YOU ARE YOU!

How are you feeling today? Are you okay? Did you sleep well? Have you had something to fill the belly? Are the current times, taking you well or it has been a bashing all along? Do you need a hug? Do you want someone to talk to? Or do you want someone who can just listen to you & tell you everything is going to be alright? 

These may seem like just ordinary, normal questions but the gravity they have will surprise you. We tend to assume that we are all on the same boat & everything is rocking about calmly in the sea/ocean. What would surprise you is the lacking, hurting, confusion, despair, lost or the constant pain being felt all around. 

It may seem far-fetched but let me tell you, a lot of people are going through something inclusive of you & dealing with it is no easy feat. It is so easy to wear a mask & plaster a smile on your face to hide the pain on the inside or even seclude yourself from the prying eyes of the world. There is a lot of chaotic moments going round in each of us & we don't know what to do. 

A lot of mayhem has been unleashed into the world right now like the opening of the Pandora’s box that one does not even know where to begin. Why is life such a circus? Going up & down like a roller coaster out of control with no end in sight. We try to understand something but end up getting even more lost. I want you to know that no matter what you are going through, you are not alone. 

You are loved, you are treasured, you have a purpose on this sweet earth. It may not seem like it, as nothing is making sense & the world seems to be upside down but a light will shine in the dark of times. Remember that at no time in this life that you have not made it through situations which seemed beyond you, you are stronger than you think, more blessed than you know, more in control than you can imagine. 

It may look all scary because the future is looking bleak, days are glum, nights are long, opportunities are scarce, pockets are not jingling with coin & so forth. We are living in times that make us think that maybe, just maybe something is not okay with us. Or that lady luck doesn’t want to bestow upon you with her good graces. Or that fortune is not meant to favor you. 

Anyway, am not trying to put you down or to show you how messy life is just getting into a bit of reality check here & there. At least we have progress in the medical field in various countries to curb this migraine inducing pandemic that has been terrorizing us left, right & center (no pun intended). When our lives get turned upside down we tend to lose our mind because we get into the space of believing that there is definitely an error with our biological coding. 

This goes to the extent of us, asking ourselves if there is a problem with us. You are more likely to question yourself based on the very fact of how things turn out in your life. You need to understand that we are all different & thus our uniqueness on how we react to various situations that affect us directly or indirectly. What you can take from all this, is that never ever deem yourself unworthy just because you are different or you are not fortunate enough. 

In all your uniqueness, if you look deep down you will realize there is something that stands out about you amongst your peers. You could be a critical/analytical thinker, you could be a calculate person in your deeds, you could be an awesome researcher, you could be a smooth talker, you could be a superb cooking genius, you could be an avid reader, you could be a community oriented helper with a generous heart, you could be a formidable teacher, you could be a kind person, you could be a good listener & the list could go on & on. 

One way or the other, there is something that makes you different from the person next to you just like the front & back of a coin are not similar. Dare to be different as no one is like you & don’t worry even if things seem to be not in your favor.

 

 I would like you to pray, if you don't mind. Let's pray, "My Father up in heaven, I come before you as your beloved child. Dear God, I place before you myself. May you watch over me as I go about each day. Lord, I know that there is a lot happening in the world right now that has changed the course of how things work in our daily lives. I place myself into your able hand knowing that you are Jehovah Jireh, the provider of everything.  Father I know that all things work in the time that you choose for us, as your answer is yes, no or wait. Give me the patience & grace to know that you have got me. I pray Father that your will be manifested in me & that you shall guide my every step. Thank you Lord for being in my life, I do not take it for granted. I am alive, I am healthy, I have the use of my limbs, I am clothed, I have food to eat & I get to see a new sunrise each day. Be with me Lord & let your will be in my heart. Amen!!!

I DARE TO BE DIFFERENT!!!

Do you dare to be different? Or are you one who confirms to the common norms. I am not trying to become too much with my English. It is a conundrum of sorts that we are plagued into pitch black darkness not knowing where to turn. Lost in the abyss of our train of thoughts, taking in the mountain tops seeking for inner peace.

 Tik tok the wall clock chimes as the minutes pass by. One after another the hours pass by like the gust of wind beating on the sails of your merry boat. Away we go, as we forge forth into the unknown, swords at the ready not knowing if this is the day we breath our last. 

Will this be the beginning of good tides & leaps of joy or shall this be the horrific ending? The future continues to remain unknown as we struggle in our present times, evading our past. Who we are, becoming a nagging question at the back of our minds. 

It seems that the distant cries of those lost shall forever linger like a shadowy ghost over our heads. I scream, I shout, at times even yell & all around me, the looks are those of has lost his mind! Have I really gone bonkers or it is just me letting out what is tossing & turning deep within! 

We all get caught up with the societal norms that we forget our individual identity. Living in the shadows of others & hiding away who we are. I have been asked, why do you talk to yourself? Were you dropped when you were a small baby? Then in bewilderment I look back & say, “how dare you say that I have wires that have snapped”. 

All in all, I take a moment to reflect on the oddity of what has just been bluntly stated to me with unblinking eyes. Is it possible because of how I behave, that there could be a slim chance that I have some wires crossed/burnt in my medulla oblongata? Well, I will let you be the judge of that. 

What I do know for sure is that, we are many who have lost it to the extent that our behaviour does not mash up to the expected level of normalcy. Well, I will take each day as it comes not being sure of what the world has in store for me,  maybe I would be slapped unconsciously passing out in wonder. 

 It is quite common place to see the judgmental mentality while looking at someone & putting them down because they are not like you. We get so caught up with the, what will others think of me that you end up diluting your trueself. I am not saying that positive change should not be embraced but rather ensuer that hold onto our identity. 

Let me ask you, have you ever been in your social circle & you have gone to the extent of camouflaging how you are, to fit in? If you are one who takes two cups of tea you make it seem that one cup will do. Yet deep down, you are burning with the desire to quench your thirst but rather pretend to look more civilized. 

Or trying to dress up in the latest fashion so as to look hip, yet the wear you have has nothing wrong with it. Or at work, being the do it all whenever a favour is asked of you, yet you are struggling. Or purchasing that fancy car using a bank loan so that you can be seen to be one of them, yet the payments are crashing you. 

Or going to that fancy restuarant & taking up the bill for the whole group, yet you know that it will set you back financially for a couple months. This is not even an exhaustive list, but am assuming that you are getting the gist of what am trying to point out. 

Did you know that if you say a kind word to another, it will not finish your knowledge. Did you know that if you encourage others, it will not make you a lesser person. Did you know that if you trully support your friend's hustle, it will not close the tap of resources on your end. 

Did you know, if you are true to yourself, you would live a more happier & fulfilling life. Did you know, if you are honest about your opinions, it will make it clear to others what it is that you actually mean. Did you know if you are true of who you are, you won't have to put on a face to impress others. 

Did you know that when we deny the story, it defines us. When we own the story, we write a brand new ending. Did you also know no one can destroy iron, but its own rust. Likewise, no one can destroy a person, but ones own mindset. In taking all this in, you need to understand that you are more than just the physical being. 

You are not just an engine running on oil but a being of various complex components working together, ranging from flowing blood, the pumping heart, the distributing veins & arteries, the holding together flesh, the calculative brain & so on. In all that you do, remember that you are unique in all of your entertity.

I will leave you with this:

"God's timing, not mine! God's plan, not mine! God's will, not mine! God's Glory, not mine! God's word, not this world's!"