WHEN PEOPLE TALK…

What people say has a lot of effect and I am no stranger to them words.I grew up in a family in which I had to quietly struggle to find my place and be recognized  It was tough enduring acts of comparism. It was not easy knowing you were loved, yet fighting for the same love in different situations. You knew you lacked but you couldn’t prove it.I saw myself go through a lot, I became reticent and secluded myself internally. I grew thus and lost the will to express myself as I ought. Years passed and I became more of me. Silent, withdrawn and deeply seeking attention. I grew inside a lot and outwardly I seemed to shrink. People called me shy, reserved, taunts came and made me worse. I sought to find myself and as I grew, I did.I realized that I shouldn’t apologize for who I am because that is how God made me. I also realised that if I remained as He made me without getting better, given all the opportunities that he had provided, then I was to blame and no one else. It became clear that my family may have contributed, my peer may have had their share and the society contributed its quota…yet none of them deserved to be blamed, not even to share. I knew this and sought to get myself a niche.
I set to work and began to learn, I rebuked myself, I disciplined my whims were I felt needed, I delayed gratification and hugged hardwork closer. I travailed and I prevailed
And as I progressed I saw my weak sides, they came along and I couldn’t tell them to go back. I had equally cultivated bad sides along the good. But I knew I was not perfect so I kept polishing and shinning both the crooked and the smooth and with time I got better, not perfect, but better.
Suddenly, I began to hear people call me proud, conceited, brainbox, ovasabi, too-know, big man, perfectionist, choosy and such like. As I passed through the jeering crowd I wanted to stop and I remembered where I was coming from, if I stop now I would be reticent again, I would be back where I started. I rebuffed their words and I kept moving because I now know that a rolling stone gathers no moss.I was withdrawn and they called me names, I am now outspoken and the names have come again but as I sailed passed the name callers, I could feel a breath of fresh air. I then realised I had been among low fliers and mediocres. As I turned to look back I could still see them looking for another victim. I looked around and I saw that at the top there was no competition. Everyone had a niche, they had concepts, they had purpose, they had vision, they had enough time for what mattered and not who mattered per say. I set to work. This was the atmosphere I sought all my life but who could have seen it beyond the jeering crowd of name callers.
Years later, the name callers, the crowd people began making contact, they became my prodigies, my apprentices, my boys, they sought to learn how I made it and how I manage to balance and keep afloat with ease. I not only showed them, I taught them. knowledge and experience, I gave them both. They began to grow and got their own name callers… they wanted to stop too.
I came ahead to help them go further, so I said…”once I was called bitter names and I believed it. Today I have no flair for fruitless words. I have realised that no fruitful tree should weary when pelted by the children’s stone. I am what I am not because of who I am but because of who HE is for He told me… Pro 16:7 “When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.””
Don’t stop your race, don’t lose your sleep, don’t cry a whim because they call you names, they will continue until you increase your height and deepen your roots and even then you wouldn’t be free but you would know better.
Learn from me without being me.
Learn that no one is too blame for you
Learn to be you without apology.
Learn to be better without limitations.
Learn that man was created amidst the trials of this life
Learn that all that is needed is YOU and GOD, the former pleasing the latter and guess what…
The names would still be called but this time, with praise and honour to the GOD who made and saw YOU through