In my last piece, I established that while on your life's journey, regardless of the phase or stage you are in, there are certain things to watch out for.
I intend to make this piece, simple, straight and relatable. These three variables are related to each stage of life. Over the years, they have been the reasons why kings fall, princes stumble, nobles fumble and kingdoms wane. Again, they have been the reasons why most men failed to rise to prominence, affluence and influence.
Watching out for these will ease the pain of walking down the same path.
Bitterness and Jealousy
At the bottom, while pushing your way up, watch out for bitterness and jealousy. These two are cankerworms that can eat deep into your fabric and leave you with scars. Lexicon defined bitterness as anger and disappointment at being treated unfairly. Jealousy on the other hand as defined by Cambridge University Dictionary is a feeling of unhappiness and anger because someone has something or someone that you want.
If you fail to watch out and set a guard over your heart, the default tendency, while you are at the bottom, is to be bitter and jealous of others who are where you are aiming to be and have what you want to have. Truth is, we all are prone to these two unless God helps us. While at the bottom, work hard, learn, grow, trust God, watch out for bitterness and jealousy, and you will sure scale up.
Greed
While on your way up, making progress, watch out for greed. You see greed continuously wants more not minding the cost or the price, not minding who gets hurt or trampled upon. Greed is never satisfied. I will want to note here that greed is not the healthy longing for continuous growth, please don't get the two mixed up. Greed is selfish, it is not considerate and above all, it cares about no one.
I have been opportune to meet some public officials in their offices and whether they mean it or not, most of them have this slogan: "We are made to be greedy". And honestly, they often demonstrate this in their actions. Don't let greed into your heart, don't give it a foothold, because even the little you have and the more you are greedily accruing, greed will poison them all.
Pride
Your fall begins at the top when you think that you have arrived. Scan through history, and you will see that most great men that somersaulted were proud. Pride is the precursor for every great fall. It is even more trickish when the pride manifests itself as humility.
Pride sets you up above everyone in your estimation of yourself. It makes you your reference point for efficiency and proficiency. Pride locks the door to anything that may come into your life, even what might just save your life. Pride is the fastest and surest vehicle to hit rock bottom with the speed of light.
To wrap this up
While at the bottom, don't relent or sleep on your dream, watch out for bitterness and jealousy. On your way up, keep at it and watch out for greed; and when you think you have arrived, count yourself as nothing or pride renders you nothing in its real sense.
Thank you for reading
Be free to leave comments
Powerful piece my brother.! More grace to carry on dear.
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