Don't just assume........INVESTIGATE!

I recently read a traumatic story about a little child that was left behind in a creche when the staff closed for the night-because they thought she was a doll!! What an absurd assumption given the responsibility of care that the staff were entrusted with! Thankfully the little angel's father came fifteen minutes later to the horrors of hearing his daughter crying in a locked building. He immediately called emergency services and his daughter was rescued.

Without getting into too much grammar, a lot comes to mind on how shoddy this particular organisation was run. Did nobody bother to check that every child was accounted for before the doors were shut for the night?
They probably assumed the other person had done so. They also failed to verify that the lifelike doll was actually a doll before jumping to their erroneous conclusion. NOBODY CARED ENOUGH OR WAS PROFESSIONAL ENOUGH TO GO THE EXTRA MILE!!!
Assumption is defined as "the acceptance of a thing as true without proof". We live in an age where people assume on situations, relationships and people without adequate fact or information. It's easier to jump on general presuppositions without the necessary investigation, leaving no room for benefits of the doubts!

According to Ted Rubin assumptions unfortunately is "the mother of all screw up in relationships". Most times conclusions based on assumptions are wrong because of absence of fact or evidence. This narrow point of view in the long run has an adverse effect on relationships incuding businesses. Moreso, assumptions leads to errors in judgement and action!
The staff in this particular creche would have saved themselves this unnecessary publicity if only one person had bothered to check that the object of contention was actually a doll and not concluded based on assumption or assumed the responsibilty on another. It would have cost less than few minutes to verify their assumptions. Well, it says a lot about the work ethics of the staff involved in this horrible picture show!

Before you make up your mind on any issue or situation, investigate don't assume. Seek proof- this doesn't make you a doubting Thomas. Jesus did not condemn Thomas for seeking to see the evidence of his resurrected self, instead  Christ indulged him and he will you.  Remember, Gideon wanted proof too and the Almighty Himself indulged this scared warrior too (Judges 6).
Don't assume on anybody or situation,  you might just find out embarrassingly wrong you are!. Save yourself the trouble....WHEN IN DOUBT INVESTIGATE. It's a mark of excellence.

Mind your pace

During my morning walk, a young lady jogged past me with such gusto that I literally felt the wind rush past..lol. For a brief moment, I envied her. I wished I could run like she did but I couldn't. I couldn't because of a knee injury I sustained during exercise some years back.

 Any form of serious exercise would be foolhardy  on my part as it would only aggravate my already sore knee.  So you see, I can't run or jog like my 'friend' but I could walk and walk I did! NO EXCUSES!! Imagine my surprise a couple of miles later when I ran into my jogging friend ...Again! Remember she'd jogged past me but fast forward a couple of minutes later  and we meet again. She was running while I walked but we still managed to run into each other. If i'd known I would eventually catch up with her,  I wouldn't have wasted that brief emotion envying her! ....although I was not in competition with her neither she me.  Envying her was not even necessary

 Though we are strangers, the ultimate goal is the same- KEEP FIT. She was jogging her way to a better and healthier lifestyle while I was walking to mine. She might get to her destination faster but as long as I dont give up and maintained my pace, I WILL GET THERE TOO. Life is a journey and all of us are on that journey. While some are walking, others are running, jogging or even sauntering along the way. The most important fact is to keep moving and never forget the destination. Dont get stuck in a rot, keep moving and MIND YOUR PACE.

• Acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses.
• Keep step in tandem with your strength and abilities...yours not another. Remember we are framed /wired differently.
• Don't envy or give room for Jealousy. 
• You are not in a competition with others.
• Your journey is personal 
• Remain focused on your path.
• Mind your pace.
• Make no excuses make use of what you have no matter how little or insignificant it might seem to you..IT MATTERS.