I discover
that one magical moment is not enough to sustain life to the fullest. You will
need more of such moments. Here are a few for your personal elevation:-
1)
Know that you are here for a purpose.
Whether you are
religious or not, you cannot be a product of a fluke. If evolution has its way
unperturbed and un-steered, we will not be here. Period. I believe in an intervention that surpasses the natural law
of nature. Our divine benefactor has got it all set up like a Lego empire built from ground zero up.
Although some may die young and some may live until 120, we all came into this
world with a gift. And if we take the time to develop this gift and share it
with the world, the duration of our time here pales in comparison to the
enduring part we play in it. Even in our passing, we will be remembered not by
the dour inscription on our grave but by the indelible contribution we make in
our life.
2)
Know that tomorrow is innocent. This is a simple truth. Whatever
happens today, tomorrow doesn’t know about it. It doesn’t need to know.
Tomorrow is not a continuation of today. It is in fact a break from today. No
matter how shitty today is, tomorrow is a blank canvas. It is not contaminated
by what happened today. It is innocent. You can screw up big time today but
when the sun goes down and rises again, it is a brand new day. Whether you like
it or not, this new day gives you a fresh start and you can turn your life
around the moment dawn breaks. It is a discontinuity of opportunities and how
tomorrow turns up really depends on how you want to invest in it. So, let go of
what is holding you back today and make a clean break from it. It may take many
todays to finally call it quits and that
is understandable. But sooner or later, you have to let it go. And when you do,
when tomorrow finally comes with bated breath, take her by the hand and run
with her. Don’t look back. Take back your innocence and start all over.
3)
Know
that choices are still free. The last time I checked, free choices remained
free. Costless. It is also priceless.
I don’t need to tell you that you are what you are so far because of the
choices that you have made so far. Not one part of you can escape this fact.
Even not making a choice is making it by default. So, seen from this
perspective, when life hands you a shovel, you can either use it to dig your
own grave or build a firm foundation to stand upon. It all depends on you. You
see, your circumstances may change. They may deliberately gang up to make your
life difficult and even miserable. But what they cannot take from you is your
response to it. In my decades of living, I have learned one thing about school bullies…they
can’t stand it if you ignore them. They need attention. They will die without
it. This is the same with the metaphorical bully of circumstances. You can feed
it by giving it the attention it craves after. Or you can ignore it completely
and focus on points 1 and 2 above. Your choices, like a shovel, determine where you finally stand in life, that is, in a pit six feet under or on a
perched-up vantage point overlooking the boundless horizon. It’s really funny
how something so free can sometimes cost you everything or reward you with
everything you ever dreamed of.
4)
Know that love is still better than
like. Really, love
is better than like. If you love all the way, you will be hurt. There is no
doubt about it. Love hurts. But I can’t imagine a life barren of love. Can you? I may be naïve about this but
let me just get this off my chest. If you
love all the way, you will open more doors along the way. And these doors
will bring you closer to the true meaning of happiness and contentment in this
life. It is simply that magical because love is simply magical. Whether you are
a romantic or a stoic, love changes you, and more powerfully, it changes people
around you. A life lived to love, for love and by love is a life that turns to
gold everything it touches. No heart however cold can resist the thawing
effects (or affects) of a love that
devotes and gives unconditionally. There is in fact nothing more stubborn than
stubborn love. So, if you want to make a real, enduring difference in your
life, choose love affirmatively and not just like. I see the difference between them as a
cyclist facing two gradients. One is up slope and steep and the other is down
slope and smooth. Love takes the latter route and it goes much further in life.
Likes takes the former route and it is darn hard after a while. It is also
meaningless after some time. Poet John Keats once said, “Two souls with but a single thought, Two hearts that beat as one!” Now
that is how consuming love can be. And that surely makes all the difference.
5) Finally,
know that hope cures loneliness better
than human company. We can’t live without hope. It is what makes our future
possible. It is what keeps us alive. Cherish hope because for a man without, he
is merely existing and not truly living. I guess hope makes the journey with us,
regardless of how treacherous it can be. It arrives the same time we arrive on
earth. It grows as we grow. Every step of the way, hope walks astride. Even in the worse of times, when we cannot
find the courage and strength to go further, it is hope that prods us along.
Hope is a faithful friend in good or bad times. Nothing in this world can give
us greater mileage in life than hope. One wise man said, “Hope is the feeling we have that the feeling we have is not permanent.”
Indeed, every dark cloud has an expiry date and that expiry date will soon
pass. Hope has this uncanny ability to make us see beyond our pain and
disappointments. It may be a gentle nudge, a soft pat or a guided touch of the
chin, hope always has an understated but charming way of distracting us when we
need it most. Hope is magical because it brings out the magic of alternatives
before us. And with hope, our purpose is illuminated, our tomorrow awaits, our
choices are empowered, and our love is renewed afresh. There is no better
magical moment here and now than to live life with a true companion called hope.
Cheerz.
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