THE IRONY OF LIFE.

Sometimes I question existence. I ask myself…. Why does the world exist? Why were some born into the world blind? Why will anyone be plagued with leprosy? Why do some have to be crowned kings right from their mother’s womb when some will lack till the end of their days? Why is the world flooded with pestilence? Why do we have a sizeable portion of the world’s population living below poverty level when the world is lavish in nature? Why were some born into aristocratic families while some were born by paupers? Why can’t we choose our parents? Why can’t we be given the chance to at least choose the country into which we are born? Why must our sexes be forced on us? What’s the reason for existence when Man’s sojourn on earth is but temporary? Why do we have to toil to achieve only to leave everything behind?

If I have to be pessimistic, I’ll say that life stinks. But then I remind myself that as unfair as life can be, the world cannot still be said to be a fluke; the Architect of the Universe programmed everything to work for our good. Imagine how rowdy the world would have been but for death which keeps our population in check (Believe me, life would have lost its meaning if there are no exits and entries into the world.) Won’t nature be cruel if we have carnivores but no flesh for them to eat? (It’s bad news for antelopes and other helpless games in the forest, but it’s good news for a carnivore like the lion.) The rainy season can be inconvenient at times, but won’t the world starve without it?

Events will always occur. There are some laws that govern our Universe and there’s nothing anyone can do about them, they are as constant as the Northern Star. No one can stop the sun from shinning nor stop the moon from doing what it was programmed to do by the Creator. Instead of whining, you should align yourself with the precepts that control the Universe and harness its forces to your advantage. Even Aristotle commented that “the ideal person bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances.”

We might not be able to do anything about the length of our lives, but we sure can do something about how we live it. Though dead, history remembers some today because they triumphed in the art of living despite all odds. People like Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Obafemi Awolowo, Martin Luther King Jr., Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt, Mother Theresa to mention a few have long decomposed, yet they live because we still celebrate them and history will always reckon with them. No wonder why Henry Longfellow summarized that:

“Lives of great men all remind us;
That we can make our lives sublime;
And departing leaves behinds us;
Footprints on the sand of time.”

Life is full of battles and you can either be a victor or a victim. If you’re dogged, irrespective of your circumstance(s), you can live a meaningful life. If you fight the good fight, you won’t die unimportant, but great. Though death is sure, you can still cheat it by leaving your footprints on the sand of time.

Have you ever pondered on what will be written on your epitaph when you die? Will posterity curse you or extol you? Think again. Face it, nature won’t compromise its laws for your sake, you have to defy circumstances if you must live a meaningful life. Therefore, I charge you to redefine your goals and strategies so that you can take your place amongst the world’s greatest achievers.

Immortality is yours, take it!