You think you’re on course with your life? You think you have everything mapped out and ready to go? You might just be wrong. You might just not see where and when you miss the turn until you hit a dead end. Whatever your plans are in life, take a minute to read this to the end.
The average life span of Ghanaians rages between 60 and 65 years, so we know that if you live up to 80 years, you’re truly a blessed child of God.
So let’s say you are, and will live to see 80 years. Now let’s divide that into 4 parts of 20 years each. That means in your life you have four parts to live;
Part I (Birth – 20), Part II (21 – 40), Part III (40 – 60), Part IV (60 – 80)
Let’s go through your life story step by step:
Part IV (Retirement): It’s unusual that we have to start your story from Part IV but let’s move on. At this point in your life you should be on retirement and relishing the products of your existence on this earth. Even if you have a job and the capacity to work, how much more can you add to society and how much more will it benefit you? You should be having (or expecting) grandchildren by then, your interest in many worldly things would have diminished and been replaced by serenity. So let’s call this sleeping time. In a movie, this part would be like when the movie ends and they’re playing a song and showing you the cast: a time to reminisce.
In effect, Part IV is out of the action. We have 3 parts of our life left to act. So let’s jump to Part I.
Part I (Discovery): This is when you’re born into this world and learn to adapt, socialize and survive. It is also at this time that you should discover who you are, where you’re from, where you are and where you’re going. This is where you discover your purpose and identity socially, economically, politically and spiritually: the time you lay the big foundation.
You’ll agree that this part is completely out of hands for most people, who spend most of it in school, in the hands of their parents and the Almighty God. If you even had to fend for yourself as a child, you’d be too busy trying to survive and lay your foundation to make ‘the big impact.’ And for most of you reading this, Part I is even already gone. Am sorry therefore to say that even though this part is the most essential part of your story it is also out of the action. We have two parts left.
Part III (Acceleration): At age 40-60: this is when the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. This is when you nail your purpose or nail your disappointment; it depends on what you do in Part II. Things could escalate and exceed your imagination or control, as long as you hold the steer right (or wrong).
But this is not where the action is. Here, youthful exuberance, imagination, creativity, strength and ambition would have fallen terribly low… So where is the action?
Part II (Action time): Many of you reading this have already started Action time without even realizing it because you fell asleep through the movie; make sure you don’t wake up at the end of it.
This is the time you have to make everything happen. You have so much strength, ambition, and a world of imagination, don’t waste it! This is your time to make mistakes, your time to make things right, to live life to the fullest, in joy and sadness.
If you’ve lived Part I, ask yourself; has it been that long? You have another set of 20 years in front of you, will it be that long? …well no matter how short your first 20 years has been for you, you can be darn sure it’s going to be way shorter this next 20! You have college, graduation ahead of you, looking for and settling with a job, relationship(s), pre and post marriage years, starting a family, socializing and putting your life together again!
So where is the action still! What is this action!?
The action is how you put all these together perfectly, so that things don’t fall apart, and still achieve your dreams. It’s making sure that the purpose you discover in Part I of your life is hunted, come rain or shine, now! You don’t have much time then if your purpose, is big.
Pursue your dreams today with a sense of urgency! Not Recklessness. Things won’t go as planned, but that’s the excitement isn’t it!? Work the hardest you can, and even work harder! The key is to NEVER LOSE FOCUS; or fail before you know it. Remember, it takes a little bit of insanity to stand out and join the league of World’s greatest men.
Whatever you do, in spirit and flesh, be sure to say: “there’s nothing else left to do.” when it’s time to go. That’s the definition of success.
So while chasing your dreams, don’t leave your life behind! Live life to the fullest, do the right things and remember your Maker. If there’s one thing you can’t afford to get wrong, it’s Eternity. Lord bless you.
