Time comes to pass, not to stay.
But does everyone really know this fact?
“Sorry, I came late. Forgive me. This is how we are as South Sudanese, no matter where we live on earth. We normally come 30 minutes to 2 hours later, not always on time” he tried to explain himself, based on his understanding.
“But, Kon. When are we ready to change this lifestyle in South Sudan? Do you think this is a good culture to keep for the next generations?” Beliu asked with a great concern.
I feel disappointed, discouraged and even dissuaded, when such things happen. Time is not only money as others say, it’s a valuable asset that must be used to the maximum possible.
The well-written, well-designed invitation letter reads “Arrival is 1:00 p.m,” and I was there 3 minutes to time, only to find no body was there except the organizers, waiting for the invited guests to arrive. I was warmly welcomed, and I felt at home only to still wait for the next 30, 50 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours and so on, before people joined in as planned.
Just as we count steps as we journey to our destinations, we don’t change situations collectively; we do it individually, with those individual small steps.
The “we” conceptualization doesn’t work for everyone of the “us” anymore nowadays. Where do you live? I don’t mean Juba, Nairobi, Abuja, or Kampala, I mean where you dwell from within. Are you still in the crowd?
Sitting there, talking, discussing people, the past and all unimportant events in the last ten to twenty years, does it help? These are always endless talks, always negative in their nature. Micro-seconds, minutes, and hours passby each and every single day. Do they evaluate? Do they consider how much of that valuable time wasted in unproductive talks?
I feel bad, robbed and noseatic when sitting in such groups, doing nothing more beneficial. but only to engage in endless talks. There must be a balance between work and socialization, both on and offline.
Use your youthful time to leave some good footprints on your earthly journey. How will you do this if you spend most of your valuable time talking in groups that won’t benefit you? Spend your valuable time well. Spend it learning and applying some of that knowledge in to real life issues. Spend it with friends who contribute to that life goal.
Time is a valuable asset. It must be well managed, but there must be actionable plans. Goals can’t be reached without actions. Actions can’t be executed without plans. Plans don’t exist without a vision. A vision is your final goal. The final destination.
When I was a child, my parents taught me many things about life. One thing I will never forget is time management. I was raised in a village where young and old folks gather to play all kinds of games. But, my father used to tell me, “Spend your valuable time doing something valuable!”
I owned a farm when I was 15. I had maize, millet, sorghum and other crops planted in it each year. During the rainy seasons, I kept time and manage it as I was instructed.
My mother was time conscious. She had time for cooking, washing plats, dishes and other untensils; he had time to collect firewood, water and other things needed for the welfare of the family in those days. She planned to do a lot of things for the better of every family member. Time management was an African value for centuries past. Where is it now?
Live, eat, play and work before you leave the world, the physical world. We never know where we go after here. Have some balance for all these things.
Plan. Execute. Succeed. Those are the words to sum it up. Manage your finite time well. Be blessed.
Discipleship Press 