Biodun Da Silva: Live… Remember to Live

“The choice to avoid risk is the choice to avoid living, and to avoid living is one of the greatest risk of all” – Craig D Lounsbrough

There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought humanity to its knee. The recent happenings around the world – racial injustices and inequality -have added salt to our injuries.

Lots of people have lost loved ones, businesses, and acquaintances in these last few months. Many are battling an ailment we do not have a cure for at this time and many underlying illnesses have been brought to the forefront due to panics and uncertainties surrounding our health and healthcare.

We are living at a time where we all are striving to survive. It is a privilege to wake every morning and still be alive in good health with a means of livelihood. I lost 3 people simultaneously to the point where I didn’t know who to grieve for. The pain was so excruciating, especially because there was absolutely nothing we could do about it.

I panic whenever my phone rings or whenever I check social media to see what’s happening around the world. We have no control as to what to expect neither do we know who is going to be next. The fear of the unknown is real and certainly not good for our mental health or overall wellbeing.

However, one thing is certain, we that are still living must move on and as we continue to move forward in life, I believe we must have reached a point where we ask ourselves realistic questions. Valid questions like: Are we truly living our best life while we are yet alive? Are we living a life of regrets for the mistakes we’ve made? Are there things we did, didn’t do or could have done differently? Are you worried about your life being characterized by failures, disappointment, or lack of progress?

While it is part of human nature to worry or panic about things we have no control over, it is important to know that you cannot truly live or move ahead in life carrying the baggage of yesterday’s burden. It is also true that we are who we are today because of the experiences we’ve lived through.

These experiences are a combination of the negatives and positives. The negative experiences we’ve encountered during the course of our life’s journey must be used as a lesson bank to draw from when the need arises. Anything beyond this is counterproductive and will hinder our ability to truly live while alive. The positive experiences must serve as a motivation and inspiration to keep moving forward irrespective of life’s challenges to what we can truly accomplish.

In my last article, I wrote about the need to live life to the fullest because we have a tiny window of time on earth. In light of the recent happenings around us, that could seem impossible. But we owe it to ourselves and mental health to focus on the good side of life, the value we can contribute to humanity, and the better days that are still ahead of us.

Do not sabotage your happiness and peace of mind by worrying about circumstances you have no control over. Those challenges will remain after we are long gone, it doesn’t end. There will always be an influx of challenges, economical instabilities, and uncertainties, regardless of how we feel. We must continue to focus on the riches of the earth, the value of human life, and how to be of service to our neighbors and our nations at large amidst it all.

Just like every good thing in life, we all have our individual set time to live and at the appointed time, just as the day gives way to the night, we will transition to the great beyond. The only way to win with life is to live your best life every day, be intentional about it and enjoy every minute of it because tomorrow is not guaranteed.

At the end of the day, what you did or didn’t do will not matter. What will matter are the legacies you left and the quality of life you led while alive. Do your best to live your best life every day.