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Tuesday, November 19, 2013
As my dad smacked me in the head, I grudgingly walked away not understanding why the visitor could not use the long glass I had brought for him to drink the red wine my dad had set on the table. I went back to the wine glass rack and pulled out the glass with the wider base for the visitor to use... still wondering why he could not use the first glass cup I brought. From then till now I still can't understand why the white wine glass is different from the red wine glass - not that there are no explanations but I just can't understand why there should be a reason. Does it really matter if you pour the white wine in a red wine glass or vice versa? Will it change the taste of the wine? Does the shape of the glass cup allow a free flow of the wine into the mouth? If you present a visitor with a white wine and give him/her a red wine glass, does that make you a bad host? I'm still wondering why....because in the end, all that matters is the wine went from the glass into your mouth; your tongue enjoyed the taste of the wine which then passed through your oesophagus into your stomach and ends up in the toilet as urine. Following this life cycle of the wine, again I ask - does it really matter what glass you drink your wine in?
It's interesting how most of us live our lives with so much headache on what type of glass to drink our wine from. Yes ... you reading this article. What am I trying to say? In the journey of life, it really doesn't matter where you are at or what stage in life you are at presently. All that matters is that you're not at one spot - you're moving forward and making progress. It also doesn't matter what people think/say about you; understand that there will always be critics who stand on the way throwing tantrums at you and telling you how they expect your life to be or how they think you're not doing something well. These people act like the day you were born, there was a slot for their signature on your birth certificate. They expect you to be at a certain level at a certain age in your life and when you're not there yet; they make you feel miserable about it because according to them "your mates" have all achieved so and so while you're yet to get there. They always have "when" and "why" questions such as - Daisy, Amaka is getting married next month so when is yours? Or, Lanre, Chudi has just bought a new BMW and built a new house for his parents so when are we seeing your handwork? The most common question for both male and female - so when are you getting married? Does it really matter when?
If you ever get these questions, your response should be - If I tell you when I will do these things, how will it affect your life? Will it add a cubit to your height or a pound to your flesh? As different as our faces are, so are our destinies; even twins do not have the same thumb print and do not have the same dreams or ambitions. That someone else is
drinking their white wine in a slender long glass does not mean it tastes better than yours because you're drinking from a wider base glass. I mean, someone else's success does not insinuate that you are not making progress in life so quit letting people control your life choosing what type of glass you have to drink your wine in. The igbos will say "ebe onye oso ruru ka onye ije g'eru" meaning - the person running and the person walking will both get to the same destination. Kinda reminds me of the bedtime stories about the tortoise, slow but steady showing that it's not about how fast your so called mates run but how well. Compare two people building houses - a skyscraper and a bungalow. When the bungalow is completed, the owner of the skyscraper will still be laying his foundation. But the people looking from outside will not understand; they will only see that two people started building together but one person finished before the other.
While beating yourself up about what type of glass to drink your wine from; remember that some people do not even have wine to drink talk more of choosing which glass to drink from. So when next those people come with their when and why questions; remind them that there are also some of those your mates who are 6 feet below the ground and couldn't live to enjoy the wine whether from a long slender glass or a wider base glass.
- It's your life - choose to live it on God's purpose and plans for you, not what people think is best for you. God's time is the best and as long as you're walking in his plans for your life - what anybody thinks or says really doesn't matter.
- Be motivated by other people's success and let it be a source of encouragement to you. Never envy anybody, you'll short-circuit that miracle in your life especially if it's something you desire. Instead celebrate people and you in will be celebrated.
- Constantly push yourself to perform better than your past, not to compete with others. If your goal is to be better than that your flat mate or co-worker; you may end up frustrating yourself.
- Don't let the world decide for you, let THE WORD decide for you. The wine is yours, you can even drink it with a tea cup...it's nobody's business as long a it's fine with God.
- White wine or red wine, it doesn't really matter which glass you use as long as the wine gets into your mouth and serves its purpose. Therefore, whether fast or slow... it doesn't really matter as long as you just keep moving.
- Always be thankful for having wine at least; there are people who don't have i.e. be thankful for life and for where God has brought you to.
- Even when there is no glass to drink the wine, you can drink directly from the bottle. Meaning, when you're faced with obstacles - just take the bull by the horn and push your way through.
- Never stop dreaming as long as you wake up and make it happen.
Have a beautiful week
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