Responsibility Begat Rewards

African parents believe so much in making their children learn indirectly so that they can become a complete person. Learning and taking responsibility seem synonymous to some of our parents. As a child, I was not asked to do all things. There were some I had to fashion out to do by myself.

Often, the rewards that come with such self-thought moves are mind-boggling. Aside the rewards, which though an integral part of taking responsibility, the perspective I carry now is that:

What is worth doing at all, is worth doing well.

I put my heart into doing things like my life depends on it. This mindset was not built in a day. It started with the little things one would have overlooked. 

As a child, after my parents had finished eating, I ensured to pack their plates in the kitchen. My other siblings would finish eating their food and walk away, either to watch television or into their rooms to play video games. 

I perceive that my other siblings did not see it as a big deal to do what I was doing with the plates. Over time, I started doing it unconsciously. I would just hang in there to see that they are through with their meals, then I will act my part of packing the dishes. 

One day, my mother left a piece of meat on the plate for me. I was glad because it came from my mother. Later on, daddy would ask me to finish sipping his juice. Since my siblings were not around to do all the packing, they were not aware of what I was getting in return as a reward. 

My desire to be responsible was already built in me, it was not just because of the reward the same way, taking up duties as an obligation that would later become a ground for you to become relevant and earn a living should begin as soon as possible.

Like the foregoing story, my mother at some point stopped the remaining chunk of meat for me on the plate. Unknowing to me, the chunk of meat was in hand. I would not know if she was testing loyalty. I did not stop packing the plate because the meat was not in it, and I persisted. 

As I made to walk to the kitchen to drop the plates in the sink, my mother threw her hand towards me, only to land a chunk of meat into it. You can imagine the joy that took over me.

Most of the rewards you get for taking responsibility may not be displayed for you to see. This is the more reason one has to be prompt in doing what is naturally expected of him or her. 

People may walk past their fulfillment by looking elsewhere for what seems productive because they see a possible advantageous outcome in what they would do than in what is right before them. Usually, we ought to begin acting on what is right before us. Like things in our immediate environment. 

Charity begins at home. 

I would implore you my dear readers not to be carried away, we could begin by being responsible to our partners, spouse, children or colleagues, the rewards that come with is can not be measured with mere words. 

This act of taking responsibility is not for eye service but out of zeal to make things right. Hence, while doing that, people may term you by calling you names, do not bother about that, just focus and keep your head up. 

Since then, I have learned that responsible people get their payday in the future. And the said future is not far from today. What you get in return is not always advertised in the face of the task. Like the case of my mother keeping the chunk of meat in her hand rather than in the plate. 

Take responsibility, not just for the reward but as an obligation. 

First Published Here

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