The Enemy Within: How You Are The Cause Of The Problems You Whine About!

I’ve been quiet for a while (not quiet in the literal sense; I talk for a living and so cannot be quiet). I mean I haven’t been writing for some time now (I’ve been relatively regular on my Facebook page though).

It appears there are too much going on around me; many things are happening in my travels; a lot is going on in my community; my country seems to be pregnant with too many problems that it’s difficult to start find where to start on any particular issue.

The effects of our thoughts, attitudes, and actions are obvious and yet we pretend we don’t realize them. It’s therefore difficult to know particularly which thoughts, attitudes, or actions are the effects or causes.

For example is poverty a cause of low literacy or an effect? Does schooling cause under-education or education causes over-schooling. Is ignorance a cause of our underdevelopment or an effect? Are our actions and attitudes effects of our thoughts or a cause?

I interact with a lot of people from all walks of life; I’ve encountered people from both hinterlands and cities; and my conclusion is simple. A step forward towards development is counteracted by three or four steps back into ‘undevelopment’ and backwardness.

Sadly, the efforts we’re making towards development are remarkable but we cannot (and should not) pretend we’re making real progress when it’s only a few coaches of the train that are moving on course. It’s essential and critical to attend to the many others who appear very clueless about the country’s developmental direction.

Which people am I talking about? They are all around us and include you and me! The many who are ignorant and never ready to leave that quagmire; the unbelievable lot that know but never want to act on their knowledge (the negligent); the many religious but indiscipline who preach virtue and practice vice.

Others are the unprofessional professionals who are not concerned about how people’s lives depend on the work they do; the lazy employees who care next to nothing the link between their outputs and their paychecks; and the dishonest employers and businesspersons who evade taxes but expect their workers to give off their best.

They include the selfish politicians who never understand that politics is about the power to make decisions to better people’s lives; the impatient teachers who still teach old contents, adopt methods of yesteryears, and care less about the specific learning needs of students; and the murderous nurses and other health professionals who do not see any link between their paycheck, passion, and people’s lives.

Additionally are the carefree commercial (or private) drivers who fail to see the connection between their carelessness (or carefulness), their own lives, and the lives of others; the irresponsible adults who think the only reason they are adults are their age and so bully young ones with their experience, knowledge, wealth, and ascribed statuses; and the impatient youths who would not allow themselves to be prepared for maturity.

What about the useless security men and women whose behaviors make their very work or role worthless; and the lawless law enforcement agents who enforce the law only when it’s about others who can’t pay their way through or when family, friends, and others they care about are not involved?

My thoughts seem endless and time and space would not allow a vivid elaboration of everything.

In a nutshell, the totality of the thoughts and actions of all of us are the reasons why we are where we are now. The individual actions of everyone which are informed by our way of thinking explain why we seem to be heading nowhere. Unfortunately, a significant majority of Ghanaians seem not to know this or appear not to care about it.

“God bless our homeland Ghana... And help us to resist oppressor’s rule with all our will and might forever more”. Now let’s focus on our own oppressive thoughts and actions and those of the oppressors around us.

By: Mustapha Bin Usman

The author is a writer, entrepreneurship expert and coach, entrepreneur, farmer, trainer, and teacher. You may contact him via email: [email protected] or on Mobile/ WhatsApp: 0246134798 or visit his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/theusmanconsulting/