Steve Jobs and the Widow's Rocks

Steve Jobs narrated a story of a widowed man he had gotten to know in his eighties who lived up the street from him when he was a young boy.

One day the older man said to him, “come on into my garage, I want to show you something.” He pulled out a dusty and old rock tumbler that consisted of a motor and a coffee can with a little band between them, Jobs recollected.

He then invited him to the backyard where they collected some very regular and old ugly rocks. They put them in a can with a little bit of liquid and some grit powder. The old man then closed the can, turned the motor on and said, “come back tomorrow.”

Jobs remembered the can making a big racket as the stones went around in the can.

He came back the next day and when they opened the can and took out the rocks they were amazingly beautiful and polished. He states, “The same common stones that had gone in, through rubbing against each other like this (clapping his hands), creating a little bit of friction, creating a little bit of noise, had come out these beautiful polished rocks.” Teams, he states, are like these stones.

Individually we can be fairly normal, ordinary and even a bit rough. But through the process of teamwork we can end up in a very different state.

Jobs states that teams consisting of incredibly talented people who are passionate and are working hard towards something often times bump up against each other, argue, sometimes fight and make some noise. By working together they polish one another and their ideas and in the process create beautiful stones.

Have you built up enough trust on your teams to allow bumping up against one another and passionately arguing on occasion?

Passive, “follow the leader” types of teams are destined to fail. Each member of a team brings something unique. They are unique in their gifts, ideas and arguments. Team members must feel like they can express themselves without embarrassment or retribution.

Leaders who embrace the process of “tumbling stones” on their teams create more efficiency, better ideas, better problem solving and ultimately better teamwork.

The lion and the buffalo

 One day, a lion was watching a herd of buffalo feeding in an open field. He had attempted to attack in the past but he was no match for the strong buffalo with their sharp horns and hoofs.

The lion had lost hope, however he couldn’t keep away.

Hunger kept him from coming back.

One afternoon, the buffalo had an ugly fight.

This time when the lion came to watch them, he found them in separate corners of the field.

It was now easier than ever to attack the buffalo one at a time, which the lion did to his great delight.

 

Moral:

Regardless of our differences, we must strive together shoulder to shoulder to work together. There is strength in unity.

United we stand, divided we fall.

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts – African proverb.

The pig and the chicken

 One sunny day a pig and a chicken were walking down a long road into town. As they were passing one of the local restaurants, the chicken turned to the pig and said, “I have an idea. How about we open up a restaurant?” The pig agreed that was a great idea!

“What will we serve at our restaurant?” the pig asked. “Ham and eggs of course!” said the chicken.

“Whoa, not so fast Mr. Chicken,” said the pig. “While you’re simply making a contribution, I’m making a real commitment!”

 

Moral:

This highlights something significantly wrong on many teams –the issue of commitment. Commitment is not simply a contribution or two, but instead a deep dedicated loyalty to the team and its vision and goals.

Teamwork: Tale of 2 donkeys

Once upon a time there were two donkey’s who had never met but they were tied together. On both side were two nice yummy flowers. They both wanted to eat off the bushes by the flowers but the rope wasn’t long enough.

They both really wanted to eat but they just couldn’t reach so they just pulled and pulled hoping that the rope would stretch but it wouldn’t. They pulled and pulled but still in the same place and they tried again and again.

They pulled and pulled until they gave in.

The donkeys just gave up and fell in a big heep.

They tried to break free but it didn’t work.

Because they couldn’t reach either ends of the flowers, the donkey just sat and introduced each other properly and tried to think of a way to get to the food and eat.

Then one suddenly clicked and said “now that were friends why don’t we just stand next to each other and take turns”, so they did.

Then they both decided to eat the same bush together, and once they finished that, they would eat the second on .

They decided they’d eaten all they could from the other bush so they moved to the next and carried on all day. Both donkeys were happy they worked together to eat.

Moral:

Team work. Yes we can together.

Even the bible says 'can two walk together unless they agree...?'

Compromise when two people are pulling in opposite directions. Much more will then be accomplished and both will be winners. It will be a win-win for both parties and not a lose-lose.

The man, the wife, the donkey and the Critics

A man and her wife were once going with their donkey to market. As they were walking along by his side a countryman passed them and said, "You fools, what is a donkey for but to ride upon?" So the man and her wife ride on the donkey, and they went on their way.

But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said, "Aren't you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey of yours -- you and your wife?"

So the man ordered her wife to get a ride,
But they hadn't gone far when they passed two men, one of whom said to the other, “ stupid man he should ride because he is the boss, not her wife”

So he ordered her wife to go down and he got a ride.
But they hadn't gone far when they passed two men, one of whom said to the other, “ what a selfish man! he should be kind to his wife”

So the man and her wife got off and tried to think what to do. They thought and they thought, until at last they cut down a pole, tied the donkey's feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to their shoulders. They went along amid the laughter of all who met them until they came to a bridge, when the donkey, getting one of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the wife to drop his end of the pole. In the struggle, the donkey fell over the bridge, and his fore-feet being tied together, he was drowned.

Moral:

1.      You cannot please everybody. Whatever you do, there will be people who will criticize you, so just do what you believe is right, and don't be distracted by criticisms.

2.     The great lesson of life is to be true to ourselves and not trying to please everyone else’s idea of what and who we should be.

3.     We must always start with who we are if our goal is greatness. Once we have the courage to be real we can’t be ugly either.

4.       It is finding the courage to risk being an authentic person that is the challenge. We are afraid to let go of our protective devices for fear of rejection and loss when just the opposite is the truth.

The man, the wife, the donkey and the society

 An old man, his wife and a donkey were going to town. His wife rode on the donkey and the old man walked. As they went along, they passed some people who remarked it was a shame the old man was walking and his wife was riding. The man and his wife thought maybe the critics were right, so they changed positions.

Then, later, they passed some people who remarked, "What a shame, he makes his wife walk." So they then decided they'd both walk!

Soon they passed some more people who thought they were fools to walk when they had a decent donkey to ride. So, they both rode the donkey. 

Now they passed some people who shamed them by saying how awful to put such a load on a poor donkey.

The woman and her husband figured they were probably right, so they decided to carry the donkey. As they crossed the bridge, they lost their grip on the animal and he fell into the river and drowned.

The moral of the story: 

If you try to please everyone, you might as well... Kiss your “donkey" goodbye! And even this ending won’t please everyone.

50 Hilarious African Proverbs By Pete Edochie

Pete Edochie is one the very few actors in Nigeria who can be referred to as legends. He is often cast as a king, chief, elder or father figure in his movies. This is probably why he is considered as ‘the wisest man’ in Nollywood.

Pete Edochie is a Nigerian actor who is known for the numerous proverbs and quotes he drops while acting. He is a veteran actor that would always be remembered for his informative and hilarious proverbs and quotes.

He is considered to be one of the most talented actors in Africa; he played the lead role in an NTA adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart in the 1980s and has remained active in the industry since then. The talented actor has many awards in his name as a result of his good works and dedication in the movie industry.

Some of the quotes that would be shared here are quotes dropped by the actor in his movies. It is impossible for this great man to play a role without dropping quotes and proverbs in the process.

If you are a fan of Nollywood films, then you must have seen him playing the role of either a king, chief or revered elder. These roles have become so synonymous with him that memes have been made with people creating proverbs he is likely to say in his films.

Pete Edochie is arguably one of Africa’s veteran actors and one of the best Nollywood actors of all time. His impeccable diction, unparalleled acting, and his ever-intimidating presence in his movies has not only earned him so many awards but kept him consistently in demand all these years.

Known for giving proverbs in his movies, interviews, and any chance he gets, Pete Edochie’s proverbs have become a norm on Nigerian social media, thanks to the many memes, and even social media accounts dedicated to Pete Edochie’s proverbs. However, below are the best Pete Edochie proverbs from social media and some are hilarious but purely African proverbs and he used some in his movies, as part of his lines. 

• • “No African girl will choose six packs over six cars. So my sons stop the gym and work hard”.
  • “Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there’s no river”.
  • “Beware of the naked man who offers you clothes”.
  • “The death of a lion cannot be announced by a goat”.“When one’s goat get missing, the aroma of a neighbour’s soup get suspicious”.

• “Never fight a man under GRACE because the GRACE he carry will DISGRACE you”.
• “The future belongs to the Risk takers, Not the Comfort seekers”.
• “The words of the elders do not lock all the doors; they leave the right door open”.
• “A deaf husband and a blind wife are always a happy couple”.
• “Coca-Cola only sold 25 bottles the first year but kept going. Never give up”.
• “Let not what you cannot do tear you from what you can do”.
• “A child who asks questions does not become a fool”.
• “The first person you think of in the morning, or last person you think of at night, is either the cause of your happiness or your pain”.
• “Be careful who you trust! Salt and Sugar are both white”.
• “To Make A Difference In Someone’s Life, You Don’t Have To Be Brilliant, Rich, Beautiful, Or Perfect. You Just Have To Care”.
• “Kindness is like butter, it works best when you spread it around”.
• “The walls don’t only have ears, they now see”.
• “The leopard is beautiful but has a bad heart”.
• “Everybody is a nobody trying to be somebody”.
• “A real wife cooks well, is caring, doesn’t lie, doesn’t cheat and doesn’t exist”.
• “Fake hair, fake nails, fake eyelashes, artificial face and sometimes fake behaviour, yet a woman will say she needs a real man”.
• “Never open the door for an Armed Robber, let them break it, it’s part of their job”.
• “Sometimes you have to play the role of a fool to fool the fools who thinks they are fooling you”.
• “A girl may never get married if she waits for the “PERFECT MAN”.
• “One Man’s food is every other man’s food, just because one idiot refuses to eat it doesn’t make it poison”.
• “If you have a mum, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been”.
• “The only person that reads the terms & conditions is the one who writes it”.
• “The chief who doesn’t know what to say says that his friend has said what he would have said”.
• “Just because you met them at the church doesn’t mean they’re the one, Demons go to church too”.
• “Here’s all you have to know about men & women: women are crazy, men are stupid. And the main reason women are crazy is that men are stupid”.
• “No matter how long the night! the day is sure to come”.
• “A woman’s greatest perfume is the fragrance of her man’s success”.
• “A wise person knows that there is something to be learned from everyone”.
• “It requires wisdom to understand wisdom; the music is nothing if the audience is deaf”.
• “No matter how rich you are, you cannot pay for your sins”.
• “No matter how dark the room is, a man will always find his way to the woman’s breast”.
• “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win”.
• “Give them a chair if they can’t stand your Success”.
• “Be careful about the rumours you hear about a lady, it either comes from a man who can’t have her or a lady who can’t compete with her”.
• “If we must build Nigeria, then we must put Nigeria first not politics, not religion, not ethnicity or sentiments but the development of Nigeria”.
• “None of us is as smart as all of us, work together achieve more”.
• “Without a leader, black ants are confused”.

Some of these memes make sense while other are just plain silly.
See 10 of them below:
1. The one about wedding guests

2. The one about coconut

3. The one about corned beef

4. The one about marriage

5. The one about trust issues

6. The one about Eba and greatness

7. The one about ‘grass’

8. The one about pregnancy

9. The one about mangoes

10. The one about beauty and brains

11. The Quote On Body Parts

No matter how dark a room is, a man would always find his way to a woman’s breast.

12. The Eba Quote

This is definitely hilarious.

13. The One On Stupidity

This is a special shout out to those who would never stop displaying their ignorance and stupidity.

14. You Are Wasting Your Time

This is something you would never find so do not eve bother.

15. This Is The African Way

Threesome is not an option here; a man who truly loves you would never think of sharing you with friends.

16. A Quote On Being Smart

Time waits for no one; it is important for you to do the right thing at the right time.

17. A Super Hilarious Quote On Food

In this part of the world, it is bad manners for a child to eat the meat before the main food. The meat on the food is your reward, it should be slowly eaten and enjoyed.

18. The Jollof Rice Quote’

You basically do not want to get your hosts angry. There is no party if there is no jollof rice.

19. Finding A Correlation Between Garri And Poverty

This is definitely funny; the expression is perfect.

20. The Quote On Marriage

What exactly are you expecting? In fact, the concoction would be your breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

21. Still On Food

You know how important jollof rice is to Nigerians; if you host a party without adding this food, your party is a big joke.

22. Hahahaha

Indeed, there are some chores that you would have to do by yourself no matter the position you hold.

23. Funny But True

This is beyond hilarious. Taking a risk as big as that mean the person has a plan B.

24. This Is A Dare

This is a big dare; even though it a quote there is a life lesson to be learnt from it.

25. This Is A Warning

As funny as this quote is, it is a charge for those who are not patient.

26. A Quote Aimed At Cautioning People

This is a special word of advice for those who tend to take people and the opportunities they present for granted.