My dear daughter,
I yearn for the years when my younger self had no care in the world; a time when life was a lot easier and simpler with no complications. Believe me, there was a time like this and I had the privilege of living it.
Unfortunately, age comes with experience and experience comes with lessons and the innocent world-outlook quickly turns sour. As the Mammy Wagon Philosopher puts it, “Life is war.” But is this really the case? Should we let the struggles and challenges we face rob us of living life like little children – unbothered and happy?
I’ve come to the realization that life doesn’t change, we do. Life is still as easy and as simple as reciting the alphabets, but we chose to complicate it for ourselves and each other.
When I was a lot younger, I saw the world through simple and hopeful eyes; I had dreams of what I wanted to do and the man I wanted to become. But the older I got, the more susceptible I became to negative external influences. This trampled on my optimism, causing me to question my abilities.
This also led me to stumble and fall. Rather than press on, I cowered and denounced myself as unable to tackle the challenges while I waved the white flag, conceding defeat. But, this was very wrong on my part. I should have confronted and faced my problems head-on and sought out ways to resolve them, instead.
Fortunately, my dear, I didn’t resort to comfort food or lose myself to alcohol and drug use in an attempt to drown myself in self-pity as many would have done. Going this route would have led me to lose myself and lose touch with who I really am and what I wanted out of life.
My dear, you are young and your whole life is still ahead of you. As you grow older, strive to retain the joy, simplicity and optimism in life. Learn from my mistakes. Put pen to paper and give flesh to your goals and visions. Immerse your mind in it because your happiness in life depends on the quality of your thoughts.
This brings me to the importance of your thoughts. You have to discipline the thoughts you have running through your mind. If “life is war,” then the mind is indeed the battleground. It’s the place where your greatest conflict will reside. It’s where most of your negative thoughts are housed. However, if you retain negative thoughts, they will succeed in robbing you of your peace and joy and prevent you from reaching your goals. This may lead to depression and a defeatist mindset.
I suggest you should face life’s challenges a day at a time; avoid the travails of the past and uncertainties in the future. Let me buttress my point with this ancient Sanskrit poem:
SALUTATION OF THE DAWN
Look to this day
for it is life
the very life of life.
In its brief course lie all
the realities and truths of existence
the joy of growth
the splendour of action
the glory of power.
For yesterday is but a memory
And tomorrow is only a vision.
But today well lived
makes every yesterday a memory of happiness
and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day.
Finally, my dear, get enough sleep, do your basic exercises, make out time for fun and laughter and create healthy eating habits. Like I said, forget yesterday, it is dead and gone; don’t fret about tomorrow, it lies in the future. Live in the moment and enjoy every second of your life.
Love you always,
Dad