What emergency?

 A story is told of a certain John who went into the office of his HR Director, Ike, for a short discussion. When Ike asked John “What brings you here?” John said, “I have an emergency and hence I needed you to approve an IOU of GHC 4,500 to pay for the hospital fees. My wife is scheduled to deliver our first son a week from today.”

 Ike looked at John and asked him in the typical Ghanaian way, “You need the money for what emergency?” John responded, “I need the IOU to pay for the delivery fees of my wife who will be due for delivery in 7 days” he repeated.

 The HR Director looked at the man with a stern look and said, “you lack proper planning not money for an emergency that you have personally created.” John’s facial expression changed from a confident man to an expression of disgust like Luis Suarez after Uruguay’s game against  Ghana in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. John was visibly not happy with the statement made by his HR Director.

 Ike seeing that his internal customer wasn’t pleased decided to break down his statement into greater detail for John.  He said “John, you see, you impregnated your wife which you are aware of, you knew the result of the pregnancy was a baby to be delivered at a certain date. At a certain point during the pregnancy, you got a delivery date plus or minus two weeks and at that point, you knew how much you were going to pay for the two delivery options offered to you and madam, right? John responded “ Right.”

 Ike continues “So John, tell me, why on earth have you waited till 7 days to the delivery date to come to my office to ask for my approval for this IOU when you could have at least saved monthly towards the delivery because, from the answers, you knew that the baby was coming, the possible arrival date as well well as the amount to be paid to the hospital for the delivery” John was at the point dumbfounded (have you heard the social media voice over that says “It was at this point that he knew he f@&ked up!).

Most of us live our lives like John. We do not plan properly for activities ahead of us. We like life in whatever happens should happen. That is wrong. Imagine boarding a plane to Nairobi from Kotoka International Airport and then as soon as the plane takes off the pilot tells you that he will get you to Nairobi but he cannot tell you when he will get there and also which route he will have to take to get to the Jomo Kenyatta Airport but what he believes is that he will get you there.

I am sure most of us will ask ourselves why the heck did I board this particular plane and who the heck gave that pilot the license to pilot this plane if he does not know how to get to the destination and also has no knowledge of when he will get you there.

How many times have you asked people for money to support your activity (funeral, wedding, school fees, hostel fees, naming ceremony, etc) at the very last minute although you knew months ahead that, that expense was pending payment?

Let’s not wait until the last minute. Plan with actions to help you achieve the plan.

I told a colleague at work that I have a slogan I live by. The slogan is “make things happen” I told him that most of us “wait for things to happen”. People who make things happen, plan, look at possibilities, and take a look at the opportunities, trials, and wins ahead. John waited for things to happen to him which led him to ask for the emergency IOU rather than plan ahead and make things happen by saving ahead for the “big day” which is the day of the birth of his baby boy.

If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.

Have a good day.

 

Wofa Ampong Kwesi writes to share his life experiences to help you learn the lessons so you can live a better and fulfilled life. 

Think positive, be positive and stay blessed. 

Email the writer at wofaampongkwesi@gmail.com