Friday 23 January 2015

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PRUDENCE AND MUCH MORE.




Growing up, my siblings and I all had “Asusu”. My mother bought us those cute artistic pieces of ceramic piggybanks in which we squeezed in small amounts of cash into. After a couple of months we would smash it open, gather up the monies saved and then invest it in something. Usually it would be to buy something we had so coveted but mother thought it a luxury and wouldn’t buy it for us.  At other times it came in handy in buying provisions when we had to resume school.

In the house, we had a general Asusu. It was a Do-it-Yourself milk tin with a hole at the top, placed on top of the tall fridge in the kitchen. It was the duty of everyone to drop a few coins or naira notes into it when we can. Every now and then we would use the accrued monies to buy match boxes, eggs, milk or bread for breakfast. 

I got so used to this piggybank savings that I continued it until 5 years ago when I stopped it and began focusing more on real bank savings and investments. However, I have an aunt who still saves up small lose change in her asusu till date. 

I have learned that such monies come in handy when you’re in a fix and need quick cash to settle a need. Sometimes you can realize money from it to buy fuel, and at other times; you could find you have saved up so much you can actually make a smart purchase. 

Today however, I am wont to state that such piggybanks are becoming more and more obsolete, however, the concept of savings that it thought us hasn’t diminished. All we had to do was switch from petty cash savings to making actual deposits in modern money institutions.

But it is important that adults still influence children around them to imbibe this saving culture from a tender age. I know some people may think that making emphasis on savings is an attitude of a frugal and miserly person, saying “after all money is for the living”. But I shudder to think what my life would have been if I didn’t have parents who saved.

I remember laughing so hard at a story a school mate told me of a lady we knew. Says whenever that lady came into some money, she would go all crazy and begin to splurge. And in the blink of an eye, the entire fund will be depleted and she would have to beg the friends that she took out on the spree for transport money that will get her back home. And the circle continues over and over.

Back then I thought it hilarious that any one person could be that trivial about money. But alas now I feel bad that no one sought out time to put her straight. Maybe her parents weren’t able to instill the importance of saving into her, which makes it the duty of any grownup around her to do so.

The problem with the inability to save is that you splurge on things that leave your account depleted. From experience, I for one love beautiful shoes, however I try only to shop when it meets a need. For instance, I give out a pair of black pumps, I know I need to replace it, so when I get to the store and don’t find one I like? I leave, until I see something good. But many people do not have this strong resolve, just because they are in the store, they must get something. And that does not a prudent person make. 

A good way however to splurge is to reward one’s self for some feat achieved. However, one must not get reckless when spending. A big mistake people make is shopping just because you’re in a bad mood (I too am guilty of this). While that may provide some respite, it is not always smart, because you might find yourself getting something you do not need and sometimes not even like. So when that sad bout has passed, you may never find use for that item.

So is the need to spend just because there is a Sales going on, so you buy things even when you do not need them. It need not be so. You have to prioritize and give precedence to savings, and investing in things that appreciate. You can then leave a little something for those spur-of-the moment buys. 


It is very important that you pass on this attitude towards savings to the younger generation. Start at it while they are young so you can help them shape their minds before they get older. Get them one of those cute piggybanks, who knows, its mere aesthetic look may encourage them to save.  




Cheers to an amazing weekend…









 Photo credit: Google






Wednesday 21 January 2015

FIGHT SCENE - Review







Most movies we see in January are a drag. With people resuming after the holidays they are more interested in watching something slow paced, romantic, involving a handsome couple. In other words, nothing as captivating and fast paced like what “Fight Scene” provides.

While many Nigerian movie directors are at home shooting romantic and cultural movies that see actors killing villains with poison or a potion prepared by a spiritual oracle, this korex Calibur’s teaser is a kick-ass, vivid, action and stunt-packed thriller video. It features Abuja’s finest stuntmen, played by Baba Ali-Yusuf and Uzo Chiemelu. 

The 6:20seconds teaser begins with Ali-Yusuf clad in leather jacket, sitting on the floor of a factory using a crane as a backrest. He is bopping his head to the music pouring out of his ear phones which were plugged into the phone clutched in his hands. He seems to be waiting for someone or something.

Chiemelu walks in wearing a simple T-shirt and denim pant. Ali-Yusuf accosts him about being late, blames it on traffic. Yusuf asks if he (Chiemelu) is ready and then they both draw out their guns and then the fireworks begin. They shoot at each other, jump over crates, scoot, duck, fire. Soon, they were out of bullets and so begin a coordinated fisticuff. Packed with order, precision, expertise, it was like watching a scene from the Chinese film, the Ninja Assassins. 

Ali-Yusuf’s phone rings right in the middle of the fight, and much to Chiemelu’s dismay, he answers it. Alas, it is his mother. He has a brisk conversation. Soon after Chiemelu’s cellular rings and he too answers the call put through by his woman. Turns out it wasn’t after all a fight between two warring parties but a friendly training session between friends. The fight breaks off soon after and they reschedule for a later date.

Fight Scene is a hoot and a half. And the sound effect and camera positioning? Pretty impressive. It’s a beaut to watch and the Crew show potential of producing the juiciest Nigerian action movie ever. You won’t regret viewing it…

http://t.co/hLJce7Aih2     

Thank me later...

Tuesday 20 January 2015

OPTIMISM OR PLAIN POLLYANNISH?






It is true that an optimistic attitude can create immense satisfaction for the mind. However when a person dwells overly too much on that feeling of satisfaction instead of rousing from such slumber and working on the said dream, it becomes totally detrimental to true achievement of success. Instead gears towards what is referred to as irrepressibly, excessively, naively and unreasonably optimistic.

It is easy to dream about a beautiful future. In that dream, you build alluring images of how you want your life to pan out. The houses, the cars, the trips to exotic places, the parties, the shopping sprees etc. Such dreams are good in taking your minds away from the pressing matters of underachievement that you may feel or at least just lift your minds. 

But some people do not know how to differentiate between fantasy life and the real world. In your fantasy, you may be walking down a street and you stumble onto 10 million dollars. Or suddenly, a beautiful car pulls over, the key is handed to you – you’ve won some lottery you didn’t even enter for! 

Alas, such might have happened for someone but it does not mean it will for you in that same way. In fact there might only be a 0.00000001 percent chance that it could happen at all.

So unfortunately, many people get roped into this Panglossian lifestyle. Living constantly in denial of reality and being blind to the fact that there are many obstacles to achieving such fantasy. And because of this, they do not know nor understand that they need to be willing to work past those obstacles if they ever want to achieve what they fantasize about. Therefore wasting so much time in wishful thinking when they could have been working.

The other day I had a brief conversation with someone who said something that struck a chord in my mind. It was  
“Nobody ever wrote down a plan to be broke, fat, lazy, or stupid. 
Those things are what happen when you don’t have a plan”. 
 Those words stayed with me for days. And more so, made me all the more guilty because I know quite a number of people who to the best of my knowledge have no plan and in a funny twist, they are the hugest dreamers I have ever met. 

The way they would go on building castles in the air, to the untrained mind you would think they actually translate such dreams to at least thoughts and maybe hopefully into plans. That was what propelled me into writing this piece, with the hope that someone out there gets inspiration and makes better plans. 

There’s nothing wrong with being optimistic – just remember that nobody gets anything handed to them, so next time you sink into that Wishing-well, focus instead on achievable goals that will direct you into gaining that success which you crave.

**** If this piece tends towards pessimistic that wasn’t my intention. I only do hope that it will gear any such sleeper who feels entitled to wake up and smell the coffee.