THE 6 P'S OF JOSEPH'S LIFE CYCLE

 

Storytelling has been a centuries-old form of preserving and transferring values, principles and ethics to guide generations throughout their affairs in life. This act of storytelling can be sourced from different fields: myths, religion, fiction, etc.

Speaking of religion, the Christian religion is one of the religions in which enriching stories are told in its holy book called THE BIBLE.

There are series of stories about the lives of people (usually addressed as the bible heroes) from the lives of Adam & Eve to Abraham to Deborah to Esther and the rest.

The stories of each of these bible heroes serve as an embodiment of principles waiting to be cracked open by the discerning/critical minds on earth.

In this piece, life lessons and principles were mined from the story of Joseph by a growth partner called McHeney Patricks. He identified what he tagged the 6 P's of Joseph's Life Cycle and how it relates to modern life.

They are:

• His Parents' House
• The Pit
• Potiphar's House
• Prison
• The Palace
• The Place

1. His Parents' House:

While he was in his parents' house, he didn't handle his season of a promising future well. Imagine bragging to his elder brothers and telling his parents that they would bow to him. He failed to apply discretion hence, instead of seeing the fingers that fed him, he started seeing goat bones- which amplified the hatred from his brothers. 

Lesson: Your season of excitement can either make you humble or arrogant. Ensure you apply discretion and stay humbled no matter your state of optimism.

2. The Pit: 

This was a do or die season for Joseph. He didn't know what was going to happen next. His death or existence was dependent on fate. But he eventually lived.

3. Potiphar's House:

He felt like he had arrived and probably thought that was his destiny, he being in charge of the slaves. But no, that was just a bus stop. Potiphar's wife's attempt on him further teaches a very important lesson.

Lesson: When you get to the point where you think you have arrived, people would always want a piece of you, not just a piece of your success. If you're not careful of the god-syndrome that accompanies this phase, something will fall you down. God will not stop you from doing good, but wisdom is profitable to direct.

Let's assume you're on level 10, you can't help another person to be on that same level except you elevated to levels higher than your current level. In other words, you can only help another to rise above their current state but still a level lower than yours.

This therefore means that to become more successful, you have to go beyond the level of consistency to the level of increasing your capacity. It's like drawing a circle. If you want a bigger circle, you expand your hand.

4. Prison:

At this point, Joseph was humbled and he learnt.

Lesson: This is a trying period where people always learn humility and how to relate with people. Then...

5. The Palace:

Here, there is abundance and destiny is being fulfilled. But there is a caveat.

6. The Place:

Before Joseph died, he instructed that his bones be taken back to Israel and buried there. He remembered his root.

Lesson: In whatever you do, you must remember your maker/source. This is the starting, ending and only consistent factor in your life-and all your seasons.

When we die, we return to our maker.

Storytelling, no matter how old, never goes out of style. It is and continues to be a trusted vehicle to infuse wit in the minds of the simple and shove wisdom down the throat of the stiff-necked.