YOU ARE!

Baltimore- Nina Simone

Every morning at 6:30am, my mom would wake us up. It was her dream for us to start the day with a family prayer time. My Dad was more relaxed about it, but for my mom, it was important. We’d sing the same praise songs, take turns saying a short prayer, and then Mom would finish with a longer, more grown-up prayer. I always wanted to be the one to lead the prayers, so I slowly memorized the ones my mom used to say. ‘We commit today, every plan of the enemy would be met with the overpowering power of God in Jesus name. May we not enter into any dangers or get into any difficulties today’.

I knew for sure that the enemy was Satan, but I really did not understand what he wanted with our average family. We declared days of ease and days of abundance. What we never wanted was dangers and difficulties. It has taken me roughly five years to decenter myself from my mom’s sentiments. I have found by hard experience that all that is noble and laudable was to be achieved only through difficulties and trials and dangers. There are no other roads. True fulfillment comes from overcoming challenges.

There’s a reason my ever-optimistic cousin Jessica used to joke about pointless suffering- ‘there is no reward in suffering’. But here’s the thing: facing difficulties isn’t about finding joy in pain. It’s about the growth and strength you gain when you rise above them. Running away from problems only keeps you stuck.  Instead, when you confront them head-on, you learn, you adapt, and you emerge a better version of yourself.  It’s not about seeking out hardship, but about embracing the obstacles life throws your way because they’re what ultimately lead you to achieve something truly great.

Imagine yourself scaling Zuma Rock, a mighty monolith that scrapes the Nigerian sky. Each handhold, each precarious step upwards, is a challenge. The wind whispers doubts in your ear, the sheer height makes your stomach churn. But you keep climbing, because the reward – the breathtaking view from the peak – is worth the struggle.

Just like those American astronauts blasting off into space, you know there are risks. A misstep, a loose rock, and your dream could turn into disaster. Yet, the courage to confront that fear, to push yourself beyond your comfort zone, is what makes the accomplishment so rewarding. It is what would get you penned down as ‘the first man to climb Zuma rock’. Every Nigerian child knows the Zuma legend – how the brave warrior climbed the impossible rock to defeat the monster. It’s a story that echoes this truth: greatness isn’t found on easy paths. It’s forged in the fires of difficulty.

Take the American Astronauts for example. Put yourself in their position. Any moment now, on the count of 3,2,1, you are going to be shot into the atmosphere and soon you will be whirling around the earth at the speed of six miles per hour. If you get so fired up in the atmosphere and forget what to do to ensure return to earth, one of the things that might happen to you is that you would forever become a satellite, going round the earth until you die of starvation and even then, your body will continue the gyration. Hence, when you are being dressed up and padded to be shot in the sky, you know only too well that you are going on the roughest road man has ever trodden. Even in the utmost belief that you would come back, there is a slight foreboding on the contingency of your non-return. It would be your courage for going in spite of these apprehensions that makes the world hail you so loudly and write your name as one who has been to space.

Tai Solarin

Our successes are conditioned by the number of risks we are ready to take. I saw an old post online saying Bitcoin cost only $250 back in 2013! I totally imagined buying some then and watching it get super expensive. But then I remembered, the price went down a lot too, and some people even lost everything they invested. So, was it a good risk to take? Thinking about it, I probably would have sold when the price dropped and missed out on the big gains. But look at how much Bitcoin is worth now! It’s a total gamble, for sure. But you know what? All the wealthy people I know are willing to take some chances sometimes. The biggest businessmen I know make decisions with lightning speed and carry them out with equal celerity.

I am learning that life, if it is going to be full of abundance, must have plenty of hills and vales. It must have plenty of sunshine and rough weather. It must be rich in obfuscation and perspicacity. It must be packed with days of danger and apprehension. I am learning to wish myself plenty of tears and laughter: plenty of happiness and unhappiness; plenty of failures and successes; plenty of abuse and praise. It is impossible to win ultimately without a rich measure of the intermixture in such a menu. Life would be worthless without the lot. As Tai Solarin once pinned down-

 In a world where everyone wants the smooth and well-paved roads, please accept my prayers and your elixir- ‘may your road be rough’.

With all love,

Oluwayemisi.