[Inserts headphones. Plays ‘heal the world’ by Michael Jackson]

 

My secondary school was really a place, in the sense that, despite the flaws from some teachers and students, they did not neglect the need for balance in every aspect of our lives. Specifically, between our spiritual, social, and academic lives. They created time for every activity that fell under these aspects of our lives.

 

I was a member of the Press Club. While we had mind-blowing events, I would most time be caught  getting wowed at the various pulls made by the music club, ranging from how they took out time to plan their social nights/events, to their band rehearsals, and of course the production of the college album – my reason for this blog. Their pulls did more than a thing to my social life.

 

Walk with me.

 

Something usually happens when a social event has been organised in the college. The Music Patron usually ensures that one, two, or three of the college album gets played depending on the event. Throughout my stay in college, a song in one of the albums sends triggers to my sense of motivation every time it is being played. It was not necessarily about the song itself, but the lyrics that say:

 

When there is life,

and there is hope, Mama

I’ll make you smile.

 

Life is a gift that comes with a treasure, hope, looking at the meaning of hope, I see that it has to do with being optimistic.

For a journey to be completed,  one needs to keep driving, and balling down to our individual journey, our driving force here is hope.

 

You were brought to Earth for a reason different from mine. So, whether things get smooth or rough, remember always that because you are among the living, there is hope. Keep it alive to keep striving for the best.

 

Psalms 71:14 made a really striking affirmation in its ‘a’ part, saying, “But as for me, I will always have hope…”.

This is an advice. It is an advice to always remind yourself of this verse in the face of challenges or when things no longer feel like it.

 

Hope, in as much as it is our driving force, must be constantly kept alive and well. The way we can achieve this is by doing the following:

 

• Deliberately placing your focus on what you can control, the present. Yes. The Bible advised that we avoid being anxious about tomorrow.

Learn to live in the present as this could help you to be hopeful. Let the future worry about itself. Ask questions like, “What am I doing today that will help me get to where I wish to be?”

 

• Consciously express the act of thanksgiving. By doing this, you are building yourself to divert the path of depression and what may pull you down emotionally.

 

• Holding on to the reason you started (or want to start). This will help revive your motivation, giving you a sense of direction into doing what is needed for your progress.

 

Let me add more.

 

For your hope to be stable, you will need to learn to say ‘NO’ to influences that do not match your mantra, spend time with vibrant people that look out for your uplifting, and even when alone, make positive confessions.

Lastly, take good care of your health because wealth can not be made if there is no health.

I hope this helps, my friend.