Socien's Blog

Statements like the one above “Life is a one-time event. Live it finally.” Reminds me of a common phrase, “You only live once.” We interpret them in a way justifying our wastefulness of time and resources, and our lack of concern over future matters.

On 17 January 2022, I wrote, “Any interpretation is a distortion to the real image. Yet no image is understood without its interpretation.” What this mean is we do not decide to distort the image in anything we interpret, including words. But distortion is an inherent feature, and not a bug, of interpretation that cannot be avoided once we undertake to interpret. Interpretation is semi-conscious, conscious and unconscious way of driving sense into senseless or converting sense into senseless. It goes both ways.

The problem statement: Life […] a one-time event. Live it finally.

As I was scrolling down my sticky notes in my One Note app I came across words to reflect upon. “Life is a one-time event Live it finally.” It is “once in a lifetime” that you live, the snippet would expand the thought. I had to dig deep, fleshing around fourteen snippets written in the same month, February 2022. (I believe a proper interpretation and, therefore, understanding of events happening in our lives can be achieved when we have the proper details on what happened). Under this, on 05 February, was, “We live in a sea of possibilities. Fairly we would prefer to swim in the sea when the currents blowing over it are easy. We consider what’s difficult as impossible.” It is this finality that our lives are pegged on that demands that we do all it takes to unlock possibilities out of difficulties.

But then there is a statement that seem to be situated on the polar opposite, penned down on 15 February: “Things don’t happen in time. They happen in their time. If it takes their time it takes your patience for them to happen.” The idea is, however, in doing what it takes, there is a need to let time pass if it is part of what it takes. If you do not know when it is going to happen but you so want it to happen, you must keep trying until when becomes now and difficult becomes possible.

When there are a million miles between what you intend to be nothing can stop you if you are not the one to stop you. Each and everything you dwell on and give it your attention and effort, believe in and give it your heart is guaranteed to be yours someday. Believing is a willingness to be. But dwelling on each giving it your unsplittable attention and effort is hard. Yet this is how to convert difficulties into possibilities and make it easier for you afterwards. But then there is this conversion required before difficult becomes possible. Can suffering be one of the converters?

“People just happen to want to see them things happening without any suffering having happened. Yet life takes no shortcuts.” This one above came on February 08, a dig at our being human, our being reluctant to suffer. Latin patientia, which was then borrowed by old French and later by English (from Old French), puts forbearance, pain and suffering in the mix. Inpatientia is the exact opposite, translating to one’s unwillingness to withstand the pain and to bear the burden involved in trying to overcome.

Suffering, when it is what you are willing to go through, do not invite breakthroughs, if for a, it takes you to your breakthrough. It is a necessity since there is no way other than marching over thorns to make take you there without a cost. Suffering builds you and strengthen you like a bastion so that you can conquer more worlds, especially withinside. Otherwise, suffering will break you and invites more like it when you fail to let it strengthen you.

Another snippet on 18 February was quick to remind: “People must say something for anything you do to be a story.” Damaging criticism is part of the pain you must endure on your way to success. When what damages fails to stop you, you can only get a story to relate at the end how you overcame.

Conclusively:

• You may have lost chances but one thing that is never lost is you. Respect the opportunity that is you, give it your best. Put that opportunity in situations that allow it to grow. Give it rest. Give it love. Give it the right mindset. Only then will it give you bigger things in life.
• [On 04 February] “Chances are not cheap. That’s why you don’t get them.” The point it you have to create chances.
• Hesitating is the closest you are to not doing it. Find means, get started and get it done.