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Hard Work

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Hard work by Celine
“There is no substitute for hard word,” said Thomas Edison
When I think of hard work, I see a person who gives all he or she has every day, in joy and in pain, When I think of hard work, I see effort being put in day in and day out, relentlessly. When I think of hard work, I see the desire to move forward, rather than staying in the same spot or moving backwards. In our daily lives, we frequently meet people who do work, knowing neither what they are doing, nor why they are doing it. If you were to ask them what it brings them, some would not be able to answer. Whether we like it or not, whether we have the means to work voluntarily or against our will, it is important to give in our best because it brings a certain joy, and pride. The “problem” with working hard, is that most of the time, the results are not in our hands immediately. Some might ask why this is a problem. As you might have observed, we, humans, are not the best at being patient when it comes to expecting positive outcomes. This renders us angry, full of frustration for no valid reason.

When I think of work, I see the courage to get up and continue the journey though many failures. I concede that hard work does not guarantee success at 100%, but it multiplies our chances of achieving our goals. Pope Paul VI once said: “All life demands is struggle. Those who have everything given to them become lazy, selfish and insensitive to the real values of life. The very striving and hard work that we constantly try to avoid is the major building block in the person we are today.” This is one way of saying that if we do not work, we let others be where we should be and the talents we have go to the garbage since they benefit neither the world nor us. It is not easy to be present at 100% constantly but it is important if we want to succeed.
To conclude, hard work pays more than it requires. Under the sun, under the rain, let’s give a whirl to every opportunity that is presented to us. Who knows where those rain drops or where the heat of the sun will lead us to? We have nothing to lose while trying. As Margaret Mead said, “we learn the value of hard work by working hard.” Before my final point, remember that effort is not only required when we are at the bottom; it is also much harder to stay on the summit than it is to climb.

Measuring Success

Hard work. Everyone throws these words around but never stops to realize what they means exactly. Hard work can be measured in many different ways depending on the person you are evaluating. In school, a student can get 90% average in a class and will be labeled a hard working student, yet another student could have worked just as hard and get a 50% and is told they don’t work hard enough. In society, hard work is measured by your results. We tend to focus on the outcome but never really look at the input of hard work. In my opinion, if you give something 110% of your effort, regardless of the outcome, you are hard working. Sadly, that’s not what most people think of when they say the words, hard work. In my personal experience, I work hard when it comes to sports and school. My level of hard work in basketball is measured by how much energy I use; if I’m sweating after a drill, if am executing what’s being asked of me, going full out. But in school, my level of hard work is measured by how much I pay attention in class, and the hours I put in to study.

Ask the Elders: Issue 8

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Question 1: What was your first job and what is the most important thing you learned from it?

Answer: My first job was at a construction place. I was very young, maybe around 14 or 15. My job was to pick up things that had fallen around the workers and fill buckets with water.
I learned the act of hard work and endurance from this job, and that you had to be there when they needed you, not whenever you wanted. I also learned how to save money and that the little money I made there was very precious to me.
Much different is money you work for compared to money that is given to you as a gift.


Question 2: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Answer: Nigeria! Maybe as I grow older my heart is there. There is a lot of opportunity to serve and reach out to people and also a lot of people that need help there.

  • Questions by Elija and answers by Mrs. Sabageh

The Value of Hard Work

Hard work means working intelligently and vigorously at a given task to complete it with maximum efficiency.

The qualities of a hard worker are being an action-oriented, self-starter, who has a strong drive for success and sufficient self-confidence to persevere when the going gets tough. Other important qualities of a hard worker include a detail-oriented mindset and focusing on goals.
Why work hard? Well, you work hard for something you believe in. You work hard for something you’ve thought and planned for and will lead you to success, happiness or well-being.

The most important aspect about the concept of hard work is that it cannot be faked. The work is necessary and cannot be circumvented, skipped or artificially accelerated. Hard work needs dedicated efforts which is the very essence of hard work. Omoluabi believes in hard work. Omoluabi wants to encourage its members and readers to recognize the importance of working hard, because hard workers have strong desires to meet their goals which give them a leg up over their competitors. They remain committed to what they are doing, despite any setbacks, technical problems or other issues that may arise. We Omoluabi’s believe that hard workers take full responsibility for their actions, and they realize that no one else is going to do the work for them.

Another key attribute that Omoluabi’s believe in is that hard workers have a mindset that carries them over low points and snags. A key internal factor that affects hard workers is whether or not they have pride in their work. Because of the pride they have in their work, they don’t allow external factors such as money or prestige to motivate them because their motivation is intrinsic. Without pride in your work, it is easy to seek shortcuts and give up before completing the job.

Omoluabi believe that someone with mental health problems cannot be a hard worker because of lack of motivation and energy. No one works hard for no reason at all. Nothing replaces hard work. No matter the job you have to accomplish, there is nothing more important that getting busy and getting the work done. Everyone who takes an idea and make it into something valuable does it through hard work.

There is great value in hard work. Hard work teaches perseverance, persistence, and determination. It teaches us that hard work pays off. It teaches us to stick with it when times are tough. Nothing in life is easy. It isn’t good to always have your hand out, waiting on someone to give you something. Work for it. There is great satisfaction in putting in hard work and earning a paycheck for your diligence. Hard work comes with a sense of pride that cannot be replaced with a hand out. Hard work is the only way to excel in life.

Hard Work and the Law

Like many other virtues and principles, the Omoluabi principle of hard work is one that is universally valued throughout cultures and generations. A good work ethic is a character trait that is applicable to any task or endeavour that one undertakes. Beyond this however it is almost universally the difference between what is nominal and what is excellent. Excellence, mastery and perfection do not come easily. They are not the fruits of a sluggard, and it is for that reason that they are so highly prized and valued.

This quality of hard work is integral to the legal system, particularly as it relates to court trials. Despite popular depictions as lawyers being naturally clever and skilled, the most successful parties in a courtroom are not necessarily the most intelligent or talented. They may not be the ones with the best educations or even the strongest cases. The factor that almost always makes the greatest difference in a courtroom setting will inevitably be the hard work and time spent by a party in thoroughly preparing a case.
Just like any other contest, the importance of hard work in the courtroom setting cannot be overstated. However, what makes it even more important are its beneficial effects. A conscientious and prepared lawyer can be the difference between a jail sentence and freedom. This can and regularly does have a dramatic effect on the life of the person before the court. Consequently, lawyers must and do work hard for the members of the public that they choose to represent. Countless hours are spent reviewing the case and understanding every seemingly insignificant detail to the point where it is nearly committed to memory.

Finally when all this done, the advocate enters the courtroom and presents the case as if it were completely natural, (but of course it was not). The rest of life is not unlike the courtroom. People in the various professions that have achieved virtuoso status do not happen upon it. Hard work is always at the foundation of success and excellence. It is an amazing quality to possess and cultivate. It is also integral to being an omoluabi.

Finally when all this done, the advocate enters the courtroom and presents the case as if it were completely natural, (but of course it was not). The rest of life is not unlike the courtroom. People in the various professions that have achieved virtuoso status do not happen upon it. Hard work is always at the foundation of success and excellence. It is an amazing quality to possess and cultivate. It is also integral to being an omoluabi.

Omoluabi Youth Event

Mrs. Abiola Afolabi, Executive director of the Nigerian Canadians for Cultural, Educational and Economic Progress, led a compelling group discussion session aimed at educating local youth on the Omoluabi Principals.

Covering all eight principles, Omoluabi is a person of integrity, one who believes in hard work, respects the rights of others and gives back to the community. Mrs. Afolabi broke down the root of the word which is actually an adjectival Yoruba phrase. Omoluabi translates into the words – “Omo + ti + Olu-iwa + bi” which literally, when translated and taken separately, omo means ‘child’, ti means ‘that or which’, Olu-iwa means the chief or master of Iwa (character), and bi means ‘born’. When combined, Omoluabi translates as “the baby begotten by the chief of iwa”. Breaking down the meaning into parts, paints the picture of just how much character and strength is jam packed into one word.

Youth are constantly bombarded with images, whether on television or on the internet, that are less than ideal. People preach hate so easily and almost with a sense of pride; Omoluabi can be the voice of love of reason. The lesson drove the point home that every single individual has the power to spread this message to their peers and loved ones. Practicing the Omoluabi principles can give you the confidence you need to stand up for what’s right. Mrs. Afolabi made the comparison between bad guys and cockroaches; turn the lights on and what do they do? They don’t confront you, they run and hide. An Omoluabi can be the light that society needs, shinning their positivity and good character on the world.

Funded by the government of Ontario, and delivered by the Nigerian Canadians for Cultural, Educational and Economic Progress (NCCEEP), The Cameroonian Association of South Western Ontario(ACSOO) and several partners, each member received a copy of the Omoluabi Newspaper. The newspaper, used as a positive tool to share with the youth and teach them how to be people of character, ultimately results in violence prevention.

The session ended with a light dinner and drinks, which gave people an opportunity to talk and get to know each other better. Even though the people in attendance came from a variety of backgrounds, the concepts of an Omoluabi are applicable to everyone. Regardless of where you come from, what religion you practice or even how you used to behave, everyone is encouraged to practice the ways of an Omoluabi.

Throwback: Issue 7

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Volume 1, Issue 5
Spring/Summer 2005

Bravery is…

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Bravery is many things but it’s never declining
Even when you can’t stand it, bravery keeps fighting
If it’s the truth bravery will stand for it
Bravery is a coat of many colors, it never goes unnoticed

Bravery is an entry way to finding freedom
It is emancipation from the
chains and fetters of

oppression
It’s shockingly blatant, defiling tradition
But becoming who you really are within a situation

Bravery is Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and Gandhi
It’s you and me, it’s speaking up and truly being
Bravery says yes when all that is around you seems unyielding
It is when you truly break free and finally start living.

African Proverb: Issue 7

The brave man is not he who doesn’t feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

Bravery Poem (Akikanju)

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Stand up!

Listen to the tears running wild in the streets
Poverty bending hope with no release
The deafening silence of pain when no one hears the screams
The distance between a child and their dreams when no one believes

At ease Soldier

Put down your sword and pick up your chin
Open your heart and let the Ancestors in
They labelled you lost, unable to recognize your win
The world wrote you off, but it is not the end

Stand up! Begin

Stand in the face of the storm and lift your spirit to the sky
Release your flesh from the fear, flap your wings and fly
Emancipate your mind from the grinding gears of time
You’re a Lion in the jungle standing with your mighty Pride

Be brave

Open your eye’s and pave your way
Creator gifted you the tools to mine your own jewels
Don’t consume the way of fools
Know your worth, stay in tune

Take the lead

Shine you light bright for what’s right plant the seed
Have the nerve to blossom you rose petals in a garden of weeds
When fitting in is what wins, stand out, be free
Inspire minds to unravel the expansiveness of possibility

Be brave enough to step out on a bending limb
Ignite the might of the spirit within

Be brave