It's the first of December - precisely one year since I completed my first draft of my first book, Messages from the Morning Man.

To commemorate this, I would like to do two things: First, we're having a sale. For December only, you can buy a copy of Messages from the Morning Man from selected outlets at whopping discounts! We've slashed prices on the hard cover version from GHC50 to GHC35, and chopped the paperback prices down from GHC30 to GHC20. Go to our specially created facebook page, Messages from the Morning Man for more details of how to get your special discount copies, or pick one up from the front desk of Joy FM. It's the perfect Christmas present!

The second thing I would like to do in commemoration of this special milestone, is to share with you one of my favourite messages from  the book. It's one of my earliest stories, and it got such positive feedback, which really spurred me on to keep writing despite the difficulties. So for the second time ever, and for all of you, my loyal friends, here's "Cracks".

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Today's message will be short.

Imagine you're a guest in my house. I come out of the kitchen with some tea. There are several  handmade mugs of tea on the tray and you pick one. After a few sips, you notice that there is a crack on the handle of the mug. What would you do? Would you try to swap your mug for another on the tray that doesn't have a cracked handle, or would you just grip  the mug you're already sipping from with two hands instead of one, and continue to enjoy my (rather expertly brewed) tea? I'm sure many of us would just keep sipping. After all, the tea is good, and the mug can still hold its content in spite of the cracked handle, right?

Now, imagine this instead. You're a guest in my house, and we're in the kitchen. I've just made a pot of (my award-winning) tea, and I ask you to fetch a mug from the cabinet so I can pour you some. You look in the cabinet see two handmade mugs. One of them has a cracked handle, but the other one doesn't. Which would you pick? Of course you'd go for the one without a crack, wouldn't you? I know I probably would.

Now, the thought I would like to share with you today is this: All people are like handmade mugs, and their true essence, spirit and character is like the tea within them. None of us is perfect, and some of us even have cracks. If you could see people's flaws upfront, you would never have anything to do with the cracked ones. But when you start experiencing what is inside them before you notice their flaws, it doesn't make as much difference, does it? You adjust, and continue sipping their rich content.

Today, I want you to take a second look at the cracked ones in your life. They may be outwardly flawed, but they can still hold as much well brewed content as the ones with no visible cracks. Just take a sip, and if you like what's within, then don't discard them. Simply adjust your grip, and enjoy your tea.

My name is Kojo Yankson, and I have cracks, so just hold me with both hands, and keep sipping.

GOOD MORNING, GHANAFO!