By USTAZ MARK BANG
If there are those who seek to get rich before acquiring credentials, then their future is in danger.
One has to ask her/himself this question. How is South Sudan’s tomorrow going to reflect, my friend? It’s going to be the worst situation one has ever experienced, particularly for those who may not be in possession of good credentials. As most our youth are currently busy with jobs both clean and unclean, I mean there are those doing white jobs and those carrying out banditry, all these parties and I have not mentioned will suffer a lot at the nearest time. They see their peers going for studies; some go footing; others make it hard to pay for transportation; and the latter sleep with empty stomachs. I suffer in order to prepare for uncertainties before head. It is specifically the uncertainties that will help us prepare for the future.
We grow and develop only when we are challenged. As long as everything is going well, we want to stay put and relax. Only when we are under pressure when we are forced to change to find solutions can we develop further. So far, we have looked at life as a “movie.” We passively played our blind, instinctive “supporting role,” from the simple people of the street to leaders and experts.
Humanity has been stumbling from one vicious historic cycle to another, as in our generation we run from one crisis to the next. As a result, in our generation, we are facing a very realistic, unprecedented global disaster—that could be triggered on multiple fronts through many different human activities at any moment—that could wipe out most of the human species (wars, natural disasters, plagues, hunger, water shortages, unlivable planet). This could potentially awaken us and push us out of the previous blind, instinctive, “humanoid existence” so we could finally start using our unique human intellect, consciousness, our ability for critical self-assessment, and initiating self-change.
For millennia we have been trying to change the world around us. We tried all possible variations of governing, social, economic systems, religions, and teachings—failing in all. In our times we have failed with liberal parliamentary democracy and free-market capitalism—we all thought would suit humanity best, offering a sustainable way to build societies. But our inherently self-serving, self-justifying, addictive, excessively consuming nature ruins everything. And we won’t be able to find solutions to any of our problems; we will not be able to safeguard our collective, human survival, unless first of all we bravely look into a “brutally honest mirror,” recognizing and accepting what desires and intentions truly drive all of us, and then we willingly consent to change ourselves—instead of changing others or the systems around us—until we become able to rebuild human society on new foundations! Thus, our present uncertainty and deepening crisis, combined with the vast historic experience and available method of correction, should help us in this rebuilding and progress towards a much better, safer, fairer, more successful, and sustainable human existence. In a way, the pain, anxiety, and pressure we feel today are like “birth pangs” before we give birth to a new human civilization, which will be aligned and adapted to the vast, fully integrated natural system we exist in. As a 35-year-old, I can tell you that you don’t have to worry about preparing for the uncertainties of life. They will do that for you. No one can foresee their future. All you can ever do is face life with courage and enthusiasm and just deal with whatever comes your way. Look at life as an adventure with you in the starring role, because that is exactly what it is. Don’t worry about life; just live it. Resilience and determination are where it is at. Have fun. I have, and I continue to do so. My father is 95, and he is a World War II combat veteran. I am a Vietnam War veteran. Dad is still relatively physically and mentally sound. And if he can do it, so can I… and so can you. Get on with it. It will not last forever.
The future is unpredictable, but there are always things you can control. One critical element you can control is your learning. Learning has no endpoint and covers technical skills to help you in your job, emotional intelligence that helps you work with a range of people, cultural adaptation skills that help you assimilate into new cultures, and many more. Learning helps you stay young and relevant and adapt to shifts in the environment. It also helps you cultivate the right network. It has a compounding positive effect on your life—new learning, new opportunities, new networks, further opportunities, and so on.
Carl Jung apparently had a saying, “He who looks outward dreams, he who looks inward awakes.” If you want to make your dreams come true—whether it be to work in another country, learn a foreign language, or buy a Porsche—internal transformation is needed. It’s easier to blame your circumstances on external factors, but those factors won’t change (or not easily). But you do have the power to change yourself. “Public Staunchest Ally”
The writer of this article is a human rights activist, writer, and professional teacher.