The consequences of your actions don’t end with you

It is good you tell people the truth about their reckless lifestyles as well as your stand when reality hits home. I’m very vocal when it comes to telling those I consider friends and family the truth. 

Recently, a relative of mine who is into transport business and fully aware that Tramadol is a prohibited drug, chose to take the risk because he makes more money transporting the product.

Unfortunately, he was caught this time. My extended family members were on their toes running from pillar to post just to save him from going to jail for a long time.

This is why I often advice friends and family who are heavy smokers, alcoholics or into shady businesses to have enough money stashed in some accounts in case of emergency.

This emergency account is for life or set aside to buy a good health insurance policy with a reputable insurance company to cater for their financial needs once it gets real.

Let’s say you spend N10, 000 on alcohol and smoking every month, you should be able to save at least N20, 000 in that particular account on a monthly basis as well.

This savings will enable you take care of your health once the need arises as there are lots of diseases associated with living recklessly and they are not pocket-friendly.

If you are into armed robbery, scam or any fraudulent activities, save more than half of whatever you make. It is not funny or cheap when the long arm of the law catches up with you as a thief or fraudster.

The loot you save will go a long way to enable you hire the services of good lawyers to help keep you away from jail or get you a mild sentence.

After rocking your life, living it up and drinking it down, you don’t have the right to shift the burden of your misbehaviour to others for a crime they didn’t commit.

Save enough money for the consequences of your choices and the repercussions of your shady actions. Do not shift the burden of your legal representation to others or cry that family and friends abandoned you in your time of need because it will surely happen.

Friends and family didn’t ask you to indulge in crime to give them freebies, neither did they tie alcohol and cigarettes to your neck while you were living on the edge. They didn’t ask you to drive recklessly or physically assault people who irritate you.

I know an alcohol addict who wouldn’t listen to any voice of reason. He came down with kidney problem and was undergoing dialysis twice a week at the time. His siblings and parents were selling off properties to enable them pay for his dialysis. He was on 24 hours surveillance.

Guess what? He would always plead with his care givers to secretly just dip a finger inside any alcoholic drink and drop on his tongue. The same man, whose family is giving up so much to keep alive, was still looking for alcohol to drink. What do you make of such a human being?

When you are critically ill, in police net or prison, there’s 50% assurance you would likely not see me visit or contribute a dime if you were living on the edge and taking unnecessary risks in the past.

Bear this in mind, just because you did so much for friends and family when you had it all, does not guarantee you won’t be abandoned in your time of need. If you cannot do the time, do not do the crime. For every life style you have chosen comes with consequences.

This is not also to say people who didn’t live recklessly are not unfortunate to end up with deadly diseases, in police net or jail for other reasons. In life, things happen that one cannot easily explain. The bottom line is whatever you do should be done in moderation.

We see people crying daily of abandonment including fraudsters. Signs of reckless behavior include more interest in risky and dangerous activities, pushing things to the extreme, spending large amounts of money on a whim, or not thinking deep about the consequences of your actions until it’s too late.

People who repeatedly do reckless things may be said to be seeking a feeling of excitement. But for some, no risky behaviour ever seems to be exciting enough — no matter how thrilling it is.

Your own reckless behavior may seem minor to you, you don’t obey speed limits, traffic lights, driving extremely fast, drunk driving or picking fights with people who irritate you. You should know that living recklessly has consequences.

Choosing to engage in reckless behavior affects more people than just you, always have that in mind. It causes the people who care about you to worry. While your behavior is dangerous to you, it is also dangerous for others.

As humans, sometimes, we act irresponsibly once in a while but when it becomes a pattern of behavior it has taken a dangerous turn. Be deliberate about how you live, what you ingest and who you roll with. The consequences of your actions don’t end with you only.