PUNISHED BY WISHES.

A wish is simply to have a desire for something. It is a state of mind where one is emotionally expectant of a situation, a development, a possession or an experience.

There is nothing wrong with having a wish, however, the realities of life makes wishes powerless and inconsequential if not vigorously pursued.

A downside to the wish factors in our lives is having a strong desire for something that could actually be unattainable or even impossible. Many of us based on wishes and the strong emotions attached tend to behave and react in life based on wishes and not obvious realities.

This emotional mind state consequently leads to a lot of pain, pressure and regret.

Also the natural inclination of mankind to get so much for little or nothing is the empowerment of wishes. We just want things to happen with little or no effort on our part. We want to pass tough exams without reading hard, we want a fantastic spouse without being one ourselves, we want great relationships despite our selfish and insensitive habits; we want a lot of money despite our indolence, lack of creativity, average education and poor attitude to work.

Miracle money, miracle job, miracle spouse, miracle breakthrough are all predicated on wishes for a better life without the will power to learn, labour and earn it.

There’s a popular saying that if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. If by mere wishes you can actually have all you want in life, you would most certainly be the most successful person on earth.

Unfortunately, wishes count for nothing in this order of life.

Lately I was speaking at an event and I made reference to the fact that the era of massive employment is over, as technology is rapidly and efficiently replacing humans in the work place. Also, business owners desire and would prefer to spend on technology than humans because, technology can be more accurate and efficient, technology is relatively cheaper to maintain, it is not emotional, wouldn’t go on leave, wouldn’t ask for pay increase, wouldn’t go on strike and wouldn’t ask for health, pension and retirement benefits.                                                                                                                                            
Hence it’s only natural for employers to invest more in technology than hiring people. With over 40 million youth needing employment in Nigeria in less than a decade, I submitted it was only wise we consider the option of entrepreneurship as the new normal rather than employment seeking.

After the event, a young man approached me looking a bit worried about my submission. He then began to argue that it is impossible for technology to replace people in the work place as people will still be needed to manage the technology. I smiled, it was easy for me to read he preferred to remain in paid employment than owning a business of his own, hence wanted an argument in favour of his wishes.

What he failed to connect with in my submission is, the era of massive employment, I didn’t say the era of human employment.

Many times based on what we want and wish for, we choose to thrive on selective amnesia. We hear what we like and choose to ignore what we do not like. Unfortunate that which we reject because we do not like it, is what makes the world and every situations real. Accepting it or rejecting it does not change the fact it is there.

Ladies and gentlemen, many people today are in pain, suffering and deep regret because they wished for something instead of working with reality.

To be fore warned is to fore armed, goes the popular saying. Many of us are aware of the implication of holding on to the familiar, the comfort zone, the winning ways of the past and the easy and convenient, hence we choose to disregard all the warnings pointing to a future crisis and eventual regret.

For example you’ve been warned that your genotype is AS hence it is unwise to marry another with the same AS genotype due to the likelihood of birthing an SS and punishing an innocent soul based on your emotional attachment to a so called love of your life.

Instead of going your separate ways, you decide to apply faith that you will marry and trust God not to birth a child with the SS genotype.

You get punished by your wishes if your so called faith cannot change your own AS genotype to AA but you believe it will not let you birth an SS child. If your faith isn’t strong enough to change your own genotype, there’s no guarantee that faith will prevent you having an innocent child with SS crisis after the marriage. Your wishes may punish you.

You’ve been told over and over again to go improve your qualification and skills to remain relevant and valuable to your organization. You know you’re no longer as relevant but have refused to do so but believe somehow, someway you wish and believe you will not be laid off. Your refusal to act on reality and holding on to wishes can subsequently punish you.

You’re aware your skills and responsibility in your work place can and will subsequently be automated, technology is coming soon. Instead of developing yourself in other areas or mastering the use of the coming technology, you’re scheming, and planning a protest- quoting labor laws and employee rights. Dear friend, you don’t own the business, what is not yours is not yours, sooner or later, the employer will win.

For many years your salary has been your only source of income. You’ve seen many lose their jobs suddenly and become totally broke. You’ve been advised, challenged, encouraged to create multiple streams of income but somehow you’re unwilling. You’re either laid back about it, indifferent about it, you think it’s too hard, or you’re willing to stick to the wish you will not get fired, hence you keep procrastinating. If suddenly you get fired, just accept it’s no one’s fault when you become broke, busted and distressed but that of your wishful thinking. Wisdom is to face the reality in life and do something today you’ll be grateful for tomorrow.

Dear friend, what is it you wish for that can’t find expression in the real world? What is that thing you know you need to do but have refused to, though the consequences scare you but you’ve been silently confessing, that consequence is not your portion, yet you’re doing nothing to mitigate or eliminate it?

Ladies and gentlemen, we are intelligent creatures as humans and the things we see and experience everyday keep reminding us, we are not totally in charge in this world. There are men and situations more powerful than we are, and the distance between where you are and where you ought to be is realistic action and not just mere wishes.

Dear friend, I challenge you to act now and today on all you need to do to protect yourself, your future and loved ones from the consequence of wishes without appropriate actions. Be mature, be disciplined, grow up, take action today and be grateful tomorrow.

Take control and take charge of all you can as a human being and trust your maker to deal with the ones outside of your control. Don’t get punished by your wishes, do something today.