ARE YOU HUNGRY?!

Wednesday 5 September 2012

 Are you hungry? (ambitious,studious,goal-orientated,vision driven?)

 

Go to the  ant you sluggard;

consider her ways and be wise:

who having no guide, overseer, or ruler

Provides her food in the summer,

and gathers her food in the harvest.

How long will you sleep, O sluggard?

when will you rise out of your sleep?

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber

a little folding of the hands to sleep:

So shall your poverty come upon you like a vagabond,

and your want like an armed man.

I met a young lady about a week ago, who we started a conversation as a I did my hair. She seemed so pleasant and well-spoken.
In the conversation she felt comfortable enough to tell me she was struggling to have food to eat everyday, she has a six week old baby and her son was at home in Swaziland with her mom. She said it had become so challenging that she was considering taking her baby to her mom, and the father of the child wasn't assisting with the baby and had turned his back on them.

I am a mother, I understand the need for a mom to provide for her children and stay with them so she can raise them and give them good values and love. I appealed to her not to send such a young baby who was bonding with her mother through breast-feeding etc, the damage on the child could be immense, she said she really didn't want to so she really gave me her ear. I gave her my number and said we should keep in touch and if she was in a dire situation she could contact me. She contacted me not too long after that saying they don't have food in the house, I met with her twice more to give her money for food. The third time i met with her, I sat in the car with her and explained that me giving her money is not a sustainable solution. I explained to her that rather than give her food, or money for food everytime I'd rather impart to her knowledge of how she can be self-sufficient. I said it starts with good exercise in the morning (she is quite overweight, that just walking to the car leaves her out of breath) she retorted that she walks to work, I said yes I understand I was just trying to get her a regular walking routine so she gets stronger and healthier, and her mental alertness would then increase. I spoke to her about the importance of health, and choosing the right things to eat, so she has energy. I told her that I had dvds that she could sell to make extra money. I also told her that I knew that it wasn't easy but that I could help her and mentor her every step of the way, and would be able to assist until she gets her feet on the ground.

I noticed that she was now silent, holding the food she just bought she said I hear you and exited the car, she didn't ask me about the dvds or when we can start the program, or ask about me mentoring her etc. I really had to ask myself if she is REALLY HUNGRY?

And herein lies the problem, did shee just want pity and hand-outs? Was she just used to the damsel in distress cycle, which us women also perpetuate in our relationships. In the years since I have started my business I have disempowered people by continuing to assist them in the same way I did when I met them, i noticed growth didn't occur, so 2 years ago I decided against it and now, I only help people who can assist to fly on their own, it must have a timeline and a progress curriculum. I am not insensitive I have been in situtations where I didn't know how I was going to pay my bills, or find the next money to buy food, but this made me HUNGRY for success, I sought wisdom, I got books on successful people, I learnt how to do budgets and kept on enquiring.

The sad part about unemployment in our country is not most of the time unemployment but unemployability. The bible says the work is plenty but the laborours are few. Poverty and shame shall be to those that refuseth instruction. Another tragedy is grants, I don't believe in poverty grants, I don't believe in paying people for not working, I know im being controversial here! What motivates the one who gets money for not working, to go out and seek employment or start a business?

I am reading a book entitled The Gospel of Wealth by CK Kanu, and one page he relates how to get space to sell his goods he had to clean a basement full of excrement. Most of our adversity trains us for success, chastens us, teaches us. So our training really must be to train our minds to break the prisons we have in our minds.

Again consider the ant you sluggard, consider her ways & be wise

ANTS
Ants form colonies that range in size from a few dozen predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies that may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals. Larger colonies consist mostly of sterile wingless females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Nearly all ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". The colonies sometimes are described as superorganisms because the ants appear to operate as a unified entity, collectively working together to support the colony.^[5]
Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. The only places lacking indigenous ants are Antarctica and a few remote or inhospitable islands. Ants thrive in most ecosystems and may form 15–25% of the terrestrial animal biomass.^[6] Their success in so many environments has been attributed to their social organisation and their ability to modify habitats, tap resources, and defend themselves. Their long co-evolution with other species has led to mimetic, commensal, parasitic, and mutualistic relationships.^[7]
Ant societies have division of labour, communication between individuals, and an ability to solve complex problems.^[8] These parallels with human societies have long been an inspiration and subject of study. Many human cultures make use of ants in cuisine, medication, and rituals. Some species are valued in their role as biological pest control agents.^[9] Their ability to exploit resources may bring ants into conflict with humans, however, as they can damage crops and invade buildings. Some species, such as the red imported fire ant, are regarded as invasive species, establishing themselves in areas where they have been introduced accidentally.^[10]

www.wikipedia.com