Features
God bless our homeland Ghana
Watching some of the events on television which were part of the 13th African Games, I saw a few award ceremonies being performed for deserving athletes.
As part of the award ceremonies, National anthems were played for the winners of the various events at the award podium. While listening to the anthems being played a lot of thoughts, started running through my mind.
One of them was how blessed we are as a country, as our national anthem which is basically a prayer to God states. My wind went to a social media post I read and the narrative the writer gave concerning the tribal, religious harmony and the general peace we enjoy as a nation.
We are one of the few countries in West Africa that enjoy peace within a troubled region, rife with insecurity. We are one of the few countries within the sub-region with religious harmony such that Christians join Muslims in celebrating their holidays.
In our country, a Muslim chief Imam is on record to have donated funds towards the construction of a Christian Cathedral. It is common occurrence for Muslims to attend Christian programmes when invitations are extended to them.
In fact our current Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia who is a Muslim, frequently attends church programmes and quote the Bible as a demonstration of religious tolerance. In our second cycle schools, Muslims attend Christian schools and vice versa.
Such is the beauty of our religious tolerance. Riding in a taxi some time ago, a Muslim lady sitting beside me, wearing her hijab, was singing along with the Ga Christian song being played on the radio in the taxi. It was a sight to behold.
Some people always want to dwell on the negatives and tend to view the glass as half-empty instead of seeing it as half-full. Do we have incidences of violence or crime in this country?
The answer is yes but does that constitute a widespread insecurity in the country, clearly it is a big no. They say figures do not lie.
Check the crime statistics of countries across Africa and you would realise that God has answered our prayer of God bless our homeland Ghana.
In Nigeria recently, a school has been raided and hundreds of students kidnapped. Kidnapping is rampant but the regular Nigerian, is very proud of his or her country despite the challenges confronting their society.
This is what I would like Ghanaians to appreciate and adopt a positive attitude of patriotism for mother Ghana.
One of the issues which stuck in my mind was when the South African anthem was being played in honour of a South African athlete who had won the Gold medal in one of the events.
The South African anthem is in two parts, one part is in Swahili and the other part in English. After the Swahili part was played, for whatever the reason, it was truncated and the look on the face of the South African athlete was one of incredulity.
It was a look of a mixture of shock, disappointment and anger. This clearly was a display of patriotism for his country. This is what I am praying for, that every Ghanaian will develop this attitude towards the country.
We have so much in common and that is what we must focus on. Look at the way we inter marry. People from different tribes intermarry.
Fufu which is an Akan food is now one of the favourite meals for most Ghanaians. In fact, it is one of the favourite meals of the Oti region, formerly northern part of Volta Region.
Let us cherish what we have and be grateful to God that he has indeed blessed our homeland Ghana.
Laud Kissi- Mensah
Features
Emotional distortions: The hidden barriers to mental well-being
Emotional distortions are twisted or irrational thought patterns that can have a profound impact on our mental health and well-being.
These distortions can lead to negative emotions, unhealthy behaviours, and strained relationships.
In this article, we will explore the types, causes, and consequences of emotional distortions, as well as strategies for overcoming them.
Types of Emotional Distortions
1. All-or-Nothing Thinking: Seeing things in absolute terms.
2. Catastrophising: Exaggerating potential consequences.
3. Over generalisation: Making sweeping conclusions based on limited evidence.
4. Mind Reading: Assuming others’ thoughts or intentions.
5. Emotional Reasoning: Believing emotions reflect reality.
6. Should Statements: Imposing unrealistic expectations.
7. Labelling: Assigning negative labels to oneself or others.
8. Personalisation: Taking things too personally.
Causes of emotional distortions
1. Childhood experiences
2. Trauma
3. Stress
4. Social learning
5. Cultural influences
6. Genetic predisposition
Consequences of emotional distortions
1. Anxiety and depression
2. Relationship conflicts
3. Low self-esteem
4. Impaired decision-making
5. Substance abuse
6. Physical health problems
Overcoming emotional distortions
1. Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Identifying and challenging distortions.
2. Mindfulness: Practising self-awareness.
3. Self-Reflection: Examining thought patterns.
4. Journaling: Recording and analysing thoughts.
5. Seeking support: Consulting therapists or support groups.
Strategies for Maintaining Mental Well-being
1. Practice self-compassion.
2. Engage in physical activity.
3. Cultivate social connections.
4. Prioritise sleep and nutrition.
5. Seek professional help when needed.
Conclusion
Emotional distortions can have a profound impact on mental health, but they can be overcome. By recognising and challenging these distortions, individuals can develop healthier thought patterns, improve relationships, and enhance overall well-being.
_References_
– Beck, A. T. (1977). Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
– Burns, D. D. (1999). The Feeling Good Handbook.
– American Psychological Association. (2022). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
Features
Where are we rushing to?
Sometimes you wonder what is going on especially the period before Christmas, in terms of the road incidents.
Yesterday, heading towards town, on my way to lay a wreath on my late wife’s grave, on the anniversary of her burial, I saw cars ahead of me suddenly indicating that they want to move into the middle lane from the inner lane.
I then saw, as I inched along, the reason for moving into the middle lane. Apparently an Uber vehicle had hit the side of a Mercedes Benz car and they were arguing and trying to sort things out.
It was apparent that the cause of the incident was due to rushing to get ahead of the Benz. A few moments of patience from both drivers could have avoided that incident.
It just does not make sense that you are in so much of a hurry that you could not let reason prevail for one of you to exercise restraint, to allow the other vehicle to pass and now both of you are wasting precious time on the road, the very thing you were trying to avoid in the first place.
There is another aspect that is related to this rushing that has to be addressed. People are no longer willing to show empathy with others, such that for a driver to pause for another driver to pass to join the traffic or to cross to the other lane is becoming non-existent these days.
We seem to be selfish in most cases which then causes drivers to rush to join the traffic after waiting and waiting without any one giving him or her the opportunity to move to join the traffic. I was tempted to be callous by ignoring vehicles that wanted to cross from my right to join the opposite traffic coming from the Ghana Law School entrance toward Tema Station, earlier this week due to the behaviour of some drivers toward me.
However, I remembered that I was a Christian and a higher standard of empathy is required of me, so I paused for them to cross from the exit point of the filling station to join the traffic going in the opposite direction.
I nearly knocked down two people earlier this week due to their lack of safety I suppose or is it a lack of focus on the streets. I think safety education needs to be intensified because of what happened on Monday.
How on earth would anyone attempt to cross a road, in front of a vehicle when a traffic light has just shown green? It really beats my imagination but that was exactly what happened and how I did not kill her, is attributable only to divine intervention.
Shortly before this incident, I had narrowly avoided hitting another person, who also crossed in front of me when I was about to join a main road with traffic coming from my left side so I was focused on my left side.
A vehicle was ahead of me and so was waiting to move as soon as it moves. The vehicle moved and just as I was about to follow, this young lady just showed up at my right fender and again I would say it was only by divine intervention that she escaped either serious injury or even death.
The level of selfish considerations in the country is becoming alarming by the day and it is something that must be addressed. The normal Ghanaian attitude of tolerance towards each other is now gradually vanishing from our society and is very worrying.
People are becoming much more inward looking and if something is not going to benefit him or her, they are just not interested. There are a few people who still do what is right and they should be commended to continue the good works.
My advice to my fellow Ghanaians is that, let us stop this rushing when we are driving especially as Christmas is approaching so we can save ourselves from avoidable incidents. God bless.
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
