LIFE AND THE ESSENCE OF LIVING (PART 2)

             LIFE AND THE ESSENCE OF LIVING (PART 2)

“Love is the essence of life. Without love, life does not make any sense.” - Debasish Mridha

On Sunday evening, I was preparing for the first full working week in October when I heard the news that one of my neighbors lost her life during child-birth. I still do not have the full details of the unfortunate incident but I learnt that she died as a result of complications resulting from childbirth. I also heard that she lost an unprecedented amount of blood and she could not survive, she also lost her new born baby in the tragic event.

For starters, we are not close in any way; I only got to know her name after her death because I do not have a lot of friends in the neighborhood. I stay indoors for most of my weekends and spend quality time with my family members, watch CNN, football matches and movies on my laptop; that is if I do not have planned engagements in that particular weekend. I fought hard to take the pain away from my mind because it is a terrible way to start the week and I had to pay a condolence visit to the bereaved Widower when I got back from work on Monday.  In consequence, I did a brief self examination, I thought about a number of things and that sad occurrence inspired this piece.

First things first, I thought about the embarrassing level of healthcare in the country, the nonchalant attitude of our Leaders towards the sound health and well-being of Nigerians and the condemn-able situation of things in the medical sector. In the staff bus, while I was on my way to work on Monday morning, I heard an unbelievable story from one of the Lagos State civil servants who lost her husband the previous week to a preventable and untimely death. Apparently, He was critically ill and He was rushed to a number of Government Hospitals before Idi Araba eventually accepted him. According to the Widow, her Husband was placed in a dehumanizing condition because the Hospital's Administrators claimed they were out of bed and other essentials, she noted that she had to call a Commissioner she had previously worked for who called the Medical Director before Sickbed and other necessary facilities were made available to her late husband who had already given up the ghost before help finally came his way. What a calamity! You might think her story is not true, I hoped so too but it is.

Secondly, I also thought about the fact that as every second goes by, I am getting closer to my own grave! I also thought about that day I will go six feet below, what people would say about me when I am no longer there to defend myself. Who will spend those millions I have worked so hard for? All those material things I cherish so much, Will I need them then? I do not want to answer these questions and I am sure you feel the same way. Truth be told, death is inevitable and we do not have the liberty to know and determine when we are going to exit this world except for some exceptional cases. This writer also understands that life is a precious gift and every minute needs to be enjoyed to the fullest. In subsequent paragraphs, I would share seven (7) important tips necessary for an impactful life.

1. Love - Love and appreciate yourself. Spread the love factor around you.

“Life is love. Love of self, child, partner, work, others, pet, nature; whatever resonates with each person. And, faith in one’s self or higher spiritual power, has to be bigger than doubt.” ~ Marina Theodotou

2. Create experiences - Create and share memorable experiences worth smiling about.

“Creation means your brain is in active mode and that you are the author. A thought becomes an action, the action becomes a habit, which turns into a way of life. Striking the right balance of creating while nurturing the temple of our soul is the key.” ~ Thomas Peccini.

3. Be yourself

“There is no room for pretentiousness in life. It’s energy draining to try to be something which you are not. Listen to your heart and follow that little voice inside you.” ~ Prokopis Solomou

4. Live the moment

“Embrace every little moment of happiness and make the best memories.” ~ Miranda Zachariou.

“Pause for a moment and open all your senses. Listen to the birds sing, the wind rustling the leaves and breathe in the silence. You are surrounded by the essence of life.” ~ Anna Donovan

5. Be positive - Think positive and flush out negative thoughts.

“Be positive. Smile at life and it will smile back at you. Remember, negative thoughts are toxic.” ~ Prokopis Solomou

“Learn to see and live life with the eyes of the heart and soul.” ~ Maria Thrasyvoulou

6. Invest in quality time. Spend quality time with loved ones.

“Life is spending more time with people who matter the most.” ~ Christos Economides

7. Evolve - Learn - Grow

“The essence of life is constant growth. Every day, I remind myself to keep moving, to be open to change, to keep enquiring and try to better myself.” ~ Harry Mavromichalis (Source: The Essence of Life in 10 Quotes - Mahi Solomou)

God Bless the Living, God Bless the Dead

Olusanya, Oluwole Sheriff