SHALLY A.

My childhood memories are filled with stories of my mothers. We drove to Mummy Taiwos’s office, my mum’s Twin, from Corona School every weekday around 4:00 pm and waited for her to close from work. As my brother and I walked into her gigantic office building, ICON, we were welcomed with tender smiles. We took a lift to her office and her hallway was filled with colleagues who seemed excited to dote on us. They gave us sweets and asked us the same (always the same) questions about school. And I always had the same answers, ‘fine, ma/sir.’ Mum Tee, had a medium-sized office with a table and chairs we moved around so we could hide under her desk. My brother and I will play games and sometimes talked while we waited for her. We tried to not be too loud because mum seemed ‘serious.’ Sometimes, I would stand up to look into her eyes and smile. She made me proud. She was always stylishly dressed. Her blood-red lipstick contrasted with her extremely light-skinned face and her curly black...

  Life is time. A time that never ends but ‘our time’ will cease. Time can only have meaning when we have a purpose or calling. I read an article by  Clayton M. Christensen , a Harvard professor. His remarkable speech to MBA graduating students includes four points that have helped him live a fulfilled life: Find a reason. A purpose that creates an urgency to live and gives your life meaning.  Think long-term. We are obsessed with the  short-term instant gratification of life,  and we forget what we benefit most from are the drops of water that create balance and stability in our lives. You can save a little now and watch it grow. You can invest your time in your children and spouse so ‘together forever’ is  more  guaranteed. As a work junkie, I have learned that it doesn’t matter how long I have worked; the friends I have kept, and the love I nurtured are the only things that make life worth it. Working hard is never a guarantee of success. The best w...