ADDICTION

Lately, I have been eating mangoes and licking up the sweet juice. Yesterday was not an exception but that's not even the issue.

As a kid, I never liked mangoes and I could exchange five mangoes for an apple. It seemed I was the only person who never liked the fruit because everyone who knew that I hated mangoes usually wrinkled their brows at me.

I have stayed with people who love mangoes all my life from tertiary school to NYSC and beyond. I looked like the odd one so one fateful day, I decided to taste.

" Let me taste this mango that everybody eats "
I blurted.

The first day, I took half of it, folding my face with disgust. The second day, I licked one full mango. The next day, I took two, three and I am almost addicted to it now.

When I look back at my deep hatred for mango, I still can't believe I am the same person buying mangoes.

CAN I SHOCK YOU?
No matter how determined you are to stand for something, if you keep associating with people who stand against your belief, you will stand against your own belief in no time.

Don't beat your chest, claiming that you will never fall for that temptation. It's not just about feeling confident, you must be intentional about who you associate with. If you keep putting yourself in the wrong environment, it may affect your lifestyle.

For instance, if a man who isn't a smoker keeps hanging out with smokers every weekend, he is in for an addiction.

It all begins with this phrase - I AM THE ODD ONE HERE.

The scary beauty of addiction is that it begins with just a little. From one stick of cigarette to two to three to four until he becomes the master.

You may say you want to change bad people but trust me when I say that hanging out with them at clubs is a no no. They will change you instead. The irony is that you won't even know how it will happen but it will just happen.
You change bad people by speaking to them, saying a word of prayer and being a good example. When they see the light in you, something will minister to them about the need to change.

Ever wondered why dirty water makes a clean cup dirty and clean water becomes dirty when turned into a dirty cup? Dirt has a strong influence. No wonder the Holy Book says that evil communication corrupts good manners.

I never imagined that I will ever love mangoes but here I am, loving it more than the original lovers because I stayed around people who loved it. I only hope it has no side effect though.

If you don't understand what I have written so far, take this home- YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON WHO YOU FOLLOW AND WHERE YOU GO not just the moral values you stand for. If you miss the two, you would become addicted to what you never dreamt of.