Hello everyone in the wonderful hive family. I hope you are all doing great. Once again, I’m grateful to the hive learners’ community for their amazing initiatives.
The hive learners’ community has again presented us with an amazing topic; looking at your life presently, is there a proverb that can currently explain it? or is there a proverb that matches a real-life incident that happened to you? Please share it with us and tell us what you learned.
A proverb is a short, simple, or perceptive statement that expresses hidden truths or familiar experiences.
Africans are well-known for their proverbs; it is an important part of their culture that has been passed on from generation to generation for years. A lot of Africans, especially the village elders still use proverbs in their everyday speech.
Proverbs are used to deliver messages, pass information, celebration, impart knowledge, and teach morals. Proverbs can also be used to console or inspire others. The most important element of proverbs is the hidden truth in them.
Growing up, I didn’t get many chances to travel to my village. I’ve lived most of my life in the city. Fortunately, my grandmother used to visit of, and as an elderly person from the village, she knows a lot about proverbs. I remember my siblings and I used to beg my grandmother to tell us the meaning of some proverbs. We learned a lot from her. There is this proverb that my mom always says; early to bed early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
Early to bed early and to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise
Source
The proverb “early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise” means that when someone has a good sleep pattern, it’ll definitely have a good impact on the person’s physical health, and mental health, and career.
I grew up in a catholic family, where we celebrate mass every day (we go to church for service every day). My mum would tell us how she and her mum used to attend mass every day, they never missed a single day for a whole year. At first, we weren’t attending church every day, because where we lived was very far from the church. Everything changed when I turned 5, we built our own house, and fortunately, it was not too far from the church.
My mom started training us the way her parents (my grandparents) trained her. At first, it was not easy at all. Waking up by 5 am or 4:40 was not easy at all. My siblings and I loved watching movies at night. When it was exactly 8 am, my mom would come out of her room to switch off the television and she’d say “early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
We would take our baths, brush our teeth and get dressed for school. Then after church, we go to school directly. After a while, we got used to it. We started waking up without the alarm. I must say, it has really helped me and my siblings.
How this Proverb helped me cope during my final year in high school
I didn’t fully know the importance of the proverb and my mom’s training, not until I got to SSS3 (Senior Secondary School 3/ grade 12). In preparation for the WAEC (West African Examination Council) and NECO (National Examination Council) examinations, the school made it compulsory for SSS3 students to come to school before 6:30 am for morning lectures. I attended a catholic school and trust me when I say catholic schools are very strict. They despise it when students violate their rules. Anyone that failed to come for the morning lesson before 6:30 am, would be severely punished for the whole week.
I never missed the morning lectures, not even once. Do you know why? Because I was already used to sleeping early and waking up early.
Sleeping early and waking up early is a good pattern and healthy habit. Nigerians who live in Lagos will have a better understanding of these. A lot of Lagosian know the importance of waking up early. Lagos is a very busy place, and if you’re the type that sleeps around 2 am and wakes up around 11 am or 12 pm, then forget about working in a place like Lagos. For real. A friendly piece of advice; perish that idea.
Discipline yourself. Early rising is a very good habit. A person who sleeps early and rises early in the morning will have a healthy- and good-looking body, a wise and fresh mind filled with new ideas, and a successful career.
I’m sure a lot of us have heard the saying “health is wealth”. An early riser enjoys the fresh morning air. He/she can go out for a morning walk or do some exercises outside. Morning exercises put you in a better mood, help you sleep well, help you focus better, and lower your risk for certain diseases like diabetes. It also makes a person feel more energetic.
As I said early, Lagosians know the importance of early rising. A person who gets up early has a better start to the day’s work than someone who wakes up around 12 pm. When you wake up early, you get enough time to make plans and that’d definitely have an impact on your career (make you wealthy).
Source
Sleeping early and rising early is indispensable. Students who rise early have higher chances of being smart than the late comers.
What did I learn?
“EARLY TO BED AND EARLY TO RISE MAKES A MAN HEALTHY, WEALTHY, AND WISE.
I learned that early rising is important because;
It makes a man healthy
It makes a man wealthy
It makes a man wise
It will surely be of great importance in the future.