One of the advantages of being an elderly statesman, is the ability to reflect on your past life.
There are many things that you wished you had done, or not done, many investments you regret not making, as well as the amount you may have wasted by not paying attention to the cost.
When we are able to work, earn and secure a livelihood for yourself and your family, that should be considered as a blessing.
If and when educational opportunities become available, you aught to grab it with both hands.
A known skill is security for life.
If you are able to assess grants, loans, or even scholarships, you should be thankful.
The issue is, with all your opportunity (and luck in some cases), what do you do with your options as a means to constructing your future? To have for tomorrow you must either save or invest in areas profitable to you.
Waste-not, want-not, as time wasted can never be regained. There are many examples of people you know who had it all, yet they squandered and made bad investments, or stupid mistakes. I am sure you know of people who would spend their hard earned salary in bars or gable it all at the casino or the gambling machines now located on every street.
Those who flirt with all the girls try hard to impress them by giving them more than they themselves have.
You are aware of today’s material craving: everybody wanting to have a ‘bad’ car, a ‘top of the line’ motorcycle, the ‘newest’ gadget on the market and only shopping in ‘high-end’ outlets.
All these wants are fine, but can most of you afford it? Do you make merchants happy for your patronage and your spendthrift behaviour? Do you ever consider that some investments deteriorate and depreciate with time, like land and house that increases in value with time?
Before you think of bikes, fancy cars and jewellery that stand-out on you, don’t you consider that if you invest in more tangible assets such as land or homes or in projects with high returns, in the long run it will profit you more? Nothing remains the same, if you do not plant a seed, you will not reap, if you don’t harvest water when it rains, you will be left without when the system goes dry.
All the friends that you spend your last dollar on having fun and entertainment with will not be there for you when you will become most in need. There are a lot of fair-weather friends, a lot of ‘give me’ friends, a lot of smiling acquaintances, who usually call you stupid behind your back and only like you if you are a constant giver.
It is time for you to wake-up and smell the coffee, see people — especially friends — for what they are.
Remember: a friend in need is a friend in deed, but not every friend cares about you needs.
Your children especially — you spend your life earnings to make them happy, but how many reciprocate? How many people will be there for you in your twilight years? How many think that your input is a sacrifice? How many of your children will continue from where you left off? How many truly understand unconditional love?
So, my advice is examine the horns and be careful with all who claim to like you or love you, because love can lead to depression, spending your last days in dire stress, not even being able to deal with your medical needs, home repairs and your utility bills, in most circumstances the more you give is the less you get in return from those you have always given.
The government of the day is opening many doors, but not everybody wants to walk through them. Tomorrow is not promised to none of us.
We are all vulnerable souls, so today’s preparation just may be your best reason for protecting your tomorrow — and by extension, your future, depending on yourself is the best you can do for you.
Why? Because we die alone and nobody would like to die in your place — not even your best friend.