•By National President, RSS Old Students Association
I am very honoured to have been invited to share this special occasion of the 40th anniversary of your graduation from our great Remo Secondary School with you. Life they say, begins at 40, so I can safety say, you are a set of young and vibrant men and women!
It was only a short while ago, when you all stood, in the presence of parents, teachers, juniors and well
wishers as you celebrated your graduation from our great alma mater – Remo Secondary School. It was a time of new beginnings, infectious imaginations and powerful energy. Today, it is not different, we are all here in the strength of those visions howbeit to rekindle new vigour, fresh beginnings and greater
imaginations.
My seniors, the dynamics of life can be peculiar – while we tend to see ourselves turning old as we clod
different milestones, sometimes we fail to see the opportunities presented before us for a fresh start and
increased exploits. Our mind-set is key. Faith and vision are the game changers and these two attributes are not associated with age. You can only be as old as you feel and believe. For instance, Abraham was 75 years of age when the lord God said to him “leave your father’s house to a land I will show you”. Today, he is the Father of faith and of his spiritual heritage, millions have partaken.
Some here today are grandparents while others will become one in a while however, I have not come here today to remind you of how old you are rather, I come bearing the golden message of renewed youth and increased strength for greater exploits. My young seniors, Life has just begun!
Seniors, Forty years may seem to have breezed by in a heartbeat, however it gives us wisdom and a unique vantage point in understanding the crescendos of life. We all have experienced the joys, uphill, downhill, achievements and failures in life but we must not just look at the past, instead, we must draw from our past experiences the determination, strength, wisdom needed to navigate the next forty years. We must move stealthily with a renewed passion, inspiration and vigour to see a new level of development and growth of our alma mater, to take Remo Secondary School to a new level.
Your inspiration will be a reference point to other sets following because you have not relaxed with age
rather you have forged a new record, delivered a new breaking point, an unparalleled contribution to our great school to which all other sets must strive to achieve.
To achieve this success, we must direct our attention and hearts to 40 guiding lessons which I will mention briefly:
(1) BUILD YOUR MARRIAGE TO OUTLAST YOUR CHILDREN
Now that majority of us are in our 60s, romance gave us children, and our children tend to steal our romance. Now more than ever, we must devout ourselves to romance with our partners. Take time out together.
(2) FORGIVE
AND FORGET
Bryant Mcgill said “There is no love without forgiveness and no forgiveness without love”. We must forgive all offences and grievous actions to have an enjoyable future with our spouses. Don’t keep score of wrongs.
Pay attention to the little things
Marriage cannot thrive on left over attention, it has to get the best effort. It is the little things that help make us, define and when we look back on them, we realize how truly blessed we are.
(4) BE TRANSPARENT
Share your heart with your spouse. The best opportunity for intimacy happens when you are fully known and fully loved. The more open and honest you are with your spouse, the stronger your relationship will be.
(5) LOVE CONTINUALLY
Mignon Mclaughlin said “A successful marriage involves falling in love many times, always with the same person.
(6) NET WORTH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN INCOME
How much you make is not as important as how much you have.
(7) INVEST IN YOURSELF
Learning, mastering a skill, starting a business, all these investments can have a huge impact on your long-term financial situation.
(8) BUILD WEALTH THROUGH PASSIVE INCOME
Put your investments in income- generating assets. Create a business or asset that generates money with little to no effort on your part.
(9) PRIORITIZE
Know your priorities. Save on things that aren’t that important to you and you’ll have enough to spend on the things that are important.
(10) IT’S OKTO ENJOY YOUR MONEY
Enjoyyourmoneywithin reason and balance.
(11) IGNITE NEW FRIENDSHIPS
Woodrow Wilson said “Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together”. Now, much more than ever, we must invest in friendships and not enmity.
(12) GENUINE CARE FOR OTHERS
Genuine care inspire trust. On this, relationships can be built. Help each other. This strengthens your bond and together, you can achieve great things.
(13) RE-EVALUATE YOUR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS
Dan Buettner said “The people you surround yourself with, influence your behaviours, so choose friends who have healthy habits.”
(14) THE MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP IS THE ONE WITH YOURSELF
Without a positive relationship with yourself, every other relationship in your life will suffer. It always starts with you.
(15) MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
You are responsible for maintaining your physical and mental health. Don’ttake itfor granted.
(16) PERSONAL FITNESS
Iinvest a lot of effort into your diet, eat healthy foods, balanced diet and exercise daily.Be kindtoyour body and itwill be kind to you.
(17) MENTAL & PHYSICAL REST
Take a lot of rest and reduce worry. One out of every three Nigerians is said to be at risk of hypertension as at 202l.
(18) HYDRATE WITH VARIETY OF WATER OPTIONS:
Drink cold water, warm water, mineral water, coconut water and other healthy variants as often as you can.
(19) POSITIVE VIBES ONLY
Negativities affect your health, think positively and maintain positive confessions and words.
(20) WALK OFTEN
Take evening strolls. Don’t sit down all the time, ensure bodily movements often.
(21) COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CHILDREN
Establish a strong channel of close communication with your children. Marvin Ashton said “Proper communication will always be a main ingredient for building family solidarity and permanence”.
(22) PRAY FOR YOUR CHILDREN
Be intentional in praying for your children daily and not only when there are challenges.
(23) SPENDING QUALITY TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY
Don’t just spend time but quality time with your loved ones.
.
(24) Realize the joy that comes from helping your spouse and children excel in their fields of interest and enjoy themselves.
(25) Develop within your family a sense of obligation to help others.
(26) OLDER PEOPLE DON’T STOP GROWING
As we plan towards retirement, taking up new hobbies or learning new skills in your retirement years are ideal ways to keep your mind and body active. It’s never too late to learn.
(27) START SAVING FOR RETIREMENT AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE
Retirement may seem like a long way off and it can be tempting to put funds into other areas. During a survey of retirees, they all said they should have started saving for retirement nearly a decade earlier than they did.
(28) RETIREMENT IS NOT A DECLINE, PLAN FOR IT
Many people today spend 20, 30 or even 40 years in retirement. Retirement is no longer considered a downward cycling of life but a long period in which to create an exciting new chapter for ourselves.
(31) FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE IS THE GOAL
Once, the goal of retirement planning was to accumulate enough money to be able to retire, leave work and focus on leisure. Today, the goal is often to achieve financial independence while continuingto engage in work thatwe love.
(32) UPDATE ALL DOCUMENTATION
Many people have not declared or updated beneficiaries of their retirement pensions, and other income streams. It is also important to draft your will.
(33) VISION
It’s a season of new beginnings, we need new vision, inspiration, ignited passion to establish changes in our lives, businesses and also to take RSS to another level. This renewed vision will be the driving force to leave an inimitable legacy for others to follow.
(34) REBUILD RELATIONSIBILITY
A common saying is that relationship is wealth. In forty years, there are many who have drifted apart in this set. It is time to rebuild all distant relationships, reaching out to others who have left the fold. Relationships are not based on the length of time you’ve spent together, it is based on the foundation you’ve built together and I can say, indeed RSS has given us all a great foundation, let us build on it.
(35) TAKE THE LEAP
There still remains much more to be achieved in RSS, RSSOSA and our various businesses. Don’t spend too much time thinking about “what ifs”, We need to act NOW.
(36) TAKE RES ONSIBILIT
We must see ourselves in the place of responsibility for every action and decisions that ought to be implemented. We don’t wait for others to do it, we take up the responsibility and get itdone.
control is you. So focus on making yourself who you wantto be: Faster. Stronger. Smarter.
(39) YOU ARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Ghandi said: “Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become you r ha bits,
Your habits become your values, Yourvalues become your destiny.”
(38) NO ROOM
FOR EXCUSES
Excuses only sound good to the person making them. The only way to truly become the person you want to be is by acting in the way that person will act; starting right now. ACT in the now.
39 IMPACT LIVES
When your motive is always to impact and improve the quality of lives, then your projects will outlive you both physically and also in the hearts of men.
(40) AGE IS ONLY A NUMBER
You are only as old as you feel! In conclusion, every experience we pass through presents to us an opportunity to learn. We only truly fail when we decide to give up instead of finding another way. Don’t compromise your values and stay true to yourself.
My young seniors, I implore you to trade with these 40 lessons of life as you journey into your golden jubilee; 50 years after graduation from Remo Secondary School Sagamu. God bless Remo Secondary School, God bless Remo Secondary School Old Student Association. God bless you all. Up School! Up RSS! Up School! Up RSS!! For God and Fatherland Up School! Up RSS!!!
Thank you
