DIRECTION: the way in which something or somebody goes, faces or points.
HOW I SEE IT:
Another big challenge that faces the people of my generation is that they lack direction. They don’t know where they are going to. Because everybody seems to be moving forward, we fail to really look around us to know if we are actually moving forward at all. I will like you to know that there is no standing at a place in life. It is either you are going forward or that you are going backward. Life is either progressive or retrogressive. What many people do not understand is that the world we are living in today is too fast. So either moving forward or backward, you do any of them faster than you can imagine. We are living in a fast track world; therefore, everybody thought that we all are moving forward. The truth is that most of us are making merry-go-round without realizing it. The reason why so many people break down at middle age is because they thought they were moving forward only for them to find out by the time age caught up with them that they never made any progress at all or they stopped making progress many years ago.
There is something that Abuchi Obika, the author of ANSWERS TO YOUR PROBLEMS always says and I think that is the problem of my world. He says “you can have fun at any age but you can’t work at any age, therefore, when one fails to work hard now because the person lacks direction and is busy having fun, when the person gets older or old the person might find it difficult to regain the lost years.” (Emphasis added by me). People of my generation are not really sure of which way to follow, because they are lost in between many opinions.
It is good to have fun but don’t forget that those who will really enjoy are those that know where they are going. Those who know where they are going are those who know when to play and when to pray. You must differentiate between the time to work and the time to rock. I always tell my listeners that “all work and no play make Jack a dull boy and all play and no work makes you a poor boy.”
The Global community thing is not even helping issues too, because what is being preached by some groups of people to the 21st century youths is freedom and independence. This has blurred the vision of today’s youths especially those from my country Nigeria. Because their vision is blurred, they lose direction. But I still believe that anyone who wants to overcome the challenges that is facing him/her or the challenges that will face him/her must understand the culture of the place he/she finds him/herself. I am saying this because we are now in a global community many youths borrow what is not, from so many people they met on the internet. So many social networks are positively and negatively affecting many young people.
Today we have so many libertarians. Trust youths of today, they love to hear libertarians talk. They love to see them act or do some things. I have come to understand that libertarianism is not good for humanism. Humans tend to run away from those that make them see their mistakes, and get glued to those that encourage them to go deeper into their shit. The next thing you will hear them say is if you love me, take me the way I am because this is who I am. These people forget to know that if all people stay just the way they are without adjustment that no two persons will ever work, walk or even live together. Keep this locked in your heart forever, “the strength of human relationship is adjustment.” And that is what we all call understanding. The greatest room in this world, they say is room of improvement.
As an active player when it comes to things that concern youths and teens, I know what I see and hear every day. Young people of today sample opinions from someone they know nothing about their culture or things that prevail in the place where he/she is. It is good to sample opinions however; you must know what works in your culture or the place where you live. Every people have what they believe in. I don’t blame the government of Israel who monitors and controls the information one accesses on the internet. You can’t just log on to internet in Israel and open any site you want, not at all in Israel. No wonder their youths are so much committed to the cause of their country. Even their women are as strong as their men. They all are good fighters because they have not been corrupted with external information that deforms. That’s by the way.
DIRECTION:
(a) A feeling of having a definite goal.
(b) A sense of purpose.
Anybody that wants to succeed in life must have a definite goal. That person must know what he/she is actually pursuing. There must be a set out goal, if not one’s life will just keep rotating like football. Brain Tracy wrote in his book; EAT THAT FROG, “goals are the flame in the furnace of achievement.” All achievers that I have ever come across have goals they set out to pursue.
Friends if you want to overcome the challenges that face today’s youths, you must have a sense of purpose. You must stop living your life as if you have all the time in this world all for yourself. We have but little time to spend and it will be very good if we can achieve something significant with it. Most of the youths of old who we today call old people messed their lives because they had no definite goal or purpose.
They had plans but the plans they had been miscarried (aborted) because they didn’t have sense of purpose. Some of us blame our parents for what they did or for what they didn’t do. But when I look at my follow youths today I also see people whose children will also live to blame. But my prayer for my generation is this: may our children live to see us as their role models. Your children can’t see you as their role model if you have not done enough to make them see you that way. We must go beyond blaming others to amending those things they did that we don’t like.
What is your aim? What is your goal? What is your purpose for living? Do you know where you want to harbor your ship? Seneca said, “our plans miscarry because they have no aim. When a man doesn’t know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind. No wind is also the wrong wind.”(Emphasis added by me). We do many things that are not relevant to our lives because we do not know where we are going to. We jump from here to there because we lack direction most time we play away those who will help us to get to our harbor in life. If you don’t know where you are going you won’t even know when you meet the person that will take you there.
The level you get to in life is totally dependent on the goal you set for yourself. For the fact you have a vision, have a well defined direction does not guaranty smooth road to success. There will be things that will come to push you around. Things that will make you change your direction. Winds will blow and things sometimes will fall apart. But no matter the situation you find yourself on your way to greatness always say this to yourself, “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sail to always reach my destination.” Words of Jimmy Dean. “God did not promise us a smooth flight but He promised us safe landing.” I heard this from the mouth of Deacon Victor Orji (Sunday School Superintendent NEM HQ. Onitsha). I believe this completely because I have experienced more than I can talk about. If you know the direction you are going to and that God is actually going with you. You would be afraid to move ahead even if there are so many difficulties in the air.
FINALLY: It does not matter how far you think you have gone away from your dream. It does not matter how far away you have wondered away from lives reality. All hopes are not lost. You can come back and start all over again. The only person that can’t make changes any more is a dead person. You can do it better again. All you have to do is to do what the prodigal son did. Pick up yourself and go back your maker. God the creator of heavens and earth, God who called you the apple of His eyes. God who say that your wall is standing continually before Him, God who said that He will help you. I want you to know that no matter what kind of negative things people have said about you, that is not whom you are. You are much better than anyone would ever comprehend. God said so. He is waiting to wear you a new look, a new clothe and a new ring. He is waiting because you are about to be celebrated because there is no mistake God can not correct.
If you don’t know the direction your life is going please do well to consult God through his Son Jesus Christ.
1. You can always adjust your sail if you can be able to look up to Jesus the Author and Finisher of your faith. Hebrews 12; 2a
2. God will always be by your side to guide you through the storms of life.
3. Remember that God’s plan for you, is plan of good not of evil. Jeremiah 29; 11
4. Talk to some people who can help re-direct your life.
See you at the top most top. Love you dearly.
