The power of encouragement, gratitude and kindness

When a child is born, the baby solely needs care from others to survive. When the end of one’s days on earth comes, no matter how rich or self-sufficient one has been, others will take care of the remains and help the body rest easy. No wonder an African proverb says, “even if you are rich, you cannot bury yourself.”

The birth and death scenarios show that humans need each other to survive and even to rest in peace. Unfortunately, selfishness, greed, corruption and many evils that hurt others are a way of life.

When selfish and corrupt individuals embezzle funds for education, healthcare or infrastructure development, it negatively affects the lives of those who are supposed to benefit.

Some people are too evil, as they have chosen hurting others as a way of life. For instance, murderers, rapists, thieves, con artists, corrupt politicians and civil servants. The evil men and women make the world seem to have many wicked people, and the good people fear to associate with them.

Those who realise that as humans, we need each other don’t do things that will hurt or derail the development of others. At the family, at work, at the communal level, local or national, we need each other to realize our dreams and potentials.

When you realise the power of others in your life, there is more enlightenment and life fulfilment. Learn to appreciate the people in your life. Some of them like parents; regardless of their situations, they played a central role in bringing you to this world. Have you ever expressed your gratitude to them? How do you remember and treat them?

We have friends who have helped us along the way to where we are now. Someone out of the blue tips you about a job opportunity, you applied and employed? Does it look like a divine connection? At times, we are discouraged, but someone close pushes us to keep going and not give up.

One of the most inspirational relationships we can relate to is the story of Ambassador Tony Togolani Mavura @tonytogolani and the late Adam Issara (May his soul rest in peace: he was an aide to Dr Jakaya Kikwete). First, it shows us the power of gratitude. While Adam passed away in January 2022, Ambassador Togolani reminded us that back in 2019, he wrote a charming message to his friend Adam on his birthday.

He acknowledged that he might not have become a public servant without the active encouragement of Adam when they were at the university. To cut a long story short, Adam “forced” him to write an application to join Foreign Affairs. Although he was pessimistic, but his friend was adamant he must try.

They both applied for the post, unfortunately only Togolani got the job. However, a year later, Togolani insisted Adam to apply for the posts advertised. Luckily, Adam finally joined his friend.

Such beautiful relations make the world a better place. When we encourage and show each other the right path, life becomes beautiful. Sometimes we forget to appreciate people who have been pivotal in our lives only to remember them after they are gone.

We are just “human”, values like encouragement, gratitude and kindness makes our world a better place. Some psychologists like Curry, O. S., et al., 2018, and Hui, B. P. H., et al. 2020 are convinced that “performing acts of generosity boosts happiness and well-being and is even linked to physical health benefits, including lower blood pressure”. Need I say more?

I pray that more Tanzanians would use encouragements, gratitude and kindness to make the world a better place. When this is replicated, it can turn around the situation of many people, making social and economical change massive.