do not need to worry about my own needs because they’ll be met. According to the fundamental law of nature set up by God, I water others so I will be watered. I give value, so I will naturally receive value.I realign the focus of my prayer by reminding myself of the commandments spelt out by Christ, that I must love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my mind. I must also love others as I love myself. So, I’ll pray for the grace to love God dearly and love others as though they are me. When I love God and others, it will inspire in me curiosity and in my works, ingenuity. When I pray for love for God and others, I can focus on doing God-inspired good works for others. In so doing, the kingdom of God will be fulfilled in me.
What is work? My perspective about work determines my attitude towards it. It is work that gives expression to what I carry within, so how can I not love it? It is INTEGRATED in the process of manifestations by the sons of God. How can I not cherish it? Work makes MY light shine, it makes me exude the excellence and the glory I was called into. Thus, He made me for good works not rest not sleep I do not wish everyday for the day I do not have to work I wish everyday that today, I know what WORK I am meant to do, and I do it And all these work I can do through Him that empowers me It is important that I have something useful to do, so that I can bless others. But who should I compare myself with, so that I can qualify my progress? I would compare my actions with myself. Deep down, I know who I am. Even though I might not be sure, of what I ought to be doing. I know - what - is - me. So this is what I will compare myself with: With the integrity of my uniqueness With the quality of excellence my purpose demands I shall work hard and not chase fantasies. It is action that brings my vision to reality. Therefore I should see it for what it is! A gift. That from the beginning; "the Lord God took man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it".
I used to be full of faith and religion for God. I used to love and adore Him because I was taught to do so and I believed in it. I believed in His finished works, that He was in control, and that His children were special beings.
In the past month, I started to dwindle. Not that I wanted to (I actually feared what would become of me for what is happening), but I couldn't control myself, my mind.
It started as a fear for the future, what would come of it. Where would I be, what would I become, where is this life leading me to? And the thought that I was losing time to indecision made fear more crippling, I couldn't help but compare myself to others and what they've (or will) achieved at my age. Of the little time I had before I must start thinking for others.
This fear encroached into the present. I started feeling unworthy for the life I have. What is the worth of my life if I can't be courageous? This is because to tell you the truth, I knew what I am supposed to do but the terror of what it entails me doing (after I have tried and failed for years) had made me chosen to forget for a moment.
Just as if that was not enough, the sudden death of someone I barely knew but thought was worthy of living put the icing on the cake. "Why did that happen?", I asked myself (and even God if you may). It struck like a bullet in my heart, I was disappointed. He had a reason to live; he knew God and he was living up to whatever life should be! I lost control, I didn't even want it anymore since I don't understand it. "I don't understand life or God so I don't want any control of both". That was my conclusion of the matter.
I fell ill shortly. It was one of the worsts for me. I remembered on one of the nights I was scared to sleep afraid it would lead to death. "If it could happen to him, what makes me special?". By the next day, it was unbearable, I felt sick like I never had and missed being alive so much.
Hallelujah! In 2 days I was alive as if I was never " dead". It was resurrection day for me! I felt reborn, anew. The meaning of life became palpable! I understood life like I never did in my entire past. Life is not what we become when we are breathing, life is the privilege we are given to breathe!
And now I know, not only that I don't know a plethora -no a host- of things, but also that God is the giver of life. This same God does not want us to be in control of Him or life, but to trust (and truly show it through active curiosity) in what He is doing, to laugh when we figure out a little of what His plans are, and to just worship Him by enjoying this life we are given.
As I walked the distance from the church to my house my mind raged as I thought about the message Pastor had just preached. Pastor titled it "Conquering the grasshopper mindset". And it truly did sip deep into my mind. My blood boiled, My heart raced and my pace was hastened. I was so angry to have been identified as part of those who operated in the mindset, and it showed. Then in just a moment, I saw it! I looked around me and at that moment I saw mindsets and not people. I saw the half-consciousness of an automated life of routine. I saw mindsets that gratify today without any thought whatsoever of the future. I saw a bunch of sleeping people. People who claim to be awake but are asleep, living a life without the sense of ownership of oneself and destiny. People who have been enslaved by the limitations of their small thinking. Where the possibility of greatness cannot be sowed in the lands of their minds; where distinguishability and singularity of a dream are inconceivable. But in the midst of these were the scanty few whose eyes possessed desire and whose demeanor preached their burning passion. They were the ones who were truly awake. The consciousness they possessed I wanted. And I could see they cared less about the phenomenon called "consciousness". Nevertheless, their consciousness was iridescent since they owe it to themselves to be accountable for their actions and the use of resources in the pursuance of their overarching goals. Therefore from today, I want to remember to further awaken myself when I wake up in the morning. From today I will reawaken myself when I say the phrase "I am awake", reminding myself:
of why I got up from my bed this morning
of where the routines I have recently adopted is leading me to
Of the power, I possess to deliberately change the direction of my life to reflect my priorities and life purposes and
that's my DESTINY is not who I will become (future tense) but who I am now (present tense).
I can recall times without number when I receive knowledge about a thing but can’t give a further explanation than that which I had gotten. For example, I was told that alcohol can be produced from a corn stalk. Then I go tell a friend and my friend sincerely asks me to help him understand how it works but I can say no more because that’s just all I know. I don’t know how, all I know is that alcohol can be derived from corn stalk. This is called “Priori Knowledge”. I know but do not know. “Priori” is a Latin word which means “that which comes before”. It is the knowledge that you get without understanding. It is the knowledge that comes before understanding is applied, solely derived from outside our thinking faculties. To understand is an ability. Understanding works on available knowledge (Priori) to birth a new kind of intimate, unforgettable and life transforming knowledge (the Posteriori Knowledge). Without understanding, it is impossible to tell if a path is leading to danger or good. If I am void of understanding, I won’t be able to act unless I apply faith blindly to an instruction, hoping it goes well. However, if I am full of understanding, wise words would be plain to me and easy to receive because I have the ability to receive it plainly. Priori knowledge is to keep, as understanding is to drink. Priori knowledge is to hear as understanding is to see, to perceive. A shrewd illustration to describe what understanding and Priori knowledge does to you is to liken them to the constituents of a concrete mixture. To get a concrete, one must mix his/her sand, cement, aggregate (i.e. rock fragments) and water. So the sand is you, the aggregate and cement is knowledge while the water is understanding. Without water, mixing the sand, aggregate and cement would result to a mould that is not so distinct from the sand castle children make at the beach. Without understanding, knowledge is kept - just like cement and aggregate - with you but it’s not part of you. With understanding poured in you, knowledge becomes part of you to create a better, concrete, more valuable you. So how do I gain understanding? It is simply by meditation. Meditation means to empty the mind so as to concentrate on one thing and just that thing at a particular time. Ponder about a particular subject or situation for long and understanding is gained. It takes time but it is worth it Curiousity is the fuel for understanding. Without the excitement to know, understanding is hindered. Also, if I desire understanding but still hold on to deception – not finding the courage to embrace the truth objectively – it is better I don’t even get understanding because the Posteriori knowledge I would derive would be based on falsehood, which is more wrecking than having no understanding at all. Therefore, it is important that I DESIRE the truth when going through this process. How do I know I have acquired understanding? The words of wisdom are plain to me if I have understanding. Since it dissolves knowledge and makes it part of me; I know sound knowledge when I meet it, I cherish it so much that I store it greedily in my heart, therefore it directs my actions and words. If I have understanding, I will hold dear to instructions and seek counsellors because I know the profit therein.
What is the pictorial definition of being stagnant? It is: nothing is coming in and nothing is going out. It hit me! I as an entity always have something of value. The key to living a life void of stagnation is to never hold more than I need. When I hold more, my need increases, and so will my spending expenses. I do not want to limit this post to just finance, but I wanted to make that point first. Now let's go! I have no need for what I do not need. Let that sink in. After my needs and basic wants, every other resource I have become idle or wasteful. To refuse stagnation, I must be aware of everything I can scatter, every resource I can scatter, because withholding them can easily lead to poverty. Give, sell, invest, just do anything but hold. Scatter into many places and after a while, I'll see what I've scattered coming back to me in multiplication. If I have more food than I can eat for a while, I give and that person would have it in mind for a life time. I have savings, why keep it and let it tempt me?! Instead, i find trusted investment portals. Do I give sound advice? I find someone to give them to, helping a friend I have a greater chance of that friend referring me to someone who would be willing to pay. My value has increased then and so has my net worth. I make my every resource restless and I can never be stagnant. This can only be possible if I have a liberal mind. A liberal mind cannot withhold more than can meet his need. A liberal mind is restless to put every single resource it has to use. I have a blender that works well but is idle, why not hire someone in need of cash to make lemonade to sell? The thing is that, I am doing no one good (including myself) to withhold, but whoever's I am giving, selling or investing my resources in, will bless me because I've fulfilled a need. It seems much easier to conserve, keep, store, build up, but that is lazy thinking. It is a lazy and/or fearful mind that stores up resources. Even the wealthy knows "everything I have must be at work to produce more". You might feel you have nothing conserved to give, so let me tell you: the energy I have saved up after resting, the extra room no one occupies, the idle blender, bookshelf, laptop, books, my experience etc. The list is endless, no one is without a resource they can't give, sell or invest. The only reason I should hold on to a resource that is not needful is for the purpose of making it better, thereby making it more valuable. I might withdraw showcasing my skills to people in need of it, mind you -not because I feel it's not ready yet (that is procrastination) but because I am at this moment hewing it to be more valuable. I might not invest money because at the moment I am trying to grow it on a regular basis to get myself a machine that would give me something better. Again and again, never keep any resource idle, only develop at the moment or give/sel/invest.
Life happens to those that deal it with a slack hand, but those that are diligent makes life happen. I notice that when I am not conscious and therefore not accountable for my actions, my reality barely matches my desires. When I have no sense of obligation - or not as much of it - in whatsoever I am interested in: be it relationship; work; family; it causes me to get an undesired result. Diligence starts with a definite, precise knowledge of what I want. The more precise I am, the more effective I can become. Observing the ants, I noticed that they are always on the go, and it took nothing for me to recognize that they are not just wondering. A whole colony is always working towards achieving a set of goals. It is because they have a common mission that they are purposeful, each ant knowing its specific task for the day. When I am very precise, I can be accountable and I can know when I am deviating from my mission. Now I know what I want, I must decide to bring it to pass employing every resource at my disposal. Also, I must have a very insightful understanding of how my actions correlate with the final outcome. If I rest from my unfinished work today, then tomorrow, and the day after; if I overlook a mistake here and there; I won’t be known in my field as excellent, even though I desire it. I create the life I want for myself, or let life happen to me based on my actions or inactions. The accumulation of all the responsibility I accept to take and all the compromises I allow becomes the judge who decides my fate. To live a life thinking things will just fall in place for me without lifting a finger is my doom. To think of it, even the most infinitesimal outcomes are as a result of action. If I wanted a favour and I don’t open my mouth to speak, it would never be in existence that I wanted it. If I am pressed and don’t use the bathroom, I’ll remain that way, or even worse, even though I can change the situation, eeeven if I have planned it all out. Without action, it is impossible for a change to occur. Action is the only guarantee for a difference to occur. Every beautiful plan in my head is not in existence no matter how long it took me to craft it and how successful it can be, until a force is introduced to bring it to reality. It is a pity if the only thing that causes me to take action are external forces, and so much so if they are inevitable natural circumstances such as hunger and inconvenience. They do work but it is so much better that I have a higher reason to put forth my energy. Diligence is naturally enforced when I wilfully desire to see reality give me exactly the thoughts of my mind. The moment I lose accountability should be the moment I forget about bringing my dreams to reality until I retrace my steps. If I lose that sense of responsibility to be meticulous, it is only wise for me to expect a deviation or even failure. The more meticulous I choose to be, the more feasible excellence is to me. There’s a story told by author Brian Tracy about a construction worker who, on his lunch break, complains loudly and incessantly about having to eat sardine sandwiches for lunch everyday and how he detest it. His profuse complaints were obnoxious to his colleagues and they became really annoyed about it. The next day, after his religious venting, a colleague suggests that he asks his wife to prepare something else for lunch next time. He replied, “Oh, I am not married, I make my own lunches!” Funny how the story sounds, yet that’s similar to complaining about not wanting to be a school dropout, but yet not studying; not wanting to live a poor life, yet spending more than you make; wanting to have a remarkable life on earth, yet being determined to do only unproductive things with the most valuable asset of all time – TIME. Putting action to desires would lead to fulfilment; not putting action to desires would lead to devastation. For “hope deferred makes the heart sick”.
“Discretio” is a Latin word from which words such as discretion and discernment were coined from. It is “judgement of the truth and the ability to act appropriately according to that truth”. Simply put, it is the ability to understand a situation and make the best out of it. It is this particular 9 letter word that declares a person wise. When I recall a particular person I consider wise or I hear people call wise, I notice that person always have the right answer to give or just know the right thing to do at the moment. Even in movies, just when it looks like the hero is cornered, he makes a certain move that makes me say “wow, that guy is bad!” Just before that action, he/she has made a very conscious and deliberate choice. This blog post features all that lead to making that very choice.
Since discretio is about taking the best possible move, there is something I must do before I can apply it. I must sincerely and absolutely choose a life that seeks to be excellent and would have nothing less. It is a very crucial step that must be taken because without the desire for excellence I will lack the zest to go through the process of applying discretio whenever it is needed. Having the desire to make the best out of it, define the situation. This may sound really stupid to note but I have observed that situations present themselves with surges of a kind of emotion: sometimes deep seething anger, sometimes sheer happiness et cetera. And this emotion becloud my thinking so much so that my interpretation of the situation as either an opportunity or a passing distraction would be utterly different from that of a friend who feels apathetic about the situation. So when I am defining the situation, I should try my best to take an unbiased stance (and if possible, get the view of other people). And with the same factual sincerity, I search for every important fact that has the ability to affect my decision. Finding these facts would naturally lay out the different possible actions to me that can be taken. Now I have various options presented to me but I’m faced with which to take. This is where I apply insight. Insight is about using the mind’s eye to see how every option would play out; and to see to the best of my ability the outcomes of every option presented to me. From this, I know the best option. I play out the option that would best lead to my desired result and voila! I just applied discretion! Caution: It will be a very slow and difficult process at first, but it is best to stick to it. With time I become better, quicker…and in no time would be called a sage! Warning: It is very likely that I will stop at discernment, not taking steps further to discretion. Discernment is about being conscious of the various actions I can take; discretion is about choosing the best action to take – or to take none at all. For example, I can be discerning by understanding the various routes to wealth creation, both good and bad; but with discretion I choose the route that best supports my values and aspirations. To be discerning shows that I have understanding; but to display discretion shows that I have wisdom – for wisdom is when understanding meets knowledge and it is applied. With one of the three processes (knowledge; understanding; application) missing, wisdom is aborted.
Exercise: Now, identify a situation you’re going through right now. Play this post again, pausing whenever you need time to think, until you have gone through the whole process. Do this for every situation you encounter until it becomes natural. Declaration: I am bigger than any circumstance or challenge I face.