By LINDA ASIMOLE ELLAH
Do you know your shoe size? How big are your shoes? Or How small are your shoes? How well do you know your own shoes? How comfortable are you in your own shoes? How well do you walk in your shoes? Then, where do your shoes take you? Or where are you able to reach in your own shoes? Odd questions, isn’t it?
Shoes generally come in sizes and we each tend to know what size is our fit. Depending on if it is a closed or open shoe, one may swing between one size and the next size of shoe. Nonetheless, everyone who has grown into adulthood has a specific shoe size.
Now, let’s begin a journey of analyzing the shoe we wear on our feet.
Your shoes are of a specific size for a specific reason and they come to you by Divine Providence. By whatever means you acquired that pair of shoes, give some thought to it, and you will find that it came to you through some form of favour. Even if you got to buy it for yourself, you might be able to see that you were blessed with the opportunity of being able to buy the shoes for yourself.
My father once told us a story of how he used to walk barefooted everywhere he went. One day, he needed to go somewhere far away. He went to his uncle and pleaded with his uncle to lend him a pair of shoes to wear on his feet. His uncle bluntly refused to give him. With that incident, dad promised himself that he was going to own lots of shoes in his lifetime. Many years later, when dad became well off, he got himself many quality shoes of different colours. As kids, we witnessed dad give a few shoes to that uncle whom he cared for until the uncle passed on. The two of them have now gone to the world beyond. Lesson: Whatever you have today is for temporary use. It will move on into the hands of others.
Dad had shoes in various shades of black, white, red, maron, brown, cream, and animal skin. He treasured them so much and he made his children take turns to wipe dust off them every morning. He had acquired several of them. His bed and mum’s bed were lined around and surrounded beneath by extra shoes that did not fit into the shoe corner of his wardrobe room. After dad told us his story of how he had no shoes in his early years, we then understood his fascination with shoes. Lesson: Do what makes you happy but leverage your experience to pass on valuable lessons to others without bitterness.
So, still on the shoes we wear, they represent our positions, circumstances, opportunities, blessings, favours and privileges that life brings us, and that we attract into our lives. That position you occupy, that title you bear, that office you are in, that position of responsibility you hold, that circumstance you are going through, that privilege you have, that opportunity at your door step, is your own shoe which you are fitting into. Those are your shoes and they are your legs, but you are not inside those shoes solely for yourself. That you are not there solely to serve your wants and ambitions and those of your cronies needs to be a personal conviction in whatever position, title, circumstance and opportunity you take up. If you had not seen yourself and your life in this way, then give it a try.
The challenge we are facing in our families, society, groups, organizations, institutions, and nation is that we have too many individuals who are fitting into their own shoes solely for themselves – solely for their interest and purpose. This is the reason we are burdened with embezzlement of public funds, self-aggrandizement, neglect of the common good, nepotism, tribalism, fraudulent practices, theft, marginalization of the poor and oppressed, nonchalant attitude towards one’s duties, and neglect of responsibilities towards family. All these happen at the lowest levels and up to the highest levels of power, position and authority. All-in-All, it is about how you and I are fitting into our shoes on this earth and during our lifetime.
One may even say, some persons fit into shoes smaller than they are or much bigger than them. The first consequence of that is discomfort. How do you walk around in shoes that are smaller or bigger than your feet? So, if this is the case with your work and/or positions then your incompetence and poor productivity will be glaring to you and everyone. However, one could put in the necessary work and growth to fit in.
Yes, even in situations whereby some forces have made it possible that you are there, fitting into this bigger or smaller shoe, you are still as accountable as someone who has shoes that perfectly fits well.
The saying goes that ‘the one who pays the piper calls the tune’. So, as you fit into your shoes of life and all that it brings, you need to be the one intentionally calling the tune. This means that even though your pay comes from someone or somewhere, the responsibility of truly fitting effectively into your shoes in all you do, lies with you. Give yourself the liberty to dance the dance of life in your shoes with personal responsibility, positive impact and the common good as your grand objectives.
Together We Can… support you in your shoes for the betterment of society!
Hence what YOU DO matters!
DISCLAIMER
The OPINION / COLUMN is authored by independent contributors to the National Accord Newspaper. While contributors adhere to our editorial guidelines, they are not employed by the National Accord Newspaper. The perspectives and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of the National Accord Newspaper or its staff.