A discipline person + a discipline people = A discipline nation

What is discipline and why discipline? A lot of people attribute the numerous problems in our nation to the government. People blame the government for their lack of jobs, money and so many more. A carpenter with nine (9) children and the wife heavy with the tenth issue, who can hardly boast of making N15, 000 a month, blame his situation on the government. A man who incessantly drinks with all his earning at the expense of his responsibility to the home blames the government for his situation. A student who played away his/her time while others were studying, blames the government for dropping-out of school or ending up a failure. Everybody seems to have the government to blame for one or more things, nobody wants to honestly accept fault and take responsibility for their actions. I keep telling this to anyone who cares to listen “Man is the architect of his own doom”. Our actions as a result of our lack of discipline are responsible for who and what we are as at today and not the government. Lack of discipline as a person, lack of discipline as a people, lack of discipline as a nation. Indiscipline has been socially, morally, spiritually and psychologically embraced that the wrong things are now generally accepted as a standard for successful living. No longer do we frown at the wrong things rather everybody flaunt their wrong doings, what we have now is ‘Indiscipline Beautified’. Corruption is now at the highest point, lawlessness is now our second nature yet we blame the government. Gone are the days of military juntas where the army can force themselves to the seat of power through the barrel of a gun. Democracy is now the order of the day. What is Democracy? Democracy has been defined as government of the people, for the people, by the people. Good, from the definition given we are the government, we have the ultimate power to decide who leads us. But it is rather sad that our best candidates for this sensitive post always come from our undisciplined lot through our undisciplined action of selling out our mandates and conscience by voting for the wrong people simply because we have been cheaply paid. So I redefined Democracy as Government of the undisciplined, for the undisciplined, by the undisciplined. Our problem as a nation is a people-oriented problems and not the government stem from our undisciplined nature. What is discipline? The Longman dictionary of contemporary English defines discipline as a training of the mind and body to produce obedience and self control. From this definition it is clear that discipline is a thing of the mind. Like I mentioned earlier our problem is a people-oriented problem. The same democracy we practice in Africa is what is practiced in Europe, Asia and the rest of the world, yet our results and achievements cannot be compared. Why? Because our mind set differs, while leaders around the world are people conscious, our leaders in Africa are self and money conscious. It is only in Africa we elect people of questionable character to sensitive post because of the immediate gain without putting into consideration our future. To succeed as a person, a people and a nation is very simple; it starts with renewing our mind. What the mind cannot imagine the eye cannot see for blind minds are worse than blind eyes. Why do people after doing everything to get outside the shores of Africa believing they will be better off become worse off or get into problem there? It is simply because their minds are not disciplined enough to survive here or to sustain there. So once again I choose to redefine discipline. Discipline is doing the right things all the time. When it comes to discipline there is nothing like a perfect timing, the right time is all the time. Discipline is doing what you really don’t want to do so that you can do what you really what to do; it is paying the price in the little things so that you can buy the bigger things. If we can honestly and sincerely pay the price in those things we consider little or irrelevant starting from our individual selves, the way we talk, the way we dress, walk, eat, work, sleep, at home, at work, in school, in church, everywhere at all time Africa will become a force to reckon with. How to become disciplined Get wisdom: What is wisdom and why wisdom (proverbs 4 vs. 7), wisdom is the word of God; it is an accurate insight into life and it separates you from the crowd. Wisdom is ability to read and write and to act right; not every educated African act right. It is a driving force, a guiding force that makes you say what you say, do what you do having thought what you thought. Be discipline enough to get wisdom Render service: Always be ready to give off of yourself; this is different from working for money. Servers are givers, learn to serve and do not expect to get paid back for the services rendered. Africans don’t like to serve. Be discipline to serve it will take you places you can hardly imagine. Acquire knowledge: This is getting true education, knowing little or more of everything. Don’t study for examination alone rather study for life. Most Africans don’t have true education. Be discipline to commit yourself to true education for it will stand you out from he multitude. Improve on character: Babies are born men are made. We all came into this world to pick up our various characters, choose to be whom and what you want to be. Repetition of action forms our habits, repetition of habits forms our characters, and we must work on our character to become better. Be discipline in the way you act and react in situation for the world is watching you. Have a vision: There is a purpose why we were created. A seed will not become a tree unless it is planted and nurtured through, otherwise it will remain a promise of a tree. Have a clear-cut vision of what you want, never leave the world the way you met it; make it better. “Don’t let us pack-up where our fathers packed-up”, let us dare to dream....we hardly dream in Africa. Be discipline with your vision, let it drive you everywhere and every time for it through it your glory will be manifested. Act now: Don’t procrastinate, if you go to sleep now the wrong people will act. It is not wise to delay. Nothing can stop us if we are determined, we alone can stop ourselves. Let us all work on becoming not on having, from what we are, we will have. Be discipline to always act rather than react, your action separate you from mediocrity. See you @ the TOP. Thanks. Baiye Adebowale Folarinwa © March 2013