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By Felix | May 28, 2008
My week started on quite an interesting note, as my boss, came up with some fantastic money making opportunities that I have been waiting for, for a while now, as these were part of the opportunities that prompted me to write Complete Idiots Guide To Making Money.Anyway, we’ll talk about them in my next post, but before I go into today’s post, I would like to share one of the stories that inspire me.Enjoy…An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They could get by.
The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go & asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.
When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, “This is your house… my gift to you.”
The carpenter was shocked!
What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.
So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.
But, you cannot go back… I was interviewed yesterday on a widely watched T.V talk show that airs on Multi Choice that has coverage of almost the whole of Africa and some part of the UK. Some of you might know it, “Moments With Moâ€. I had been invited earlier to talk about the “Street Skills†project I am handling, on how to get boys off the streets (Boys involved in Scam), but that couldn’t hold so, I was fixed in a different slot that could allow me shed some light on the activities on the streets, how I was able to move from being a con artist to getting con artist off the job by creating opportunities for them to make money legit with same street skills.I got to speak to the in house psychologist, before my interview as she was to come on the show too and she shared some of her experiences in handling cases that had similar circumstances with what I was doing and told me from experience how to keep moving even when it will seem like the impact is not being felt immediately and I was encouraged to keep going at it.The story above also really inspired me to not be ashamed of telling it as it is, the interview I went for, I was referred to as an ex-con artist, it didn’t really feel good hearing someone that was meeting me for the first time identifying me in that manner, but I knowing that the it is part of the bricks that I used to build my house, because if I didn’t go through the experience firsthand, i will not have been able to use it for the purpose of change today.I was shocked when even after the program, about half of the people in the audience including other interviewees wanted to have my complimentary card and some of the guys in the audience went as far as meeting me after the show to let me know that are still in the same tarde and would like to attend and be part of the Street Skills Network. I really felt elated hearing this and encouraged to keep going at it, because the future inevitably holds change for the youths in Nigeria!.  In conclusion of the story I started with, You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Someone once said, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.” Your attitude, and the choices you make today, help build the “house” you will live in tomorrow. Therefore, Build wisely! Peace ‘N a Fist!    Â
Topics: Streets Skills, change, choice, my story |
Comments
May 28th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Good piece dearie. This part of u touches me more than the other pieces u write even though they are entertaining and fun. I blv it achieves a whole lot more.
May 28th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Nice post, although i cant help but think and feel hurt n sad for good kind hearted individuals that are taken advantage of and lied to for years, it damages a soul and at times beyond repair. I have always lived in the truth and will not change that but the damage one feels can be unbearable at times when others allow you to live their lie with them..we all have goals in life, none the same, we get excited when we feel things are going the way we wanted them to.. and then boom out of no where, you are told its all a lie and all the time n effort you put into that goal was all for nothing, many good honest people in life have fallen and not due to them not living in the truth and fighting for what they want… but from others that take advantage of that goodness, and many at times never recover due to that damage.. I am very proud of your change and the good chain reaction you are leaving now…… hagd wink xx
May 28th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Its great when i read about the efforts you make, am really proud of you and i believe greater changes you would make are just a stone feet away. Keep up the incredible work and you would get the rewards, even if its just a THANKS.
May 28th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Very insightful. All the links were very meaningful I enjoyed it thoroughly. Well done
May 29th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Very proud of you Dude, each time i read your post it makes me move a step ahead in life. thanks man.
Live your beliefs and you can turn the world around.
May 29th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
No matter how far we’ve come,no matter the hurt,pain and the lies of our past!!The future remains that which we are yet to accomplish…The end result depends on how well we have accumilted wisdom,learnt vital lessons 4rm d past and how well we are willing to build a better life n move on..
NO MATA HOW DIRTY UR PAST MAY BE,WAT MATA’S IS UR ABILITY OF MASTERING D ACT OF A POSITIVE 2MROW..ITS BEEN DONE B4;N U CAN BE A PART OF DAT LEGION OF ACHIEVERS..
TAKECHARGE…XX1
May 29th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
KIp it real bro!! n always remember a long way u’ve come n the best is yet 2come!!kip up wif da good job n neva 4get i gat faith in u 4life..
PEACE N A FIST!! U KNW HOW WE DO!!
May 29th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
@ Becks so very true oh wise soul.. lol wink
May 30th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
@Debra!!good talk i hear u say..winks!!As we kip it real,So shall we continue 2 spit fire!!
1
June 2nd, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Hey Felix!!! Good to know that God is really expanding your coast. When you look bad to those days, you can’t but thank God for taking you through it all..Ciao
June 4th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Nice piece Felix. I was not aware until now that you are an ex-con artist. I can’t help but wonder what you did as a con artist (I do apologize for that).
Despite whatever you did in the past, the fact still remains; you have come a long way, and i am proud of you. The sad part is that you did build that house, and like you said, you did do those terrible things. However, you are a new man, and you are doing things that will help people get out of that kind of lifestyle. THAT IS WHAT YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON, AND THAT IS DEFINITELY WHAT I AND OTHERS ARE FOCUSING ON. IF I may quote the good book; “let he who is without sin cast the first stone”
Keep doing the good work and continue to hold your head up high. I look forward to re-acquainting myself with you after 15 years.
You inspire me.