KILLERS
OF LIFE
“Few
are really living, many merely exist” and “not everything breathing is living”
are the two profound quotes I read one time that changed my definition or
description of the word life. A question
jumped out of the front page of a beautifully designed glossy colored magazine
I read years back, and it says ‘are you living or lurking”? I was oblivious to
the meaning of the word lurking at that time so I checked it up and found it is
synonymous to words like ‘hidden’, ‘concealed’.
Sometimes I replace the lurking with struggling, because struggling at
that time would best describe my existence. I was only getting by in life,
never in control, never pro active, just passive. Allowing each day to pass,
flowing with the stream like a dead fish, no zeal, no enthusiasm, bereft of
true happiness, happiness was transient to me at that time, I could not rely on
that ephemeral euphoria.
I
wasn’t enjoying what I was doing, or the estate I was, I was in positive
mystery. In short I was bereft of life; I was only breathing and existing. Yea,
that’s where am going, there is a wide gap between living and just existing or
breathing.
I
bet you have used such expressions as ‘there is no life in that music, or
concert,’ or there is no life in him etc. these expressions show that we are
aware that life is beyond just existence.
Even in the spirit realm life goes beyond ephemeral existence, life is
more than this physical existence because at the expiration of this physical
breadth, life continues. Jesus said to
Martha “I am the resurrection and life: he that believeth in me though he were
dead, yet he shall live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never
die…” John 11:25 and 26. Jesus even said; “I have come that ye might have life
and have it abundantly” life is to be LIVED.
However it is expedient to articulate what life is, in order to know
what kills it.
What is life?
Listen
to what Tom Baranski somerset has to say about life, this is both biological
and philosophical. “Life is the aspect
of existence that processes, acts, reacts, evaluates, and evolves through growth
(reproduction and metabolism). The crucial difference between life and non-life
(or non-living things) is that life uses energy for physical and conscious development. Life is anything that grows and
eventually dies, i.e., ceases to proliferate and be cognizant. Computers are
non-living because even though they can cognize, they do not develop
biologically (grow), and cannot produce offspring”
The
crucial difference between life and non-life (or non-living things) is that
life uses energy for physical and conscious development.
Someone even said life is
too deep for words, so don’t describe it just live it.
Three Cs of life are; choices,
chances and changes
|
My extrapolations from these;
·
Life is only a part of existence
·
Life is seen in growth
·
Life is evident in development, response
and acts
·
Life is movement, vitality, actions and
influence.
·
Life is what you make it
·
Therefore the 3Cs of life are valid.
They are. Choices, chances, and changes.
Note:
death is not necessarily the
opposite of life; death is the opposite of response (irritability) and growth.
When you put your switch on and light fails to show, then your bulb is dead.
When you water your plant, and yet no change in size, shape and color, then it
is dead. When you call the body of a man or you prick him and he doesn’t
respond, he is dead.
Killers of life,
killers of movement, growth, development, actions, influence.
I
categorized them into 3 C, 2A and 2L.
·
Accidents,
attitudes and addictions.
·
Complacency and
carelessness.
·
Lack of a sense
of purpose, vision, and laziness.
Accidents; a man wakes up one beautiful morning, performs his
morning rituals and he’s set for work. Looking forward to a great day, and
while driving to work in his car, a truck driver who lost control just ran into
him, and that’s all, he sees a white light and walks in. just in a similar way,
you can wake up in the morning, you see the yellow sun rising from the ground
filled the sky with colors of red and splashed the clouds with endless rays of
pink. You stared into the horizon and you’re confident about life you are moved
by your auspicious dreams, you faced the day with anticipation and
expectation…and then… Something happens. The stock market crashed, a new
government policy threatens the possibility of your new business, the money
you’ve been eagerly expecting to execute your plans fails to come, you missed
an important deadline etc. you see life’s unforeseen and unexpected vicissitudes have inherent in them
the ability to kill not just our breadth but the life out of us. But usually,
your reaction to such accidental situations is what determines if you’re going
to be dead or still live. Some resolve into despondency after such accidents
and lost their ‘life’ by giving up their dreams, visions and plans. I have
seen many people stop living even though existing, just because of one
disappointment. They left the business idea, stopped the book they were
writing, ended the relationship they struggled to build, dropped out of school.
They stopped hopping, stopped developing, stopped growing, they stopped
living. You should realize that it is
the ability to bounce back that is crucial and not an idealize ability never to
fall-Albert Bandura. This is one life killer you can’t control, but you sure
can choose your reaction.
They stopped hopping, stopped developing,
Stopped growing, they stopped living!
Attitude: your belief system affects your thought;
your thought affects emotions/feelings, which in turn affect your attitude, and
your attitude determines your behavior. Attitude is defined as a way of
thinking or feeling that is reflected in a behavior.
Your attitude in
life and towards life can kill life, some people are so negative that you don’t
want to associate with them, they are pessimistic, and they see only the wrong
even in the best situations. They carry around them such negativity that you
don’t want to be infected and lose your enthusiasm, joy, excitement and life.
Just as on the other hand, some people are so rife with life that once you get
around them, you are motivated, encouraged, and enthused. They spread such life
by their attitude. How’s your attitude? Is it encouraging life or killing it?
You might need to start evaluation from your belief and thoughts because those
are the building blocks for your attitude.
Addictions: According to WHO lung cancers along with
bronchus cancers and diabetes are two of the leading causes of death 2.9 and
2.7% deaths respectively. These two are caused by certain risk factors which
are smoking and overeating. The underlying definition is addictions, victims of
these can’t seem to get away from it, they cat seem to break free. They are
incarcerated by those actions and unfortunately it is gradually ceasing their
breadth and driving them through a bomb-less, unhindered and bay-less
expressway to their grave. In similar manner, there are certain addictions that
gradually make you lose your life, they seem to stealthily take away the joy,
fun purpose and fun out of your life: media addiction, cell phone addiction,
internet, when you should be dreaming, you’re are busy chatting, when you
should be strategizing, you’re glued to the TV 21/6.
Complacency:
The greatest enemy of best is good. Nothing kills life more than stagnancy.
Matter of fact, decay starts at the point where growth stops. Once you stop
growing, you start dying. Don’t forget
we explained that life is seen through growth, and one of the surest paths to
growth is learning. So when you stop learning, growing, trying to expand,
trying to be better, I think you are killing your “life”. Henry Ford says
“anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who
keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind
young”
Carelessness: sometimes accidents that take away the physical
breadth are irresponsible acts of carelessness or recklessness. When people go
through life as it comes, they have no expectations, no limitations, no
inhibitions. My pastor took us to a buffet with a 23year old birthday celebrant
some months ago, and I asked the guy what his plans would be for the next year,
what he would have loved to achieve at 24, and to my utmost bewilderment, he
said he never had any goals or dreams or expectations. That he just wanted to
live life as it comes: it’s really kind of obvious on him though, because the
guy has finished high school and not any further no plans to study more, or
take a job, he is just feeding on his parents like parasitic lukewarm and
getting fatter every day. There are only two things in his life worthy of
emulation; he is dedicated to God(the
church) because he has all the time in the world to attend all church
programmes, and secondly he is obese, that’s for people like me who want to add
some flesh.
The
bible says “plan carefully and you will
have plenty” proverbs 21:5. GNB. One of the world’s leading philosopher and
entrepreneur John Rohn says “I find it fascinating that most people plan their
vacations with better care than they plan their lives. Perhaps that is because
escape is easier than change.”
The idea is not to be so careful that you don’t even
live your life at all, that is the other extreme. Over carefulness inhibits
life, when you fail to take chances, you don’t want to dare for fear of
failure, or when you always hesitate too much. He who hesitates misses the
green light, gets bumped in the rear and losses the parking space- Herbert
prochow. Sometimes when you are too careful, it just turns out into another
form of carelessness.
The last 2 are the 2Ls
Lack of sense of
purpose or vision: people actually
perish for lack of vision. The future, they say, belongs to those who believe
in the beauty of their dreams. When you wake up every morning because you have
something motivating you, you have a sense of purpose, and you’ve got visions
aligned in that direction. You wake up every morning alive and active. When there is no vision or purpose, hope is
cut short, and when hope is lost, life starts degenerating.
The last is
laziness; yes this kills life
also. King Solomon said a lot about being lazy. In proverbs 18:9 he compared a
lazy man to a waster. Yes he wastes time and resources. In chapter 20:4, King
Solomon asserts that a lazy man would beg and have nothing. Laziness kills and
wastes time, and anything that takes your time, takes your life.
Other subtle killers
·
Obsession with people’s opinion of you
·
Clinging to the past
·
Pride.
