ALWAYS LISTEN TO YOURSELF FIRST!- BY ZEPHNATH

(Do not ignore yourself)

Do not think my dear that people will last being with you, the friends you have today are just there because they have something to benefit from you. Have a problem today and see that no one is your friend except few which is by God's grace that will remain in peace with you of which if care are not taking a little shake of a wind will blow them away in after whirlwind.

So stop forcing yourself on people in order to fit in into there life, my dear no matter how you try, they'll never value you, empathize and sympathize with you in your hard blow, true friends understand each other in a best way and even adapt with your deficiency's without a complain, knowingly fully that no one is perfect and that makes us a human and not God.

I' Zephnath Jude Erobe N, had the same experience when I had an accident which some of you here can attest to it. This yesterday I still experienced the same experience I had few years ago in one of my course mate and class mate mother's burial. Hmmm! Alas!! I was  dumbstrucked and I began to cry like a widow inward lyrics and a heavy drop of full ocean of tears fall out from my eyes with a bitter heart, I began to  meditate and valuate many things in my mind. To be honest this world is too short to count on people but it's well no matter what 😭💔.

So, After a long conversation with my friends, course rep, departmental VP and course mates at that burial my heart immediately ran to a story of one old man my father told me long ago here he said my son don't try to please others to displeased yourself for life is too short and there's a reason.

         Twenty years ago: A dying old man said to his doctor while on the sick bed " Doctor, don’t worry. I know I am going to die. I didn’t want to come here but they brought me here.

Please don’t worry about me, look at my hair, they are gone. I am so old but you are so young. I have learnt a lot from life, if you don’t mind I will tell you some of them before I die.

When I was 4 years, I use to think the world is about me. When I turned 14, I wanted to rule the world. I thought I would be the greatest man that ever lived. When I was 21, I wanted to be the richest man, when I was 25, I wanted to find love, when I was 40, I wanted to be helpful to everyone. Now that I am here, I want to die. You see, I wanted so many things at so many times. Most importantly, I wanted to be happy. I thought the best way to be happy is to listen to others.

When I wanted to enter the University, I wanted to study Zoology but everyone said I should study Engineering that I will be a great Engineer. So I listened to them. It had no one to pay my fees, I had to work and also pay my fees. In my third year, I couldn’t cope with my studies, I had to drop. When I dropped, the same people told me "you should have studied Zoology"!

When I turned 28, everyone said I should marry. That I needed a wife. So I listened to them, I got married. 6 years into the marriage, I caught my wife sleeping with my neighbour. I asked her why and she slapped me. I was angry and didn’t say anything. The next day I returned from work, she had run away with my children, now I am dying a lonely man.

At 40, I got a huge contract. My name was in the news. The next day, all my friends and families were at my house, everyone had a serious problem. Within one week, I spent all the money on them with the promise that they will pay back. I could not complete the contract because they refused to return the money as promised. So I was sent to jail for 6 years. I stayed in jail and I came out. When I came out, they were nowhere.

There was one mistake I made through all this time. Now it is clearg to me. Let me tell you about it. I refused to listen to myself. I ignored my own self and listen to others. Now that I am here the only person that is with me is myself.

You see, it is very good to listen to others. It is very wise to seek advice from others. But it is very dangerous to ignore your own self. It is very very dangerous to refuse to pay attention to your heart.

When you get home this night, sit down, take a glass of water. Close your eyes if you want or open it if you want, then talk to yourself, reason with yourself. You can walk down the road alone and as you walk, begin to talk to yourself.

The only person that can overrule yourself is God, after God, listen to yourself next. I know it may not make sense to you now but always remember I told you LEARN TO LISTEN TO YOURSELF.

Friend's may disappoint you, families will insult, the whole world may go against you but you see God is always there with you even in yourself.

ZEPHNATH JUDE POET EROBE N.

-Nigeria

15-12-2022

07064446786