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WHO ARE YOU




WHO ARE YOU?

I’m honoured to be standing before these great scholars today. Some years ago, I was a secondary school student like you. I’m glad to announce to you that today, I’m still a student. Because whether you are in school or not in one way or the other you are learning and whoever is still learning is a student. Besides, all of us, young or old, big or small, rich or poor, tall or short, dwarf or giant are students in the school of life. Can you now see that I’m a student?

The topic to be considered today is, “WHO ARE YOU?” Look at the person sitting next to you and ask him or her “Who are you?” Turn to another person and ask the same question, when I say “who are you?” I do not mean your nomenclature either generic or specific; or your gender, either male or female. I’m as well not interested in knowing your complexion, dark or fair. But I simply mean who are you? When I ask who are you?

To win in the race of life will be a little bit hard when one does not know oneself. Knowing yourself is a step closer to success. Everybody is meant to be successful but not all will. This is not a curse but a reality.

Time without number I’ve heard these words ‘Be yourself’. It has even turn a cliche. Everybody says it. But I’m putting it to you this afternoon, how can you be yourself when you don’t know yourself? Knowing yourself should be prior to ‘be yourself’ and not the other way round. You can never be who you don’t even have knowledge of. So, the first step is to discover and know yourself; thereafter, you can be yourself. Not being oneself will make one to be running another man’s race and when you run another man’s race, you may not likely get to any definite destination.

The secret to success in life, either academic or financial success depends on knowing who you are. You’re not me and I’m not you, why are you struggling to be me? You are original, stop living a fake life. God has deposited in each and every one of us, treasures and talents. Yours might not be exactly the same with your friend. Can you now see that you’ll be making a grave mistake trying to be your friend?

When I was in secondary school, some of my classmates then would intentionally disobey teachers by not doing their assignments. Some would walk out of the class when it was lecture time. Then, I was young and innocent I did not even know who I was but out of my many gloom, came some teachers who brought me to order when I wanted to grow haywire. They plucked my feathers when I grew some. Those classmates of mine today, some of them are artisans and they are successful in what they are doing. But I would have been the most miserable if I followed their path because I won’t make a good artisan like them. Besides, I’m not gifted in that area. I might not be able to carve wood that will be cynosure of many eyes but I can siphon ideas from my cerebrum to the wrist of my hands and beautifully craft it on a virgin paper.

Here you are today, you don’t even know what you want to become. Life will not give what you deserve but what you demand. Your friend is aspiring to become a medical doctor, and you want to be an engineer and you hate mathematics because he hates it. You are wrong. As a medical student, he will stop doing mathematics in 200 levels, while you will do mathematics from now till your final year in the university. I’m not saying you should not be friends, but your response towards mathematics should be different because that is the core of your course.

After all has been said and done, keep these in mind:
·        You must know who you are;
·        You must know what you want;
·        You must know where you are going;
·        Set your focus on what you want;
·        Avoid any form of distraction

 “The person, who has the most to do with you and what happens to you in life, is YOU. You made decisions. You decide how much energy you want to put behind that decision and I came to understand that I had control of my own destiny.”
                                                                                                                   

Thanks.

A speech delivered by AKERELE Odunayo Samuel @ Christ our Hope School.

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