By Abdulwarees Solanke
What does it mean to win in life?
To the average man, it is to attain honour, distinction, victory.
It is achievement, fulfillment, acknowledgment, actualisation.
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It is to conquer or defeat, overcome or arrive.
It is to excel or exceed where others flounder.
It is to qualify where others fail.
It is to surpass where many lag, lack of recede.
Winning qualifies the winner for celebration, entitling him to special privileges and awards.
Winning puts the winner on the dais to be garlanded, decorated and rewarded.
Unfortunately while most people seek to win in the world of business and career, in politics and sports, in arts and music, in academia, the parliament or the judiciary; while they seek mention and decoration in the media and before the paparazzi of the camera and hot klieg lights, while they seek to dazzle on the field and the runway, on the soapbox or in the boardroom, even in the palaces and state houses, they fail woefully at the home front, the first quarter any man or woman must achieve victory.
It is all in how man seeks honour.
The dilemma here is the definition or appreciation of honour, power and position.
For what should we seek them, how should they be sought and to what use should we put them when we attain them?
Simply, they must not be at our detriment, not at the expense of our conscience, peace of the soul, heath of the spirit or strength of our character. Not in the compromise of the vitality of our bodies and organs.
When we seek them, we must be focused on good. For ourselves, our world and God.
But there are people who cannot give altruistic interpretation of what they seek.
Since they lack any valid, utilitarian or philosophical justification, they will pursue it anyhow.
For them, only the end justifies the means.
Therefore, they can venture into sharp practices or cut corners, they can corrupt and compromise, they can kill and risk their own lives and of their family.
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They can sabotage.
They can blackmail.
They can lie and cheat to the top and the podium or rostrum of praise and adulation.
They can rig or bribe to power and office.
They don’t mind the price to pay once the gain will be theirs.
In all these, they abdicate their responsibilities in many essential areas of life. The home front suffers in their mindless pursuit of fame and wealth.
Abdulwarees, an Assistant Director
Strategic Planning & Corporate Development at
Voice of Nigeria, volunteers for the Muslim Public Affairs Centre, MPAC Nigeria as Director, Media and Strategic Communications
korewarith@yahoo.com,
