I went to a barbering salon in Kasoa to have my hair trimmed when suddenly the barber’s generator went off. He called a boy to get him fuel at the nearby filling station, but he declined. He was by then shaving one man when the generator gave up. He tried using a razor blade, but I heard the man muttering what appeared his displeasure for the blade. He raised issues of bumps that grow on his face whenever he uses razor blades. I implored the barber to go for the fuel himself.
He reached for the gallon. “Will you wait for me?” I nodded as he gave his legs a 200 meters run to the nearest filling station. The man whose hair was near trimmed wondered why the barber had to wait for the fuel to finish. He narrated an incident he experienced which left him bordered forever. He said they were returning from a community football game in Accra when the driver realized that his petrol was low, but pressed on. They passed by several filling stations, but the driver ignored the warning given by his vehicle. They left Accra at 5pm and got to Winneba at 7pm when the vehicle stopped amidst heavy rain. Nobody could move in the rain. Its drops were as hard as mango drop. The town the vehicle stopped was under thick darkness so they could not get fuel. They made phone calls to the chief of the area, and family members to come to their aid. They received support at quarter to 2pm when the chief sent his personal vehicle to get them.
Like the driver many people find themselves in similar situation -- waiting for a little problem to mature before they act. Often the problem end up overwhelming them in the end. We’re quick to say, “prevention is better than cure”, but the question is, do we believe in this? Margaret Mead stated, “What people say, what people do, and what people say they do are entirely different things.” How true this is of those who wait for a problem to grow bigger before they act. Some unfortunate situations and incidents could have been avoided if the victims had acted prompt. Many of our road accidents that have maimed brilliant and talented people could have been avoided were the drivers conscious and ready to solve the problem before continuing with the journey. Also, the current power outage in Ghana is an avoidable situation had our leaders been responsible and patriotic -- attributes they least understand.
This is also true of those persons who compile workload to be performed some other time. What they don’t know is that the loads do not reduce by piling them, but rather grow more and stronger. They grow stronger to scare you further. U.S. Admiral William Halsey said, “All problems become smaller if you don’t dodge them, but confront them. Touch a thistle timidly, and it pricks you; grasp it boldly, and its spines crumble.”
My advice to you is that face up whatever situation that walks up to you. Look it in the face, smile at it, hold it, feel it in your hand, and eliminate it from the path. Till you learn to clear the grass from growing unto your pathway, it will always hinder your progress. And this is the truth that you will never get anything done until you’re done clearing the path for life’s journey.
Resolve to work on any task, however small it may appear to you at first. Be conscious of problems that starts small, and end up becoming mountain of problems.