23/03/2024
When a person can't find a deep sense of meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure (Viktor Frankl).
Growing up in a house where I was only encouraged to read academic books which never seems less interesting, my source of entertainment was television. It become worse as I grow older because I was not an outgoing child and coming from a small family where it was just my parents, my brother who was is my only sibling and I, I watched television at any chance I got.
When I started working, the only thing I could think of when knocking was what program I was going to watch. Who ever thought one day I would agree with Emilia Clarke when She said "My father always said, 'Never trust anyone whose TV is bigger than their book shelf' - so I make sure I read." And of course I do agree with Zig Ziglar who said “Rich people have small TVs and big libraries, and poor people have small libraries and big TVs.” I've written about how I rediscovered my self and started reading Today I would rather read than watch Television and am very convienced that anyone can change and become the best version of themselves no matter their background.
Today if you came to me with a list of excuses as to why you can't change I will only tell you that you are not yet ready to change. People who want to change for the better always find a way. Yes change is difficult especially in a world where you are required to live a certain way and to fit in but it will be worth it. It would happen overnight and you don't have to beat yourself for not changing overnight. Change is gradual . Take it One step at time. It is painful but worth . I would rather endure the pain of change than the pain of regret.
I used to watch television because I couldn't think of anything else. I had no plans with my life except going to school and watching television. When people feel unfilled and lack a sense of meaning and direction in life, they look outside themselves to feel the void. They may turn to alcohol, s*x, material things or even other people. But those things only bring temporary satisfaction. True happiness and fulfillment are found within.It is because of lack of direction and purpose that today we find people killing themselves when another person disappoints them. "When there is no enemy within, the enemy outside cannot do you any harm" (African Proverb). Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with watching television but It depends on what you watch it as the saying goes, "Television Is a good servant but a terrible master". What you consume controls you. It's ok to be entertained but if you use it because you are empty you will only get temporal fulfillment.
There is something interesting I remember when I was a full-time television fan,there were times I would go check for programmes to watch and sometimes find would find nothing interesting that was new and guess what I would do. I wouldn't switch off the television, instead I would check for programmes that I had watched before and still watch them because they were interesting. That is exactly how many of us today are living our lives. We see nothing ahead of us and we therefore go back in time to relive the moments that seemed interesting. There are people who are so proud of their past they will not say a word about their future. Stop living in the past which you can't change. A man without vision for his future always returns to his past.
You have to be excited about your future no matter how old you are. Yes your past is important because it bring you to where you are today but what you should focus on now is where you are going and make sure it's better than your past.
