I have discovered five character traits that most Ghanaians share in common with Ghanaian politicians. We mostly identify them with politicians but forget that they happen to be the bane of our individual lives. They can be refereed to as the little foxes that drag progress in life. Enjoy the read.
Engage In Blame Game. Political parties in Ghana come into power with sweet promises but fail to deliver. Why? They spend precious time and energy blaming their predecessors for the mess they left behind rather than fixing them. For good four years, politicians sit on radio and apportion blames as to who did what. This disease of blaming others is not only akin to politicians. It transcends into homes, institutions, and even in personal lives. The father blames the wife for his children going wayward, the student blames his lecturers for getting bad grades, and certainly we blame the economy for bad financial choices. Blame games don’t solve problems. A careful study of successful people and nations reveals that they take full responsibility for what happens to their lives. Ones you see yourself as the one in charge, things begin to change.
Entitlement Mentality. One of the songs politicians like to sing is that ‘developed nations must come to our aid.’ It is a mindset that makes you think that the whole world owes you a living. But NO! You are on your own. Another backward entitlement mentality is the payment of reparation as a result of atrocities meted out to Africans during the slave era. This is just like a born again Christian running to the devil to ask him for restoration. The people who depend on others to survive in life, don’t get far. I believe the way to come out of this mentality is to learn from these same people how they got to where they are. Study and learn from the mentality of people who have made it in life.
Embrace Mediocrity. The Ghanaian politician is highly rated for mediocrity but scores poorly for excellence. National assets deteriorate within a short span of existence due to poor work done and maintenance culture. We are a nation that loves mediocrity and hate excellence. The people at the helm of affairs don’t think long term quality because they are trapped by a four-year-in-office-mandate-mentality. Even though excellence cost, it pays! My friend author and Business and Financial Times (B&FT) columnist Terry Mante wrote in his article The Spirit Of Excellence that, “Excellence is a LITTLE THING that makes a BIG DIFFERENCE.” Our personal attitude to things reflects the way the nation acts. If individuals like you and I embrace excellence, it will totally transform Ghana. Simple, we must be the best at whatever we do.
Enjoys Criticizing. When you listen to daily morning TV and Radio shows, you might think Ghana is on the brink of collapse. Opposition politicians talk as if the people in power have done virtually nothing. It seems when you are in opposition, you are blind to all good things. On the other hand, successful people are always busily thinking and acting in one way or the other to increase their fortunes. Unsuccessful people have time to criticize everyone except themselves. If there is anyone to criticize for where you are, it must be yourself. You must be angry at yourself and not politicians who are also bent on criticizing others. If you are uncomfortable at where you are, change it.
End With Broken Promises. Politicians talk big but do little. Because they entangle themselves with blame game, entitlement mentality, mediocrity, and criticizing. Life is full of principles. The more time you spend majoring in minor things, the more you lose focus on your daily goals and promises. Much is the same for our individual lives. The more you look at problems in Ghana, the more you magnify them and render your ability to solve them inferior. Many of us start the year right with resolutions but end with broken aspirations. We loose focus on our targets and achieve less because of bad habits. We must reclaim our passion and focus.
There you have! The five character traits most of us portray just like politicians in Ghana that inhibit reaching our maximum potential in life. You are your biggest enemy. The first and foremost person to deal with is not the economy, politicians, parents, friends, teacher but yourself. This article is a wake up call to all of us. Take an unbiased self-assessment and make changes.
