The Creative Forum: WALKING DOWN YOUR PATH: PART TWO

Are you really on your path? Are you chasing shadows? Why are you in that path?

Sometimes in life, we get to a point where we have to stop and ask ourselves some crucial questions. These are the questions we need to ask ourselves even before embarking upon our life journey. It makes sense to pause occasionally to and ask yourself these questions.

In the last issue, we talked about things that stall or push one completely off his/her path.

Choosing a path to follow or walking down that path is choosing to follow what you want for yourself. There is a difference between what you want for yourself and what you think would make your life comfortable. What you want for yourself is what you have a passion for, your dream – that milestone you want to achieve, that achievement you know would make your life complete. Without achieving that dream, you know your life would always be unfulfilled. Some of us dream to becoming a bestselling writer, a multi-award winning actor or musician, a world-renowned painter, a noble laureate, etc. We dream of achieving great feats in the arts. Sometimes, in your head, you see yourself achieving those feats. So good for being an optimist.

But

Have you done anything to achieve that dream? Have you stepped on the road that leads to that destination? How good is your kit – your running shoes, your helmet, your armbands, and your chin guard? Is your kit made of strong quality stuff or would it wear away before you make the journey? Is your mind strong enough to withstand the pain you might encounter on your way? How good is your perseverance? Are you resilient enough? When you meet a worthy opponent and he tells you to turn back, would you turn back or fight to reach your destination?

There is a difference between what you want for yourself and what you think would make your life comfortable.

Imagine Bill Gates wishing he were James Cameron. Imagine Hilary Clinton wishing she were Adele. Imagine Aliko Dangote wishing he were 2Face Idibia. Now this sounds absurd. But it’s possible that such things could happen.

Did you just ask how?

Of course it's possible. And that's why I had to recap the line above. Sometimes people get to a point in their life journey where they feel fulfilled. They don’t feel fulfilled because they’ve gotten to the end of their path. They don’t feel fulfilled because they’ve achieved their dreams. They feel fulfilled because they now have comfort. They feel fulfilled because now they have the money. Isn’t life about chasing money?

Permit me to laugh at that.

You’ve always wanted to be a writer. You’ve written some works, which has garnered many rejections from literary agents or you’ve tried self-publishing and only sold about two hundred copies of your work. One day, you run into an old friend and you two begin to chat. The guy has a company now and he gives you a job to become a manager in one of his branches. The money start coming in and you manage to open your business. Soon your business grows. You have your own company now. You are rich. You are comfortable. You’re sitting on top of the world. One day, you come across your unpublished work. Nostalgia hits you and you wish you could be a writer again. You wish you could have your works in the hands of readers. You settle down to write again and you’re having writer’s block for 365 days. And then you begin to wonder if it’s really writer’s block or if it’s because you abandoned the path where you’re supposed to be. One day you’re watching TV and you see a friend of yours being announced as the winner of a Booker Award. Both of you began writing seriously at the same time and you even wanted to do a collaboration work then. Jealousy hits you now. And you begin to wonder: What am I being jealous for? I’m richer than this guy. One year, two years, three years, and you’re still jealous of your friend. Maybe then, he’s won more accolades for his writing. The truth hits you one day; ‘Money isn’t everything. Contentedness is. I left my path for another path. Maybe I’d have made a difference in that path if I had persevered, if I had bought quality kits for my journey in that path.’ At last, you try to amend your way. But you end up RICH but unfulfilled.

So why don’t you ask yourself: Is this really my path? Am I resilient enough to be in this path? Will I have a fulfilled life if I leave this path?