Although fleeing oneself from mediocrity is extremely demanding, I beg to differ with Michel de Montaigne who once said, "Poverty of goods is easily cured but poverty of the mind is irreparable.” Although it's inarguably true that a defeat mindset begets poverty, with a visionary mind and relentless efforts, success awaits.
In other words; poverty is just but a defeat mindset. The moment you shall believe without a smidgen doubt the words that apostle Paul used when he addressed the Christian church in Philippi; 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,' Philippians 4:13 that's the moment you shall begin to free your mind from mediocrity.
One mediocre mindset that we have to free ourselves from is the handouts mindset. The fact that we have baptized it with a more enticing name; bursary dosen't exclude it from being a handout. School bursaries are just but handouts that have fostered a mediocre mindset among many Africans for decades. Having a mindset that you can't afford to educate your children unless the government helps is a mediocre mentality. Unfortunately, most of us are now victims of our own mediocre mindset and our politicians can now lure us with ease into voting for them through school bursaries and endless empty promises. The truth of the matter is; the government is never interested in positively improving the economic policies that will create jobs lest we become economically independent and rob our politicians their 'golden chance' of extorting public funds to enrich themselves and to bribe us in the name of handouts so that we can vote them into their political seats for a continuous cycle of extortion and corruption.
One mediocre mindset that we have to free ourselves from is the handouts mindset. The fact that we have baptized it with a more enticing name; bursary dosen't exclude it from being a handout. School bursaries are just but handouts that have fostered a mediocre mindset among many Africans for decades. Having a mindset that you can't afford to educate your children unless the government helps is a mediocre mentality. Unfortunately, most of us are now victims of our own mediocre mindset and our politicians can now lure us with ease into voting for them through school bursaries and endless empty promises. The truth of the matter is; the government is never interested in positively improving the economic policies that will create jobs lest we become economically independent and rob our politicians their 'golden chance' of extorting public funds to enrich themselves and to bribe us in the name of handouts so that we can vote them into their political seats for a continuous cycle of extortion and corruption.
To my American friends who can't relate with bursaries, i am sure you can relate with food stamps that most recipients perceive as a way of efficiency in executing government policies but fail to understand that; food stamps are great enticements that render you to a comfort zone and restrain you from applying your full force of reason on how you can liberate yourself from mediocrity to greatness. In other words, just like bursaries, food stamps robs you the ability to think of your greatness and your remarkable potential of how daring you must be to step out of the confines of mediocrity into luxuriation of greatness.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. While politicians don't like the latter part of this qoute, they are so passionate about the former part since it's the part that they have for a very long time used to render their empty promises in order to feed their greed of being voted into office. My interpretation of this qoute is; every time you allow someone to give you a livelihood rather than teaching you how to earn a living, you render that person the power to determine when you are hungry, what and when to feed you. In other words, you subject your life and that of your family under his or her mercy.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. While politicians don't like the latter part of this qoute, they are so passionate about the former part since it's the part that they have for a very long time used to render their empty promises in order to feed their greed of being voted into office. My interpretation of this qoute is; every time you allow someone to give you a livelihood rather than teaching you how to earn a living, you render that person the power to determine when you are hungry, what and when to feed you. In other words, you subject your life and that of your family under his or her mercy.
It's extremely unfortunate that this is the life that most people lead on daily basis. We have given our so called leaders too much 'power' because of our mediocre mindset and they have for a very long time continued to take advantage of our mediocrity by impoverishing us and later giving us smidgen handouts from the same resources they extort from us.
As much as politicians aren't angels who should walk scot free on all ill matters of their failed leadership, I am raising awareness on our laxity that have continued to hold us in a 'comfort zone' regardless of our mediocrity.
Noting that we are living in the days where most people are upgrading their smartphones now and then, why are we so reluctant to renew their mindset as often as we do with our gadgets? Just like the biblical words in Romans 12:2; '..... but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.' 'Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God,' if you have a pressing need to transform your life, you must first transform your mind. In other words, transformation of your mind is the first step towards the transformation of your life lest you live in mediocrity.
On the other hand, transforming your mind becomes easier when you have long-term challenging goals that keeps you on your toes. In a comfort zone, there's no growth but mediocrity. You must always subject yourself to challenges in order to develop yourself. If your dreams for success don't scare you, they're too easy to achieve and mostly likely they are just moderate. I do believe that; failure is not aiming high and missing, it's aiming low and hitting.
It's also extremely imperative to know that transforming your mind is a personal responsibility not a collective one. Nonetheless, choosing the right friends who will constantly challenge your thoughts is a great way to help you in transforming your mind. You're an average of the five people whom you hangout with. If your friends aren't challenging your thoughts, your life is in a stagnation. It's time to break that friendship and make new friends who can positively challenge your thoughts and keep your mind engaged.
Noting that we are living in the days where most people are upgrading their smartphones now and then, why are we so reluctant to renew their mindset as often as we do with our gadgets? Just like the biblical words in Romans 12:2; '..... but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.' 'Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God,' if you have a pressing need to transform your life, you must first transform your mind. In other words, transformation of your mind is the first step towards the transformation of your life lest you live in mediocrity.
On the other hand, transforming your mind becomes easier when you have long-term challenging goals that keeps you on your toes. In a comfort zone, there's no growth but mediocrity. You must always subject yourself to challenges in order to develop yourself. If your dreams for success don't scare you, they're too easy to achieve and mostly likely they are just moderate. I do believe that; failure is not aiming high and missing, it's aiming low and hitting.
It's also extremely imperative to know that transforming your mind is a personal responsibility not a collective one. Nonetheless, choosing the right friends who will constantly challenge your thoughts is a great way to help you in transforming your mind. You're an average of the five people whom you hangout with. If your friends aren't challenging your thoughts, your life is in a stagnation. It's time to break that friendship and make new friends who can positively challenge your thoughts and keep your mind engaged.
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