When I was less than 10, I used to envy my uncles, aunts and siblings. It looked like they had it all; at least they could afford to buy me biscuits, “suya” (Nigerian barbeque), drinks, and take me out. It was a good time whenever my elder brother came home.
How I wished I was all grown up like them so I could also have what they had. I loved the fact that they drove, went out without mom or dad being with them, and I liked the freedom they had.
I could not wait to get out of primary school and into secondary school and even when I got into secondary school, my eyes were on moving on to the University. It was not any different in the university as my eyes were on life after university.
This showed me that we are usually in a hurry; we want to move from our present phase to the next one…the grass always seems to be greener on the other side and we usually forget to enjoy the green on our side of the fence.
In our bid and longing for the next this, and the next that, we sometimes fail to enjoy the present. This message is for everyone who fails to pause and savour the pleasure of the moment, those who feel there is nothing to hope for or live for, and those who believe that their situation is the worst.
I discovered that when you live your life as described above, you seem to be less grateful, and feel miserable that you don’t have this or don’t have that – forgetting to count your blessings. You seem oblivious of what is working in your life and are more conscious of what seems not to be working.
If you find yourself trapped in the chain of “only the next this and the next that”, learn to take a break and savour the moment…Like Joyce Meyer said; “Enjoy where you are on the way to where you are going”. Life is a journey, so take it in your stride – this is not to say you should be complacent, but to enjoy the experience along the way.
Pause and enjoy where you are and what is working in your life. All cannot, and will never be bad at the same time; there must be something working, good, enjoyable, etc. about your present state. The challenges and difficulties of today will pass away at some point, what will they leave you with? Will you be bitter or better?
I wish I hadn’t focused more on what I did not have and things that were out of my reach, but instead focused more on what I did have at the time!
Now that I have some of the things I once longed for, sometimes I secretly wish for those other days and times when I was not responsible for the bills or anything, but just woke up, ate and slept…those times are gone and there is nothing I can do about them. No point wishing I had enjoyed those days more than I did as it does not change anything!
All I have is today and tomorrow and I have got to make the best use of my NOW.
When I realised this concept, I decided I was going to enjoy where I am now, on the way to where I am going. I am still working on myself but felt like sharing this story so we could all learn to enjoy our lives.
I’ll leave you with this quote from Sam Adeyemi: “When you have what you want, will you want what you have?”
DiEmptySeries 