Recently, we had a meeting with our Pastor and he said something that got to me, maybe because of the timing. You know, when you hear something you're meant to hear at a particular time, it makes all the difference. He said, "You won't always be the way you are now" and it made me think of how much we tend to judge ourselves by the present when it shouldn't be so.
Life is in stages and phases and I think it's important not to make life-altering descions just because of a phase that will pass away.
This reminds me of the time when I didn't get admitted into the University of my choice, twice. That period was a very trying one for me.
Whenever I had conversations with my friends, they would talk a lot about the student life. As much as I was happy for them, I was also immensely miserable.
I remember almost picking a form to start Jupeb or pre-degree. At some point, my mum advised me to change my course from Psychology to something else just so I could better my chances of getting admitted. I was severely tempted but something just wouldn't let me go through with it.
I remember the countless times I would cry because I felt like my life was passing by or the countless dreams that came as a result of my insatiable desire to be tagged, "Student".
I would call my friends sometimes and have them give me excuses like, "I'm sorry I was in class" and I would think to myself, 'when would I get to say that?'
I'm in my final year currently and about to start my final semester and when I think back to those moments, all I do is laugh, laugh and laugh again.
All the emotions then just feel so silly when compared to now. In the end, I still got to experience the very stage I wanted to. The closer I get to rounding up this phase of my life the more convinced I am that life is really just a series of phases and if we come to see it that way then when we experience things that are unpleasant or uncomfortable we can always remind ourselves that it's just a phase.
I sometimes see people give up on a business because it's not yielding as much or give up on a dream because it just seems so impossible. I see people who let go of great relationships because it's going through a rocky period.
The little beginnings, the seemingly impossible, the rocky period is all just a phase and will not remain so forever. So stop living your life as though you'll always remain in that spot forever because you won't. You will grow and consequently whatever you decide to venture in will grow as well.
My Pastor would tell us, "Never plan your tomorrow with today's poverty", lack, limitations or weaknesses because it won't always be that way.
Learn to live beyond the phase you see yourself. You won't always be a student, you won't always be single, you won't always be unemployed, you won't always be without child, you won't always be in lack, you won't always be small.
Someday, you're going to be like that seed in the Bible that grew into a powerful tree and eventually gave shade to many.
No matter what you're going through, just remember, "It's temporary". Like my Pastor told me, "you won't always be like this."
Live beyond the phase.
Live beyond the stage.
Just Live!