And, how much do you know yourself?

You really don't! Yes, I do not think you really know yourself very well, so please don't bluff about it now! Most of us hardly know ourselves. And, I am not talking about your name or who your biological parents are.
“What do you mean?” Yeah, you heard me right! And do you have any problem with my assertion?

How do I know that you do not know yourself? Because it does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out. All one needs to do is to spend just a few hours with an average Ghanaian and everything goes haywire.

Now, how do I know that you really do not know yourself that much? Based on what you say, what you do, how you do it, the types of friends you hang around with, the types of programs you watch on TV, and how fast you are raping the nation with impunity; as if there is no tomorrow, and how you spend your time and money. These things definitely reflect on how much you know about yourself. It is very simple!

Our standard of living and longevity rate and perceptions speak volumes of lack of true self- identity.

I am not trying to start a third World War here. I am just preaching philosophically and figuratively here, thus, it is only the deep thinkers who will understand my assertion and where I am coming from.

Just look at our potholed- infested roads and the types of SUVs we drive on them. Take a casual look at some of our "civil servants” ,who have turned into ‘civil masters’ in their cushy positions. And, some of our politicians, with their over-inflated egos and empty empathy tanks.

What about our political and social institutions? Please do not try to go there because I am getting a severe headache and heartache just by thinking out loud.

This is not a personal attack on anyone. I just want to give it to you raw--without sugar-coated. What you get from some of the pulpits are too diluted so as not to hurt people’s feelings, blow up their emotional gaskets and drive away the ‘cash cow’ congregants.

However, sometimes they need to hear what they do not want to hear because our situations demand that harsh truth be made known. And, that is the only way to have the maximum impact with the message because we are not in normal times.

Do you know your circumstances or situation, limitations, potentials and the environment in which you have been placed by nature and act accordingly? If you answered "no" to any of the variables you obviously DON'T know yourself that much.

By “environment", I am referring to your country, family’s “chromosome”, the village or town where your umbilical cord is buried. These are parts of the perquisites of knowing yourself ,very, very well.

If you do not know yourself inside out how can you make any headway, adjust your focus, make any significant changes vis a vis to your life, let alone to work on your vision( if any)?

If you do not know yourself anyone can label you as he/she considers appropriate and you can easily dance to anyone’s tune. If you do not know yourself, then you take everything for granted, especially when you are relatively young. However ,as an adult you must have some clear boundaries that define you personality.

And, it has absolutely nothing to do with your educational attainment or how many degrees behind your name. This simple fact has escaped many people; including rich and poor, educated and illiterates, men and women, old and young. Sadly, it's the cause of most of our miseries because it's a mystery to many.
Thus this is something that needs to be taught in our churches and mosques religiously, so as to relieve people from the mental slavery and the rat race mentality, and to stop keeping up with the Joneses.

It is said that “to know yourself is also the beginning of wisdom”, but who is to teach us when a "blind is leading a blind " in our society? If you are sober -minded person and want to develop knowledge of yourself may I suggest that you start with this question, “who am I?” To properly address this issue of self-awareness, critically assess your strengths and weaknesses and then evaluate your response to the opportunities and threats in your environment.

It looks as if we have been under-educated and mis-educated in many areas--big time!

The benefits of self-identity are huge. It allows you to have happiness, less inner conflicts and able to say ‘no’ to a lot of negative things and temptations. Best of all, it allows you to have self-control, make better decisions and longevity.

Stay Tuned!

Be blessed, informed and educated.

The author is a social commentator, motivational public speaker and a diehard citizen (not a spectator).