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Thursday 7 June 2018

Sometimes You Are The Enemy You Seek To Kill





"His village people are after him".

The phrase above is one most of us have used to describe a person who we think destroys their chances by themselves.

You may have said it yourself when certain things happened but I am learning that more often than not, the village people we blame only exist in our heads.

Sometimes the real village people is you and the problem you have may be your fault albeit unintentionally.

You may have read that you cannot give what you don’t have. 

This is true as you can pretend to be who you are not for a while but with time the real you will show.

Every day I see the truth in these words.

Every day I come to see that when you keep getting less than you deserve then maybe it is because you are not as valuable as you think.

So you may call yourself strong, beautiful, valuable and deserving of the best but if you do not work to be what you say you are then you will still sabotage yourself because your nature – who you really are – will betray you.

It reminds me of the Prodigal son who squandered his inheritance. 

It wasn't his village people that took the money but his inability to handle his new found wealth made him squander it.

Wealth that took his father years to acquire was gone in a short while because he didn’t have the capability to acquire or manage such wealth.

Let me share this profound story my brother told me with you.

Once upon a time in a certain town where slaves were not expected to associate with men considered to be free born, there lived 3 men.

They were friends but their relationship was unique because 2 of these men were free born and the other was a slave.

The 2 free born men had a meeting to attend in another town and when they informed their slave friend of their plans, he pleaded to go with them as his master had gone on a trip and he was free of his duty at the time.

His friends obliged but he pleaded to be treated as a free born when they got to the town they were visiting so that he would be treated with respect.

This too they agreed to.

On the set day, they embarked on their trip and upon arrival at their destination headed straight to the house they were to be hosted.

When they got to the house, their host received them at the door while his own slave took their coats to be kept amongst those of other guests because the custom is that guests coats would be hung neatly while those of the guests’ slave is kept on the floor in a corner as free born and slaves do not associate.

Pleasantries were exchanged, introductions done, the table was set for dinner and everyone sat down to dine.

While they were dining the host excused himself briefly and while he was returning to the table, he saw a coat in a corner on the floor. He wondered whose it was as none of his guests came with a slave and he knew his own slaves kept their coats in their quarters.

He beckoned on his slaves who were waiting on the guests and asked them who had the coat and when his slaves said they didn’t know, he proceeded to the dining table to ask his guests.

He asked “did anyone of you come with a slave? Because someone has kept their coat here like a slave and you know no slave is allowed on the dining table”.

His guests looked at each other with astonishment each wondering who the slave was in their midst.

While they exchanged glances, the 2 men who had brought in their slave friend looked at him with regret in their eyes as it dawned on them that introducing him as a free man didn’t change the fact that he had lived his life as a slave and had the mentality of a slave.

The fact that he was called a free born and treated as one didn’t change the fact the he still had the mind of slave.

He did not learn the ways of the free born, how they acted, talked and behaved.

He is nature had betrayed him. He became his own enemy.

This story is profound because it shows that you may change your name or even your appearance but if you do not change your mind and learn to act differently, who you are will still show.

You cannot pour from an empty cup as such if you do not consciously learn a new way of being your nature and not your village people will betray you.

You may become your own enemy.

2 comments:

  1. Beautiful work. Thank you Okiemute for this

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    Replies
    1. You are welcome Chioma and I am really glad you enjoyed reading this.

      Thank you too.

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