BEFORE YOU EMULATE YOUR PEERS

As a youth, many of the things you do are not purely results of your conviction but manifestation of the strongest influence on you. You get influenced by parents, teachers, clerics, celebrities and very importantly, your peers.

Because you spend a huge junk of your time with your peers, it’s important that you don’t get destructive influence from them by emulating their negative lifestyle. You can emulate lifestyle that will launch you into a great future as well as emulate one that will ruin your life. That’s  on Youth Mentor this week, why there is a crucial thing you should bear in mind before you emulate your peers.

Before you emulate your peers’ lifestyle be sure you want to end up where such lifestyle has led people and is still leading others. Like I explained in that post entitled, Securing your Future, your actions and inactions are the seeds for the future you will most certainly have. Don’t copy a lifestyle that will lead you to pains and regrets in future; just for the immediate result you get from it.

Please, understand that middle-aged men and women who are currently regretting their life never planned for it. Their life today happened on them as a result of their actions and inactions. That’s why you and I must be very careful with the lifestyle we emulate. Don’t emulate your peers just because of the result they have at present. Like seed, the fruit of destructive lifestyle takes time and season to grow and manifest. But when you look at those who led that kind of life in the past, you can easily tell the fruit of such life.

My brother, don’t be quick to emulate cultists, womanizers and thieves because they appear to be the happening guys today. They appear in the best clothes, use the best of phones and seem to be feared. But that’s only temporal! In my little life, I have seen people like that come crashing like a packed card. I am sure you don’t want to go through the pains of rising very high and crushing in shame. Many of the cultists who were happening then are currently happening only in prison. Some others have had termites happen on them six feet below sea level.

My sister, beware of your peers who show off money and gifts gotten from their sex escapades. They hang out with big men and come back to your hostel on weekend to show off money. Don’t be fooled! They lose what money can’t get them in their escapade. They sell their dignity. They expose themselves to all kind of dangers ranging from sickness to spiritual death.

Like they say, all that glitters is not gold. The fact that your peers can cheat in your exam and pass doesn’t mean it’s worth emulating. Exam malpractice can help you to get the best of result; but leave you empty-headed.  It takes only time for the foolishness of their lifestyle to become manifest. Don’t fall for it. You have a brain that can learn virtually anything you put your mind to. Please settle down and learn.

In the same vein, lifestyle that will lead you to a life of bliss may  not be popular now in your environment.  It may not be fashionable but if it’s the lifestyle that leads to a great future, free of regret, emulate it. Your peers are generous; emulate them. You will reap good measure shaken together! She is kind; emulate it. You will make many people smile.

Look out for your peers with good academic background and emulate their study habits.  It could help you overcome challenges posed by your defective academic upbringing. Your colleague who refuses to cheat his Oga doesn’t hate money! He has come to understand that whatever we sow, we must reap and is being careful to ensure he doesn’t sow the wrong seed. Emulate him.

Look out for peers who have chosen the path of fair dealing and honesty in business. They may not be making big money now but if they do not give up, in due season, God will come down to them with the reward of their good lifestyle. Your fellow apprentices or sales girl/boy who is cheating his boss is digging his grave without realizing it. It may take time for him to be swallowed by the grave he dug for himself; but he/she will surely be swallowed!

Don’t think it’s cool that your colleague can’t do their work until someone gives them lunch money. It’s wickedness! They may be taking fat lunch by cheating those they should serve; don’t even think they are enjoying. They are not! They are building up God’s anger against themselves. When it’s full, it will overflow and no money they saved can save them from God’s wrath! Do your work as unto the Lord; knowing that He, not Federal government or your company board is your Pay Master.

Please be careful to ensure that while emulating someone’s good lifestyle, you don’t copy the wrong one as well or reject a person’s good lifestyle because of the bad ones. Just get close enough to learn and emulate any good lifestyle you see; but stay far enough to avoid destructive one.

Bear in mind that emulating people is not same as changing your lifestyle and departure from your true identity. Emulating your peers is all about looking out for lifestyle others have that you don’t but need to make progress in your life, career or ministry.

What’s the point I have made today? You can’t escape from emulating your peers; however, in doing this please ensure you don’t emulate destructive lifestyle. Do your best to observe and imbibe lifestyle that will make you a better person.

Editors’ Note: Your comments, criticisms, commendations and questions on this post are welcome. Kindly, scroll down to see the comment box below drop your comment.