TRAVELLING LIGHT

Philosophers and theologians often tell us that our life on earth is a journey. The trip begins from the womb, not when we are born, and expires on our demise. With 120 years stipulated in the Scriptures (Genesis 6:3) as man’s maximum life span, that’s a really long trip. During the trip, there are adventures, celebrations, achievements, friendships, disappointments, failures, stress, enmity, etc. Shakespeare puts it this way;

“All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts…” (From “As You Like It” Act 2, Scene 7)

 As a teenager, your trip has barely begun. You’ve been probably told, lots of times, that you have your ‘whole life ahead of you’. It is true. Your life trip is going to be very eventful any moment from now. You think you’ve seen it all? Don’t bet on it. There’s more ahead of you than behind and current. You can choose to travel heavy or travel light.

Now there’s something I know about teenagers (remember, every adult was once one)…we like to explore and are adventurous and we like it better unaided and without any impediment whatsoever. You will never appreciate the cocoon you’ve lived in up till now until you face the ‘real world’ and it is a different game out there. As you loosen yourselves from the ‘shelter’ of your parents and guardians, and launch into your further journey, you will find that there are as much excitement as there are frustrations; as much temptations as there are restraints; and as much adventure as there are empty pursuits.

And that takes me to Ephesians 5:15-17, “Therefore see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people], making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil. Therefore do not be foolish and thoughtless, but understand and firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is”.

You can travel heavy when you choose to live carelessly. “To be careless in any area of life is to gamble with disaster. But in order to not be careless someone has to be cautious. Being cautious is not exactly the most celebrated trait in our culture today. However, not being cautious is driving down the road of carelessness to disaster” (Quote from jbrackbill in the article, ‘Careless Living vs. Cautious Living’).

But you can travel light when you walk and work in the will of God and refuse to live as a fool. The Scriptures are full of descriptions of foolish people. They are opinionated (Proverbs 18:2, 7); lack self control (Proverbs 29:11); despise intelligence (Proverbs 1:7); are garrulous (Proverbs 18:6); are noisy and argumentative (Proverbs 29:9); are conceited (Proverbs 28:26); delight in doing wrong (Proverbs 10:23); are reckless (Proverbs 14:16); do not recognize the sovereignty of God (Psalm 14:1); are susceptible to reproach (Proverbs 3:35); are gullible (Proverbs 14:15); are quarrelsome (Proverbs 20:3); are destructive (Proverbs 14:1); are gossips (Proverbs 10:18); bring heartache to their parents (Proverbs 17:25); just to mention a few. Living your life after this fashion can be a heavy burden.

Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”

Whenever I listened to ministers preach from this passage, their slant was towards the stress and troubles of this world but my recent meditation took me to the Amplified Bible where I got more understanding of some matters that have troubled me lately. I have watched pastors quit the clergy; workers in the church throw-in the towel; young people abandon the faith; and members of the congregation go back to the world and I often wondered why anyone who has ‘put their hand on the plow’ will look back! Their main grouse was that they were going through the spiritual motions with no significant change in their lives…they were gorging on spiritual food from the church, regularly, but were feeling empty.

You can immerse yourself in the home, school, workplace, community, and church…regular activities, active participation, volunteering, financial contributor, etc, but it’s excitement but no fulfillment. In your life travel, you will experience cheers and jeers; pats and knocks; and possibly, carry burdens best described in Galatians 5:19-21, “The things your sinful old self wants to do are: sex sins, sinful desires, wild living, worshiping false gods, witchcraft, hating, fighting, being jealous, being angry, arguing, dividing into little groups and thinking the other groups are wrong, false teaching, wanting something someone else has, killing other people, using strong drink, wild parties, and all things like these. I told you before and I am telling you again that those who do these things will have no place in the holy nation of God”.

On the other hand are those who are conscious of their travel duration and life purpose; teenagers who are mindful of their purpose in life and have taken the decision to live carefully. With all the pleasure in the world, they choose wisdom and restraint and the life of Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit that comes from having the Holy Spirit in our lives is: love, joy, peace, not giving up, being kind, being good, having faith, being gentle, and being the boss over our own desires. The Law is not against these things”.

Ask any medical practitioner, the latter is a lighter load than the former, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. The former comes with strife, guilt, crime, fatigue, disaffection, wickedness, etc, all of which bring negative turbulence to our spirit, soul and body. The ‘burden’ in the latter, on the other hand, is so light and gives rest.

In life, you can’t be eating your cake and still having it on your plate. Every time you eat a piece of it, the quantity depletes, not increasing. The careless life cannot be changed by man-made tactics and it leaves a huge and painful burden to those seeking for succour but Jesus has given us a better option… those who will go to Him will have their heavy loads taken away. Why? Because, they will henceforth, travel light.

The Health-Conscious Teenager

As a teenager, you are the bridge between childhood and adulthood and it comes with a lot of physical, mental, social, emotional, spiritual, etc, pressures. Whether at home, in school, or at the work place, you are so fully occupied that establishing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be really hard. But you need to note that you are at a critical growth stage and whatever habits you espouse now will, most likely, be with you for the rest of your life.

It is therefore, important that you form and keep good and healthy habits in taking care of your spirit, soul and body. The health-conscious teen should be focused on all-round good health long-term – physical, mental, spiritual, and social.

Michelle Zehr shares the following in her article, “A Healthy Lifestyle for Teens”;

Exercise: To remain healthy as a teen, maintain a healthy weight. Regular exercise and good eating habits are crucial to your health and well-being. Teens should get 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Exercise can include aerobics, flexibility exercises and strength training. It is important to find an activity or multiple activities you enjoy. Consider sports, weight lifting, aerobics class, swimming, walking or running. If 60 minutes seems like a lot of exercise to commit to at one time, it's okay to break up your exercise sessions throughout the day.

Healthy Eating: Good eating habits are also important in maintaining a healthy weight. Eat a variety of foods, and remember that it is okay to have an occasional treat. Consider eliminating soda pop from your diet, eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, eating foods from all the different food groups, choosing healthy snacks, always eating breakfast and avoiding eating just because you are bored.

Bad Habits: Avoid bad habits -- including tobacco, drug and alcohol use. These products can have long-term effects on your health. Tobacco not only smells bad and affected the people around you, but can lead to serious conditions including lung and heart disease.

Another concern for teenagers is the pressure to try alcohol. KidsHealth.org indicates that 80 percent of teenagers have given alcohol a try. Alcohol impairs your judgment, adds calories to your diet, can destroy relationships and can lead to liver problems.

Drugs are another temptation. Drugs problems can come in the form of inhalants, marijuana use or the abuse of prescription drugs. Drugs abuse is dangerous for your mind and body, and overdosing on drugs can cause long-term health effects or even death. If you think you have a substance or alcohol abuse problem, talk to a trusted adult, parent or counselor.

Sexual Health: If you have made the decision to have sex as a teenager, make wise decisions regarding your health. To avoid pregnancy and getting a sexually transmitted disease, use protection in the form of condoms, birth control pills, shots, rings and patches, IUDs, diaphragms, spermicide or cervical caps. Remember that prescription birth control methods do not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases. Talk to your doctor about the birth control methods that are right for you. When you become sexually active, make a yearly trip to your doctor for a checkup.

These are very important considerations and I will add some more, mainly, social, emotional and spiritual health.

Social Health: Social development is a very critical growth area for teenagers. Human beings are social mammals and we love to build relationships with others – family, friends, and community. Social health for the teenager involves establishing a good relationship with yourself and with others, including your community.

Teenagers struggle with self-esteem. What is self-esteem? It is simply, the way you feel about yourself. As a teenager, you need to have a positive image of yourself to grow up successfully, into an adult. Encourage yourself daily and celebrate your milestones. It may seem hard with so much pressure and criticism. Pay attention to constructive criticism and avoid the ones that try to ridicule you or make you feel inadequate and worthless. See your mistakes as lessons learned and focus on your strengths which lie in your skills and abilities. Put them to good use to impact lives and your community positively.

Teenagers also battle peer pressure. At this point in their lives, they are will likely spend more time with their friends and less time with their parents, so friends can influence their thinking and behavior. Peer pressure can be a positive influence where, for example, a teenager is motivated to do well in school; and negative where, for example, a teenager is induced to smoke, drink alcohol, use drugs, or to engage in irresponsible sex and other risky behaviour. In order to reduce the influence of dangerous peer pressure, teenagers need positive mentoring relationships to guide them toward making good decisions; to reinforce good values; and to nurture their positive self-esteem.

Teenagers, many times, do not realize how much they contribute to their community, good or bad. Social health also involves that. Are you law abiding, an active participant in the community’s development, and a productive and patriotic citizen? Unruly behaviour, unsanitary conduct and criminal character are examples of social ill-health.

Spiritual Health: Your spiritual health is a great part of living and as a teenager, who is a Christian, you need to give it your utmost attention. Just like your physical wellbeing is accomplished through good hygiene, you can establish and maintain your spiritual health through good spiritual hygiene. Joshua 1:8 gives us one of the recipes – “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read [and meditate on] it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful”.

Pastor Wayne D. Turner lists four practices for good spiritual hygiene;

1)   Read your Bible

2)   Pray

3)   Fellowship with other believers

4)   Share your faith with others

Pastor Turner adds that God wants to see believers living their lives before the world in a manner that glorifies Him through our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. How can you do this? Go to Galatians 5:22-23, “But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely” (MSG).

Our Actions Are Our Future!!!

This was the theme of the World Food Day 2018 which was celebrated on Tuesday October 16. This is a day designated by the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), a United Nations (UN) group, to bring attention to how governments and individuals can help combat world hunger, malnutrition and food insecurity.

On 16 October 1945, representatives from 42 countries gathered in Quebec, Canada, to create the FAO. World Food Day commemorates the group's founding, celebrates the progress that has been made and highlights the need to do much more to fight hunger-related issues including malnutrition and food insecurity.

The United Nations has set a goal of achieving Zero Hunger worldwide by 2030, and on World Food Day, the FAO asks governments, farmers, organizations and individuals to get involved in working toward a world where everyone has reliable access to enough nutritious food — i.e. food security (availability, adequacy, sufficiency, and affordability).

Everyone eats food…daily. We may not all be involved in producing the food or even know how/where the food comes from but when it comes to consumption, we are all involved. But while some of us are surrounded by an array of delicious foods, millions of others are daily going hungry and malnourished and dying. The theme therefore, calls on us to take the right actions to secure a Zero Hunger future for all of us.

So, this question goes to all of us. What can we do to ensure that food is Available? Adequate? Sufficient? Affordable?

We can achieve Zero Hunger, the second objective of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), when everyone can have sufficient quantity of food, of appropriate quality, at an affordable cost, on a consistent basis. Food availability is determined by food production and food trade (FAO, 2008) and I will add food aid.

Food Production: Food availability, adequacy, sufficiency and affordability begins with the food production system. Chris Martin, Founder of Impactfood describes food production system as “all the processes and infrastructure involved in feeding a population: growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, transporting, marketing, consumption, quality assurance and disposal of food and food-related items. It also includes the inputs needed and outputs generated at each of these steps”. When the food production system is efficiently and effectively coordinated, the Zero Hunger campaign will be successful.

Food Trade: Food trade, as described by Economy Watch, “is the activity of buying, selling, or exchanging commodities, at either wholesale or retail, between people, firms, or countries”. When trade is unhampered by poor infrastructure and other trade barriers, then food can get to all and sundry.

Food Aid: According to Safeopedia, food aid refers to “the provision of food or cash to purchase food in times of emergency or to provide longer-term solutions in areas where food shortages exist. Food aid can also be targeted at creating food security – a situation in which people need not be vulnerable to hunger and starvation”. Disaster, human and natural, occurs regularly in various parts of the world and affect the lives and livelihood of millions of people who consequently lack, among other things, basic necessities like food. Donating or providing food or access to food at such times will bring us closer to achieving Zero Hunger.

What do all of these tell us…every single one of us can participate in any of these areas in food provision and be part of the Zero Hunger campaign and bring succour to millions of people, all over the world, suffering from hunger, malnutrition and starvation.

Megan O. Steintrager lists out about five simple ways we can support the cause of ending world hunger;

1. Donate food: Individuals and businesses can help their local communities by donating food to food banks and community organizations. The anti-hunger organization, such as ‘Feeding America’, allows people to search by zip code for local food banks.

2. Volunteer time: According to ‘Feeding America’, 51 percent of all food programs rely entirely on volunteers, so giving time is a great way to help bolster food security.

3. Raise awareness: The FAO encourages people to talk to friends, family and co-workers about the Zero Hunger goal. Spreading the word can start with something as simple as tagging social media posts with #ZeroHunger.

4. Waste less food: Wasting less food is one of the keys to creating a world without hunger, according to the FAO. Only buying what is needed, eating leftovers and using scraps are three possible ways to waste less.

5. Give money: While donating food and time are great ways to help on the local level, giving money is probably the most efficient way to help fight hunger globally. The UN's World Food Programme and Action Against Hunger are two large organizations fighting world hunger.

We can beat this scourge. No one, child or adult, should have to go hungry with so much food in the world. In our schools, careers and businesses, we must find a way to contribute to ending global hunger. The decision we make today and the actions we take today will bring about the future we envisage. Happy (though belated) World Food Day!!!

Emotional Hygiene

“Anger and fear undermine our immune system, while warm-heartedness brings peace of mind. Therefore, just as we teach children to comply with physical hygiene for the good of their health, we should also counsel them in a kind of hygiene of the emotions”. - Dalai Lama

I’m a big fan of the Dalai Lama. Hey, I’m a big fan of philosophical men and women. I read their books, gobble up their ‘wise sayings and admire the profundity of their lives. So I could not have missed this quote by the Dalai Lama.

What is Emotional Hygiene?

Dr. Tina B. Tessina, a US licensed psychotherapist, puts it this way; “Life is not easy, and we often encounter problems and difficulties that require us to pay attention to our own feelings. Relationships, too, whether with family, spouses and partners, friends or even colleagues, can create emotional fallout that we need to take care of. In addition, if we want to maintain emotional health and balance; create as much happiness as possible in life; and maintain what the twelve-step programs call serenity, or inner peace; our emotions require care. I call this ongoing, routine care of feelings emotional hygiene”.

The Dalai Lama was pointedly, telling us that in order to build and maintain a happy life, good friendships and relationships; we must assemble an arsenal of healthy emotions and de-clutter our hearts and minds of contrary emotions. According to Tanya Hall, CEO, Greenleaf Book Group, ‘a messy mindset is not conducive to building business’.

As a teenager (and we’ve said this many times), your mind is a huge ‘factory of emotions’. There’s physical experience, socialization, mental turbulence and pressures, all of which can become a huge concoction for your emotional wellbeing. A regular emotional hygiene exercise therefore, can help you beat the confusion, despondence, and even insanity. How do you ensure your mental house is in order?

1.   Hello, self!

Check in with yourself daily. In this way you get to know how you feel and how you regard whatever is going on in your life. With a little muse, you can choose to go the ‘happier’ route and reduce your stress.

• §  Befriend yourself and be kind to yourself. This will give you a better chance at having a good relationship with other people and sets the pattern for how you connect with others.

• §  Be in tune with your feelings so you can make appropriate choices in every phase of your life.

• §  Learn to pamper yourself without feeling guilty. Whether it is taking a walk, reading a book, hanging out with your best friend, playing your favourite music, watching a movie, etc, just go ahead and do it. That’s your ‘personal recharge time’. Just ensure you’re not being lazy and obnoxious. If you don’t love yourself, chances are that you’ll be incapable of loving your neighbour!!!

2.   Life Happens!

Emotional challenges are part of life. They can knock you left, right, and centre. So, don’t let anyone make you feel that an emotional ‘down time’ is a weakness or a sign of defeat. It's all part of our being human. And, I must tell you, even down times don’t last forever, but you can't work through those periods by simply denying them.

§  Your examination results weren’t what you expected?

§  You flunked your medical tests required to join the sports team?

§  You had a blow-out with your parents…again?

§  Your best friend hurt you so badly?

Ouch! You’ve got to take control of how you FEEL, otherwise, your emotions will run riot. Tanya Hall advises that you “Own it, process it, and find the lesson you can learn from it”.

3.   Identify toxic emotions…deal with them!

Dawn Clark warns that “Toxic emotions such as guilt, shame, anger, self-loathing, regret, bitterness, and resentment embed themselves deep within your field. They become the “enemy within,” acidifying your life, poisoning relationships, undermining health, causing all kinds of self-sabotage and destroying life’s golden opportunities”. 

She goes further to add that “Toxic emotions are different from a flash of anger. They are insidious and persistent. Like ticking time bombs, the longer you wait to diffuse them the more at risk you are. Toxic emotions get stuck deep in your morphic field–your underlying blueprint for life–and eat away at you from the inside out”. 

The solution, also from Ms. Clarke – “To successfully rid yourself of these deep-seated pools of toxic energy, you must create a state-change deep within your field that changes the nature of your quantum entanglement to one of gratitude and grace. Only in this way can you be truly free and open the doors to the life you want and deserve”.

4.   Build an Emotionally-healthy life:

They say nature abhors a vacuum. In Matthew 12:43-45, Jesus provided an apt situation where demons have been expelled from a body but without filling that empty space with healthy stuff, the previously banished demon will simply invite several other ‘comrades’ to take over the vacancy. It still rings true today. So you need to make healthy changes in your life:

1. Be Grateful: Be thankful for whatever you have and what your friends and family do for and give to you. Gratitude is emotionally healthy…put that in your shopping cart!

2. Be Generous: Give, willingly and cheerfully, to others – yourself, time, and other resources. Many people do not know that a smile and hug does wonderful things to their recipients…and they cost absolutely nothing! Give to those who can never give you back and watch them blossom right before your eyes.

3. Live by Values: Living your life according to a set of values that promote healthy emotions will make you feel good about yourself. According to Z. Hereford, “A personal value system is a set of principles or ideals that drive and/or guide your behavior. Your personal value system gives you structure and purpose by helping you determine what is meaningful and important to you. It helps you express who you are and what you stand for”. He goes on to say that “Your values define your character. They impact every aspect of your life including: personal and work behaviors; your interactions with family; friends and co-workers; your decision-making processes; the direction you take in life; the overall quality of your life; your happiness and well being”.

This is why it is so important to know what you value, why you value it and what precedence it takes in your life. Below are his categories of a personal value system;

• §  Personal Values - Personal values are those traits we see as worth aspiring to, and that define our character.
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• §  Spiritual Values - The values that connect us to a higher power and give us a sense of purpose beyond our material existence.
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• §  Family Values - To love and care for those we are close to; our children, our parents, other family members, and our friends.
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• §  Career Values - The best use and expression of our talents and skills for the purposes of contributing to society and for monetary compensation.

Emotional hygiene means thinking about your emotional health and staying in touch with your feelings. When you begin to focus on your emotional hygiene, you create an atmosphere of tremendous hope and energy.

The Green Collar Industry

Ever heard about the green economy? Well, rolling your eyes in confusion or stretching your jaw in amazement isn’t going to help you much. The rave of the moment…the place to be and work…is in the Green Industry!

We’ve heard about the blue and white collar jobs. Descriptions from the business environment indicate that white collar jobs represent office jobs and the corporate professionals. Blue collar jobs, on the other hand, refer to manual labour. In those days, labourers, artisans, stewards, etc, wore uniforms with blue collars. Recently, I came across the phrase, ‘pink collar jobs’, referring to workers in entertainment, sales and customer service jobs. Denoting jobs by colours seems to be increasing.

The green collar industry comprises activities and businesses that are focused on proper environmental utilization, protection, conservation and sustainability. They include agriculture, environmental development, renewable energy, waste management, pollution control/abatement, etc. With so much pressure on the environment through a high and growing global population stretching the earth’s resources; and economic activities negatively impacting the environment with the resultant effects of climate change, the green industry is looking like an answered prayer.

But if we were to think deeply, the foremost industry ever created was the green industry. In Genesis 1, the Bible describes the creation of the earth – day and night, sky, land and sea, vegetation, sun, moon, and stars, seafood, birds and every kind of animal, then man and the Garden of Eden. The Garden provided man’s first job – he was the Farm Manager.

The Garden had all that is required for sustainable living. There was food (both in plants and livestock); recreation; irrigation; solid minerals; marine logistics; job creation and wealth creation, just to mention a few. With good stewardship, the Garden would support and sustain all life, provide a means of livelihood from which we can meet our needs, those of our families and communities.

But we failed in our assigned duty. Over the centuries, we have abused the land and caused so much damage to the land we were given the responsibility to care for and protect. We have contaminated the land, polluted the air we breathe and the water we drink. Our economic activities have churned out nylons and plastics with dangerous effects on the land; industries emitting dangerous chemicals into the air and water; and anti-social habits that are destroying plant and animal life and bringing up new and perilous diseases affecting our health. We battle with flooding, heat wave, tsunami, earthquake, disease, pestilence, drought, mud slides, horrendous forest fires, acid rain, etc. We’ve gotten to our rock bottom!

The Green economy therefore, is a return to the basics, to the activities that will help us recover the environment and ensure its sustainable development. It calls for people with vision for the future; taking responsibility; the deployment of the arts, science and technology, etc, to salvage what we have and ensure sanity in the utility of the environment.

So we have projects like smart farming, precision farming, etc, in agriculture; solar, wind, etc, energy; recycling in waste management with the slogan – reduce, re-use, recycle, etc; the battery, gas and solar-powered transportation as opposed to fossil fuel use, etc, all in a bid to drive positive behavioural change towards the environment. In so doing, a lot of skills, talents and abilities are being discovered and developed, jobs are being created, communities are being restored and wealth is being created in more healthy ways.

Why should this development interest teenagers? Because the Green economy is the most sustainable enterprise for the future and you are a part of that future. As you go through your schooling and career, you need to pay more attention to how you can be a part of the Green economy. In which areas are you strongly desirous to contribute to improvements and/or provide a solution? What knowledge, skills and abilities will be required for you to succeed? These should occupy you, physically, mentally and emotionally. Teenagers, in many parts of the world, are blazing trails in contributing to the sustainability of the environment. Your participation is desperately desired!!!