A Sense of Humour! A Sense of Balance!

It helps to look at the light side of things. If someone insults you or make you angry, can you look at the funny side of it and smile about it, it can go a long way to ease the tension! When you sense that people laugh at you because of a defect you have, can you preempt them by joking about it? For example, I’m short and dark. If someone wants to pick on me, that will be his first point of call. So, I joke a lot about my been short and dark like, ‘black pot’, ‘black charcoal’, ‘briefly summarized’, etc such that when so insulted that won’t be the first time. Don’t be discouraged, whatever defect you have if you can’t change it then take advantage of it.

What you lack vertically, you can make up horizontally.

What you lack in length, you can make up in width.

What you lack in colour, you make up in contour.

What you lack anteriorly, you can make up posteriorly.

What you lack superiorly, you can make up inferiorly.

What you lack outwardly, you can make up interiorly.

What you lack facially, you can make up verbally.

What you lack in beauty, you can make up with intelligence.

What you lack in shape, you can make up in character.

What you lack in been flashy, you make up with good hygiene.

What you lack in melody, you can make up in harmony.

What you lack in riches, you can make up with a good name.

What you lack in words, you can make up with a listening attitude.

What you lack in speed, you can make up in endurance.

What you lack in privileges, you can make up in wisdom.

What you lack in skills, you can make up with hard work.

What you lack in knowledge, you can make up with humility.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it will be a crime punishable by the appropriate authorities if you lack the features from both ends of the above spectra. For example, you are ugly and yet very dull, my sister ‘no hope o’. You are poor and at the same time have a bad name, my brother ‘e go hard o’. You are short and at the same you are thin like Agbani Darego, ‘na breeze you go be o’. Even if you don’t have the 'killer face', please have the 'killer mouth'. Have you heard someone on radio or phone and you were head over heels only for you to be disappointed if you meet that individual in person? Yes o! ‘She nor get the face but she get the slang (langua).’ Have you seen a man who knows nothing but is very proud? Uhmmm! ‘That na time bomb o.’ There are those that dress fine when they go out, but the inside of their houses is like a dumpster. I remember a young lady from my place. This happened years ago. She heard a lot of good things about me, so I guess she must have conjured up a very interesting image of how I look like, so much so that when she saw me, she was so disappointed that she could not hide how let-down she was. She told me that with all she had heard about me she thought I was this tall handsome guy, not some one who would pass and no one will notice. I was embarrassed but not surprised. I have had similar experiences in the past.

All said life is about balance. The universe bespeaks of a sense of balance. The earth is neither too far nor too close to the sun. The extreme of either scenario is a disaster. God in His wisdom made the earth and placed it in a perfect balance between other planetary bodies. So too, intelligent creatures of God on earth should strive for balance. Even if you are very poor, you can make a good name with hard work, honesty, endurance and perseverance. Even when you lack the desired height or colour or shape, you can make up with good personal hygiene, good manners, working hard in your academics or given career! For persons who seem to have it all, the looks, the fame, the wealth and every thing seems to be going well for them, that is as far as you can see. These individuals if they don’t strive for balance and seek the qualities that would more readily come to those who lack the fortunes they have, sooner or later, they’ll pay the price guaranteed in a universe that abhors imbalance.

Too much of anything is bad. That is a truthful saying because there is no way you will pay so much attention to one thing that other things that are important in your life will not suffer. Take for example, you like going to church to worship God, which is good thing. But if you choose to go to church almost 24 hours in a day, you sleep, bathe and eat there; you don’t have time to study (if a student), no time to work (if a worker), no time for your family (a family person), no time to attend any social functions, other things will suffer and so will you. Jesus attended a wedding, a banquet thrown by a rich man, played with children who would not understand his teachings and still made his ministry of primary concern. He kept a balance. He was not a straitlaced person that everyone dreaded. He was loved. There are those who devote their lives to a career and at the end died very lonely, no family, and no friends. They failed to keep a sense of balance. Such individuals always have their regrets. I’m not saying that one should compromise his values. Far from it! All I’m saying is that we can strike a balance by engaging in other activities that doesn't violate our faith. And in whatever disadvantaged position we find ourselves, we can made the best of it for the greater good. In all we do, it pays to keep a sense of balance and a good sense of humour. Ultimately it pays!