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PERFECTION IS POSSIBLE IN ALL THINGS

Feature Article PERFECTION IS POSSIBLE IN ALL THINGS
JAN 4, 2013 LISTEN

In a January magazine of 2012 called The Philadelphia Trumpet, an article was published on its introductory pages about the successful life of the late Steve Jobs (the apple technology giant and founder) and his burning passion to be perfect. He began his journey of perfect success in the 1970's in a little and imperfect form to the level of unbelievable perfectionism that we see today. Although he was an advent co-founder of this company in 1976, he was dismissed in 1985. When he came back to the company in 1997, it was in a real mess. Jobs had to take the challenge of revitalizing the company into a perfect form. This is the perfect Apple technology we now see today. He once said that “deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do”. (Gerald Flurry, Editor)

Every mortal desires to be perfect in all things although most of the time we surround ourselves with imperfect utterances, actions, thoughts, theories and philosophies. Politicians only see their actions as perfect when they are in government but the moment they get into opposition; then everything their opponents do is imperfect, hopeless and becomes a fiasco. You will normally hear them say “the economy is bad; there is corruption in the system; the president is not in control, there is hardship; people are suffering; taxes are high; workers salaries are low; the government's performance is abysmal and many more”. They will then turn to chastise the government on any platform and vilify them on any opportune moment they deem fit without a positive and objective recourse to the truth. Although opposition politics helps to bring a significant amount of checks and balances– also promoting probity, accountability and good governance, yet still when truth is clear and transparent, it must not be described as opaque just for partisan politics sake. Transparency and opaqueness are two antitheses. They are not interrelated substances as far as this present cosmic order is concern.

In Africa for example, many workers, civil servants, businesspersons and entrepreneurs are sometimes discouraged and sabotaged by some unscrupulous, defective and deficient persons and institutions around them. They are now and then described as enemies of the state but Ayee gives a proper description– they are simply called demons in the administrative system i.e. indefatigable enemies as against the visionary and practicable saints of organizational development.

By merely accepting and swallowing the imperfect stuffs as bonafide properties; the shadows of failure graduates into an imminent body. Imperfection will then set in to rule out and denigrate an entire vision, mission or purpose.

But to those perseverant persons that tolerate the attributes of patient and longsuffering will definitely be coming out with perfect results, impeccable inventions and products. They will never be perturbed by any external aggressive imperfections, defective and substandard suppression, malfunctioning and flopping downgrading and a shattered and flawed depression. They will always be forward looking towards the achievement of their vision that is unregarded by the imperfect world, thoughts and environment around them. Their ends will justify their means as it worked out for Steve Jobs and the enemies will then benefits from the profits in shame.

The Perfect Case of a fulfilled Vision
It is germane to note that Steve Jobs, (CEO of Apple) transformed the world of computer and mobile technology with high tech gadgets. He produced products such as IPod, IPad, and ITunes etc. Indeed, everything surrounding his software and hardware inventions is exceptionally perfect. He has even designed special application software to fit his apple computers alone. Imagine how a mortal being could think and invent an IPod. This is indeed magnificent. You can also do something perfect in your own passion and style if you only believe in yourself and your precious capabilities.

The article further states that “in a world that tolerates and even exalts imperfection, the success Mr. Jobs achieved because of his quest for perfection is worth pondering. In every detail of creating computers and gadgets- even in building the Apple Empire and its distinct, almost mesmerizing culture- Steve Jobs wanted everything to be perfect. This desire for the perfect gadget, the perfect product, the perfect Apple store, propelled him to unrivaled success more that anything else”.

In short, Steve Jobs was an excellent and brilliant CEO of the 21st century whose engineering and technological design is locally, nationally and globally perfect. Users of his technology can fully attest to that fact.

The editor of the magazine, Gerald Flurry opines again that “one of the greatest challenges in creating an Apple product was striking the balance between aesthetic appeal and engineering. Steve Jobs didn't just want the best product technologically: He also wanted it to be visually appealing, as simple and pure as possible. From the engineering standpoint, this was never easy. Often, the engineers or manufacturers would tell Jobs that he was demanding the impossible, and the style would simply have to be compromised. Jobs would always fire back; we are going to DO IT! An employee who continued to fail to believe would be fired. Jobs couldn't stand to work with naysayers, people who were negative and hadn't fully bought into his vision. He knew that such people would drain him and the rest of his team of optimism and energy”.

Steve Jobs was so passionate about the success of his perfect vision and he was ever ready to eliminate any imperfect obstruction that will in anyway undermine or dip droplets of defectiveness to his perfect products. This is what the rest of the world needs especially in a polarized and underdeveloped continent like Africa.

The Biblical Defense- Humanity's Perfect Component
Perfection in all things is not far from the reach of humanity- it is part of our earthly attributes. The art and attribute of perfection can be sourced from the foundations of biblical and theological history. From this view point, it is well known that God- the creator of the universe is the source of all perfection. His great perfect works are all around us such as animal and plant life, water bodies, mountains, heavenly bodies in the sky-the stars, sun, moon, planets and even the very existence and entire life of humans in this dispensation of time and mortality. The creator of the universe who made us in his own image is perfect and requires us to think, behave, do, imagine and perform in the same perfect manner.

Just look at the sun; for millions and millions of years the sun has been shinning without complaining on any day of being tied by its strength. It shines to give humans, animals and plants energy and the nutrition to grow well. The sun gives us solar energy, it dries our clothing and above all it gives us complete illumination during the day and light in the night as it reflects on the lightless moon.

Consider water and how it helps humanity. Black gold (also crude oil); one of the significant resources in the world today is extracted mostly from water or sea drills. Water is an important commodity that sustains human, animal and plant life. The air we breathe which no man has ever seen before in its fullness; operates in perfect form and sustains human life. In fact, the air we breathe is the instantaneous source of our continuous existence on this earth- and if it's undermined or taken away in a moment- we will all be in extinction.

What about the very land we live on that we have over the years abused with out imperfect activities such as world wars, illegal galamsey operations, and with other toxic pollutants. Nevertheless, the land has helped us to build great cities, skyscrapers, bridges, roads, train stations, agricultural activities, stadiums and many more.

In summary, it can be said that everything about nature is perfect and complete but it is only the distorted and imperfect activities of man that sometimes makes these natural things seen imperfect- i.e. mining of gold, oil spillage, industrial waster, nuclear technology and pollution, all leads to a lot of disasters, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods and catastrophes in the Eden of humanity.

Man lives in a fraction of transience but surrounded by perfect works; yet majority of us only think about imperfection and pessimism. The sun shines for twelve hours in a perfect form; the moon continuous at night in the same manner, the stars in the skies gives a perfect bliss- animals and plant life grows in excellence whiles mountains and rocks withstands disasters without complaining. The sea and waves works perfectly like living beings. What about the real human life?

All the various body parts of humankind (the legs, mouth, eyes, ears, stomach, hands, ears, and nose) work perfectly; and even in the face of disability, many of the victims of these challenges are able to work and achieve a lot. The western world has many of such people who attain many successes in the face of physical incapability.

The African Condition and Challenges towards Perfection

Geography admonishes us that the world has seven continents, (North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Antarctica, Australia and Africa) but among these continents, Africa stands out as the continent that is lacking behind in perfect development. This is a massive challenge to perfection. All the other continents have realized or are realizing full human developed perfection. We can talk of Brazil, China, Argentina, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea and many other countries today that are undoubtedly beacons of modern development. All forms of technology- i.e. the internet, road infrastructure, military strength, education, industries, solar energy, sanitation and globalization in general has been achieved and sustained by these other continents. It is a fact that when we rank all habitable continents of the world, (excluding Antarctica) according to their perfect development status, Africa will lack behind. This fact needs no special empirical research to verify and validate scientifically. African countries still lacks behind with imperfection in hunger, pestilence, famine, civil wars, insurgency, rebellion, high unemployment rates, weak institutions, public sector failures, corruption etc. Although significant economic progress in Africa development is underway in Ghana, Botswana, South Africa, Nigeria etc. through several internal projects and other externals such as the New Partnership for African Development, African Peer Review Mechanism etc, hitherto more needs to be done because on the whole; the shackles of underdevelopment still stirs on our very continental faces. Western neocolonialism that Kwame Nkrumah spoke of, led by the present fallen US economy is now shifting economic goalpost to eastern neocolonialism led by the unprecedented rising China. Our progress can be best accomplished and perfected by our very selves and not an extraterrestrial actor who will only repatriate his profits to the development of his home state. This is why Governor Guggisburg of the former Gold coast once said that 'no nation can develop under an alien government'.

In Africa, little failure in a person's life breaks him or her down completely like an unrepairable fallen tree, forgetting that the sun that died in the night rises again every morning with renewed perfect brightness and strength.

Africa must realize that perfection is possible in all things- perfection is possible in Africa, its possible in our institutions, its possible in our industries, its possible in our service sectors- its possible in our civil service, the private sector, educational sectors, telecommunication, agriculture and above all our postcolonial political leadership.

Every citizen in Africa must learn from Steve Jobs and others that determination with the zeal of perfection and perseverance will realize a positive and possible goal. Our public servants must realize that every action they take could either lead to development or underdevelopment. Attributes such as lateness, lackadaisical natures and the unfortunate popular public sector saying that “this is a government job hence we don't do so much” are imperfect. Perfection is possible in our public sectors.

Teachers, doctors, nurses, journalist, politicians, other professions and all of us including the writer and reader of this article must do our jobs well with great sacrifice- never forgetting that perfection is possible in all things. In the face of extreme difficulties and problems, perfection is still possible. It only needs a little time and resilience to materialize.

Our students can attain perfection in their schooling, studies and various academic works. Perfection does not believe in timidity or “so called ineluctable low IQ”. As far as perfection is concern, every student has a good IQ- it only needs a little efforts and seriousness to rip the fruits on the tree of perfection. It's like a tree planted in a good soil and by the rivers of waters. It will surely grow.

Political leaders can run a perfect administration as Steve Jobs invented a perfect technology. The imperfect traits that characterized African immediate postcolonial history can be made perfect today. We can run a perfect democracy and administration that will curb every imperfect condition such as civil wars, kleptocracy, famine, insurgency, political conflicts etc.

The Vision Realized
Although problems will arise in the bid to attain perfection; never get worried, discouraged or disturbed because perfection is possible in all things. As it was achieved in the western countries, among the Asian tigers and even in Latin America today, it is also possible in Africa - in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Ivory Coast etc.

In the trumpet magazine again, “Steve Jobs was always fixated on his ultimate vision….This man wasn't in the computer business simply to create gadgets, or build a global corporation, or even to transform the computer industry. His ultimate ambition was to change the world….How far reaching is your vision”.

Jobs perhaps achieved every physical vision that he wanted except that he failed in one that is spiritual enlightenment. He was able to bring a great revolution in the computer, music, movie and cell phone industry but he failed to discover and answer life's most basic question. In short, he never sought to find out whether there is a God, if man was on earth for a reason or whether there was life after death. The footprints that Steve Jobs leaves for us are; 'the passion to be perfect in all things' but let us always crown everything we do with God the creator of us all- and as a Christian myself, the Lord Jesus Christ who is the savior mankind. This is where Jobs failed to add to his revolution.

We all possess the potentials that can help us realize our imaginations- we only need to move forward and onward in order to achieve our perfect vision. Perfection is indeed possible in all things.

By Samson C. Agbelengor
Government Tutor, Dega Senior High School

New Longoro, Kintampo North District
Email: [email protected]

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