If you don’t need to, then you should_ Solomon Ani

When I was five-year old, my parents had control over me. My life and its sustenance was their problem, not mine. In fact I didn’t care whether they were suffering providing for my needs because it didn’t matter to me. I was unreliable. Most times my father would say ” you see boy, you really need to go to school. When you do that, you will graduate, get a job and be financially independent”.

Those words were ridiculous then. It didn’t make any sense because I was only have five years, I shouldn’t have any sense of duty and responsibility. To me I didn’t have to do anything. Every of my needs was my parent’s problem. Onwe ihe gbasara m, o bu mu siri chukwu muo mu (It’s none of my business, I didn’t request to be born).

This belief changed when I realized that my father felt happy seeing me assume responsibility. I became a happy school goer because someone else was happy to see me willingly and intentionally go to school. With this story in mind, you’ll understand why we should do what our inclination objects which will make us an instrument of providing solution to needs.

History has taught us that the explosion in technology is an offshoot of this changed perception of a five-year old. Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, and others who made a mark in technological history were motivated because what they intend to achieve was for the happiness and benefit of the world.

Unfortunately, in today’s world, that selfless attitude have been massively manipulated by the innumerable needs we feel are urgent. There’s a story told of two guys walking in a forest. Suddenly, they heard the roar of a lion. The first guy started looking around to know where they could hide. The second guy started wearing his running shoes. “what made you think you can run faster than a lion?” The first guy asked. “I need not to outrun the lion. I only need to run faster than you” was the response. One was looking for the common good. While the second guy was interested in his safety alone. Terribly enough, that’s what we find in our society today.
Self realization, self actualization, self confident becomes the daily news headline.

“Why are you reading for the past 8hrs if I may ask? Omo, I want to make first class. You know what? When ‘I’ achieve it, ‘I’ll’ secure a job at Aelex, Aluko and Oyebode, or even Omaplex . Just count how many (I)’s here. Everything becomes about self.
This attitude has not changed even among students vying for political post in student government. During the address by the aspirants, what I kept hearing was “I will provide basket. I will do this. I will do that. You be bulldozer?. Na only you go do all these?

The point is that there’s a need to revive the social life human beings are known for. That life we see during towel of Babel. That spirit of comradeship that became a concrete force. A people who were able to organize their minds into one goal. Although God saw that if they were able to build the city, the whole world will be united under one government and one ruler, who will then be worshipped as god, instead of him the Ultimate creator. So he gave them chin chon chaa! and they started misbehaving.

With respect to reading to make first class: when you do that because you need it, getting first class becomes a burden to you. You start feeling like a child forced to sell sachet water at gariki market. At the end it may not be realized. But when you seek such honor with the intent to either make another fulfilled or happy, you achieve the greatest satisfaction ever, while being humble amidst the spectacular achievement. For instance, you want a first class because you want your father to be proud or to show the world that such achievement is possible.

By now you must be saying that I haven’t justified the title of this essay. I’ve done that already. Guess you didn’t notice. Now listen to this;
If we don’t feel to do anything worthwhile, just go ahead and do it. Spectacular feat was achieved by people who never wanted to but did. Moses never wanted to be a messenger but was later regarded the meekest leader on Earth. The owner of this blog if she were to follow her inclination, she wouldn’t have created this platform but she nevertheless did. Maybe you reading this post never wanted to read this far, but you did. No human ever wants to do anything worthwhile, but getting over their instincts or inclinations and becoming the dictator, makes the difference.

Now the problem is, why do you have to do that which your instinct never wanted you to do?. Because of consequences of not doing it? Or Because of the reward for doing it?. Let me use an ideal example of a religious person to emphasize the question. Chioma being a Christian does not engage in premarital sex because she wants to go to heaven. Heaven is chioma’s ‘why’. Can you conclude that her why is the proper why or it isn’t?

Chioma’s why is faulty. When you do good because you want to go to heaven, you become self righteous. You become a hypocrite, because you would always have to convince yourself that you’re still on your way to heaven. You will show yourself as being a religious person you claim to be. You’ll be destroying any devil that obstructs your way to heaven. Always casting and binding. Families, friends, and relations becomes agent of the devil who wants to delay your ticket to heaven. Sooner than later you become a fanatic just like Eugene in Purple Hibiscus.
Here’s is the point: If you’re doing good, do it because you have a relationship to sustain and protect. In Chioma’s case, her relationship with God. God wants a displacement of our needs, and in its place an eagerness to help others.

In the realm of the physical, why we do that which within us we never wanted to, should be because we have to enlarge our space to accommodate another’s needs, even when it’s uncomfortable. Solidarity becomes a valued and cherished lifestyle. Life becomes refreshing and worth it. Our existence starts making sense because we decide to make an impact and contribution to humanity.

In conclusion, life is too short to overwhelm oneself with lots of personal needs. The life in our years starts when we consider others’ needs, endeavoring to organize a system through cooperative awareness and consciousness. You’re not the needy one. You’re the instrument through which people’s need will be met. Although, nobody wants to be that instrument. That’s why we should do that which our inclination is objecting, maka na anaghi eji mgbagbu ghara ogu!.(one does not desist from a worthwhile activity because of the challenges.
Thanks for reading.

Ani Solomon Yahbueze is a law student with an unalloyed and burning desire to change how human should perceive the world and reality. I’m also a partner to Longrich International.
I love being busy like a bee. I love learning. And most importantly, I feel happy being of help to people’s needs.

Email: solomonyahbueze002@gmail.com