Life As A Road: No time to pay attention to distractions, Stick to your lane

Life As A Road: No time to pay attention to distractions, Stick to your lane
Some years back I overheard my dad sharing with a friend. ” I was born, I grew, I got married and now have children. I am working  to educate them, retire, age and finally go back to my maker.”  I was taken aback by how  boldly he said this, how he acknowledged that there is a beginning and and an end to life without getting scared. He stressed that what matters is  how life is lived, and that one has to plan it. Fast forward years later, I internalize and accept that truly one has to  live  life knowing that it is time bound.

Life is  a journey. A  journey of ups and downs, joy and sadness, triumphs and setbacks, name them all.  As journeys are, there’s the beginning and the end; but who can embark on a journey without  a defined road?

The road makes the journey, to say the least; and like life it is neither the beginning nor the end but what transpires in between that counts most. So what likens life to a road?

Design

Before a road is built, it is designed. Nobody just wakes up out of nowhere to build one.  Life is designed too.  Before we were formed in the womb our beginning and end was sealed. There  is nothing more or less we can do about it. That we have life however is enough reason for us to live it purposefully.  We cannot afford to live on autopilot.  You and I have to plan and design how we want to live life, what to live for. A purposeless life is no life.

Traffic

From pedestrians, animals to vehicles, a road is designed for users and such is life.  We are not on our own.  We’ll meet people from all walks of life with different attitudes and characters. Genuine and mean people, helpers and sadists. Some will step on our feet, hit us from the back or hoot for no reason. They come by default and if not careful, they may define how we live.  The goal is not to lose focus of where you are going. Appreciate those who are there for you and  let go of hurts and disappointments. There’s not enough time to pay attention to distractions. Stick to your lane and keep moving.  Critics, attackers are meant to spice up the journey and not to end it.

Curves, Bumps and Potholes

All my life, I’ve not yet traveled on a perfectly smooth, straight road.  Neither have I heard of any yet.  There are curves, bumps or even potholes to be encountered. Life is not an easy road either, we all know. It however gets better.  As a motorist on this road called life, you must be keen to slow down when approaching either of the above.  Try to negotiate  your way out without causing injury. Slow down.

Absurdly, we live in an instant world and want everything here and now.  That’s only frustrating.  We cant get it all together in one day.   It is a process. Let’s learn patience with ourselves, others and life itself.

Signage

A road without proper signage is an accident in waiting.  Signage is to the road what communication is to humans. The way we live, talk and treat others  sends enough signal on who we are.  Let there be clarity on who we are and what we stand for, and this will help us build lives of integrity.

It is not enough to live, our lives must be purpose driven and make the world a better place for others. Just like roads improve the livelihoods  and well being of people, our lives ought to impact those around us  for the better.

Impossible is Nothing!

By Elizabeth  Ekakoro Bore: Diaspora Messenger contributor

Author of Imagine the  world and create it 

Life As A Road: No time to pay attention to distractions, Stick to your lane