Random African thought series.....Priorities

We all have our priorities in life. Whether we are aware or unaware, we treat people and situations differently depending on how such things or people "influence" us.

I made an observation that sometimes we tend to give more priority to friends and acquaintances than to family. I drew the conclusion that to some extent, familiarity breeds contempt in this case. Every level of society has its own set of priorities.

For instance every government has its own priority per what it deems fit for the nation. The citizenry can also in a way determine what a government's priorities should be and so on. I also came to realize that, we sometimes have to deal with pain because more often than not, we make the wrong things and wrong people our priorities. It is very hurting when you give someone or something your all and expect them to return the favour but you end up being short-changed.

I would not normally delve into the topic of relationships because I am not too

good at them but on the issue of priorities, I think the subject would be worth mentioning. It is true that love and commitment are the cornerstone of most relationships. I have realized that any relationship that can stand the test of time would be a relationship in which both parties know their priorities and stick to them.

We all show care, love and attention in general but the "quantum" in which these emotions are distributed are not equal. Some people are entitled to "special treatment" truth be told. You cannot treat your girlfriend or boyfriend the same way you would treat your course mate, it is a matter of priority.

I had a friend who we always accused of having misplaced priorities because he gave all his attention to video games and he could not just get enough. This priority he gave his laptop cost him his girlfriend (for some strange reasons ladies like so much attention) and his first class. He was the least perturbed because to him his

laptop takes first place in his life. This trait brought me to the realization that no matter how hard you try, you cannot choose a priority for someone who is bent on doing their own thing.

We normally say that a man's actions make him but I think a man's priorities make him. Every sportsman and woman has the aim of winning a trophy or medal and is driven by such a passion to put in effort by training hard.

Training and top performance therefore becomes their priorities. Every religious person harbours hopes of encountering an ultimate reality so piety and "staunch" religious belief becomes their priorities.

Whatever it is you prioritize is what you deem more important in that moment, any other thing takes second place. Sometimes situations can also set our priorities for us. Due to the fact that you need to get your salary at the end of the month, you tend to make working hours a priority. As human as we are, we all set our priorities. We should never

be known to set misplaced priorities. We should endeavour to know the people who make us and things relating to us their priority and seek to return such favours. It is high time we stopped accepting second place in people's lives and endeavour to be second to none. We cannot all be first but we can always get someone to treat us in a special way. Say no to being a second option in people's lives.

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