Inspirational Quotes for the WEEKEND

By Dr Charles Leyman Kachitsa

The story of creation is an amazing story. It appears simple to look down on to soil and imagine that God created the first man from it. Most significant, this becomes highlighted at funerals when the officiating minister administers the very last words as the departed is about to be lowered to the ground, to be buried as they would say, \’From the soil you came and to the soil you return\’.

It is in thinking about creation that it becomes amazing when two people; a man and woman, come up together in a union and attain the privileged position of conceiving a baby. Of course there are times this may be unintentional. In any case the very first day of knowing one is pregnant is a private matter only known to the prospective mother before it\’s shared to first, the spouse and then eventually the few people closest to them. As the days go on, the good news cannot be hidden to the public as it is all quite evident. Only in selected few cases there might be no knowledge by the prospective mother being aware that she is pregnant, nor it being visible to the public or others closer to her. It becomes a surprise closer to the birth of the baby at times as told by those who have had such an experience, as without the mother going through any labour pains the baby comes out.

As soon as a child is born he becomes not only the responsibility or \’property\’ of the parent or parents, but society in general. In fact though the parent or parents may feel they have control over the child, the truth is that control and responsibility of a new born baby who has just been ushered to the world is for the entire society. This perhaps is always the case from the time one is pregnant where others are fully aware, from the time it is known ideally on advancing where there is no turning back in preparing to so give society the life that make community to thrive.

The quotes this week are a final extraction from a book that talks about the balancing act of world resources in order to advance positive well-being of society in all aspects. I am sure that the selected quotes below from this book will enlighten you to one or two life lessons, read and enjoy:

THE WEALTH OF NATIONS by Adam Smith

\”In that rude state of society in which there is no division of labour, in which exchanges are seldom made, and in which every man provides everything for himself, it is not necessary that any stock should be accumulated or stored up beforehand in order to carry on the business of the society. Every man endeavours to supply by his own industry his own occasional wants as they occur. When he is hungry, he goes to the forest to hunt; when his coat is worn out, he clothes himself with the skin of the first large animal he kills; and when his hut begins to go to ruin, he repairs it, as well as he can, with the trees and the turf that are nearest it.\”

\”Though we frequently, therefore, express a person\’s revenue by the metal pieces which are annually paid to him, it is because the amount of those pieces regulates the extent of his power of purchasing, or the value of the goods which he can annually afford to consume. We will consider his revenue as consisting in this power of purchasing or consuming, and not in the pieces which convey it.\”

\”Over and above the expenses which are common to every branch of trade; such as the expense of house rent, the wages of servants, clerks, accountants, etc.; the expenses peculiar to a bank consist chiefly in two articles: first, in the expense of keeping at all times in its coffers, for answering the occasional demands of the holders of its notes, a large sum of money, of which it loses the interest; and, secondly, in the expense of replenishing those coffers as fast as they are emptied by answering such occasional demands.\”

\”Both productive and unproductive labourers, and those who do not labour at all, are all equally maintained by the annual produce of the land and labour of the country. This produce, how great soever, can never be infinite, but must have certain limits. According, therefore, as a smaller or greater proportion of it is any one year employed in maintaining unproductive hands, the more in the one case and the less in the other will remain for the productive, and the next year\’s produce will be greater or smaller accordingly; the whole annual produce, if we except the spontaneous productions of the earth, being the effect of productive labour.\”

\”It can seldom happen, indeed, that the circumstances of a great nation can be much affected either by the prodigality or misconduct of individuals; the profusion or imprudence of some being always more than compensated by the frugality and good conduct of others.\”