Oliver Mtukudzi’s advice for young people chasing their dreams
When I am asked what advice I can give to youths chasing their dreams or goals I do not restrict myself to the guidance that I offer them. When I advise youths, I seek also to counsel parents because they turn the goals of their children into pipedreams when they want to impose talent on their children. Yet only God gives talent and God takes it away. That is how I view life.
My first advice to youths chasing their dreams is to build the very difficult but achievable culture of self-discipline. Have respect for yourself first then everyone else will respect you. How you carry yourself amongst other people, how you engage others and your humility defines a well rounded youth in the context of self-discipline.
No one is born a squeaky-clean character. Self-discipline is a process that is cultivated or is inculcated. Our environs at family level, the parents, the peers, the school and social environment all have immense influence and bearing on discipline and parents are central in ensuring that children are not only raised to fear evil but to love, to learn restraint and to tolerate others who may have different views to life. Read more
Act your way to success
“… A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back and take it easy-do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt poor life with poverty as your permanent house guest.’ Proverbs 24:30-34(The Message Bible)
The most horrendous temptation that haunts humanity today is the temptation to sit back, relax and let nature take its course. Sadly, some of our spiritual leaders have also come to accept this and are always claiming “God has ruled”. As a result, this has inhibited humanity’s ability to grow because when we don’t act, we are bound to shrink.
Each one of us has dreams, dreams to be successful, dreams to be healthy, dreams to have a wonderful marriage, to be loved, to love, to have wonderful kids, the list is endless. Dreams are a natural gift from God and he gives them in huge proportions. It is however up to us to act on those dreams and bring them to fruition. It’s a two way thing; God gives you dreams and you act upon those dreams. Read more
The source of selflessness
Hello!
Phanuel Muverengwi here…
I hope that I find you in the best of health.
In my previous installment I asked the question: WHY DO YOU WANT TO LIVE LONG? I argued in the installment that there are people who live long, in terms of number of years, yet their long lives benefit nobody. I also argued that some people have lived very short lives but managed to bring lots of benefits to others in that short space of time. I might just as well argue that the short lives lived by such people are in reality longer than the long lives lived by some, in terms of value.
I went on to state that a truly rewarding life is one spent in selflessness, not selfishness. Before departing, I asked you a question which goes, “What is the single attribute without which one cannot be selfless?” I hope that you now have the answer to this question. Read more
From the land of the north, they will return
Therefore, behold, the days come, said the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord lives, that brought up the children of Zimbabwe out of the land of Rhodesia;
But, The Lord lives, that brought up the children of Zimbabwe from the land of the north, and from all the lands where he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave to their fathers. Read more
The farmer’s donkey
Today I had a very bad start to my day. I’m beginning to feel some people are actually making an effort to see my demise. And you know what it could be the best thing to happen to me. Why, you ask? As I was seething in anger over what had happened my twin sister sent an article that has just made my day, it goes like so: Read more
It depends on whose hands it is in
This reflection has become a revelation which has crowned the importance of activities, talents and above all messages to all who see the glory and the power of God manifested in people’s lives. Let me give an example: a tennis racket in my hands may not mean much, but the same tennis racket in Venus William’s hand is worth a Wimbledon championship, and even a world championship. Read more
