‘Give me fire and I will give you light’

loyalty and respect: Let us refer to one of the Einstein’s theories. “Well-being and happiness never appeared to me as absolute aims.

I am more inclined to compare such moral aims to the ambitions of a pig.

Only a life lived for others is worth living”.

There is a great sense of satisfaction felt when you do good for others.

When you hold power, you must be conscious of others’ sorrows. You will then automatically be granted more power and respect.

The citizens of Sri Lanka are very faithful. They understand that in today’s world power and money are temporary.

Even though you lose your money one day, if you have helped them in someway, they will always be loyal towards you.

When talking about your work environment, you may be the best worker and receive a promotion. But if you misuse your new position, your staff will reject you and refuse to work under you. One talented individual is not enough to run a business empire.

He needs a committed and talented team. Pocessing power means nothing if you do not pocess human qualities.

Remember, loyalty and respect can never be easily earned.

Even when you take the normal case of a family, the man of the house will never be given respect if he verbally or physically abuses his family.

The man’s position as the powerful member of the family will be forgotten due to his unacceptable behaviour.

We elect a President, when we believe and trust that we can place our nation in his/her hands. Similarly as citizens we too have the power to protect our nation.

For instance, when you walk around the country you will see people, houses, school walls, walls of national landmarks being graffitied.

When these people go on their escapades to ruin the environment, a bystander has the power to stop them. Their friends have the ability to advise them.

Yet none of the above happens. So they remain unshaken and uneducated.

Knowledge is power.

When you see wrong incidents inform the person involved your opinion.

Influencing people to learn, teaching someone, inspiring people can help society in more ways than one.

Last week a boy came upto me and asked if I knew “X”.

I said yes, then the boy started rambling some absurd and sick statements about this 15 year old innocent girl. All the statements he was making were untrue as I knew the girl and her family very well.

I listened patiently and then started scolding him saying that he was a jobless liar and asked him whether he would like it if someone went around saying malicious lies about his own sister that way.

He was shocked as his plan totally backfired on him.

I believe that he learned a very valuable lesson that day.

If you don’t have anything good to say about anyone, don’t say anything at all.

At that moment, I used my power to speak my mind.

If I had remained silent during that incident, that innocent girl’s character and reputation would have been unfairly ruined. Try and keep this Arabic teaching in your mind. “Give me fire and I will give you light”.

If you are able to take other people’s burdens into your hands and help them , you will be truly doing a great service to mankind.

If you find yourself under the influence of alcohol or tobacco, use your mind power to stop your addiction.

Mind over matter is the key thought to remember.

Think about the harm it will do to your health, your well-being will not only affect your life it will affect the lives of your loved ones too.

Fight the seduction of alcohol and tobacco. There is a life worth living and worth experiencing. You hold the power. You are more powerful than alcohol. You are more powerful than tobacco.

This Sinhala and Tamil New Year we should use the power of love and invite Muslim and Catholic citizens to join in our celebrations .

We all are Sri Lankans. The battle of the races has to stop. The power lies in each and every Sri Lankans hands, use it.

Imagine how wonderful it would be if all of us put aside our religions and welcome the Sri Lankan New Year to the sound of the Raban. Learn to use and not abuse your power as a citizen of Lanka towards the betterment of our nation.