Transit

“How we transition in the face of change, determines the linearity and acceleration of our growth” – Sophie Oduyale

There are times in our lives where we are faced with the opportunity to experience something new that may present itself in the form of a new environment, job or even a relationship. And it has come to my attention that we sometimes struggle to take on these new challenges due to the fear of the unknown, myself included.

It is of course human nature to react hostilely towards the prospect of change, especially when it involves removing ourselves from our comfort zone but one thing we must recognise is that change is inevitable and as such we have been engineered with an innate instinctive to adapt to change over a period of time. I remember as a 14 year old being told by my parents that we were moving to a new country, leaving all we had behind – friends, family and so on. This news erupted a mixture of emotions inside of me; as a youngster I was excited about the likelihood of making new friends and possibly having more opportunities in life but at the same time, the prospects of living in another man’s land for possibly the rest of my life left me feeling overwhelmed. With questions such as how will I fit in? What will people think of me? Lingering over my thoughts.   

My point is in the face of change; we are left excited or overwhelmed either singularly or simultaneously.  And sometimes we begin to question whether the risk is worth taking.

What makes us stand out is how we deal with what we are faced with, do we welcome it with an open heart or do we shy away because we are afraid of letting go and experiencing that which is new. How do you transition from your comfort zone to something that is greater? How will you experience the beauty of life if you remain set in your ways, unwilling to explore and experience?

Have you been in that place where you say to yourself my life seems to be dull....Well what are you doing about it? Are you taking on new challenges or merely just sulking away?

The point is we have all been presented with so many life opportunities that may have paved the way for bigger life opportunities but in our fear, we have let these opportunities slip away and so we remain the same, living in the cocoon of our comfort not realising that life is passing us by, not realising that we are imprisoning ourselves from growing emotionally, spiritually, characteristically.

How do we expect to grow, if we don’t take up these challenges? Not every challenge or opportunity we are presented with, will yield great success or fulfilment but if we don’t take that chance, how will we ever know. How do we learn, grow or even help others?

The importance of welcoming change is that we learn a lot about ourselves especially when we embrace it with an open heart. We sure will make mistakes as no one is perfect but in lieu that we learn from them, we become better persons with greater knowledge. As such, we have the ability to share our experiences with others in order to encourage them in their life journey.

Ergo, the next time you are faced with a challenge don’t hide in fear but rather ponder on this quote and ultimately, take that leap of faith.

Sophie Oduyale 

One Chance

We have memories that we cherish and people that time has not and may not succeed in making us forget….

I attended Premier International Primary School. Going to school late was a normal occurrence for most pupils including me. On a fateful and unforgettable day I was late for morning assembly. I was expecting to be punished as I arrived when the morning prayers (usually said by a pupil picked at random) had already started. I thought of several punishments and imagined which would be applicable to me. Back then; the severity of a punishment was proportional to the “weight” of crime-committed lol. I braced myself and paused before jumping out of the Peugeot 504 that was driven by the driver who we always referred to as “Uncle Val”.

I walked briskly through the main gates saying “uncle good morning” in a low tone to the gate men as every pupil did or was expected to. I walked towards the assembly with my heart racing and quickly joined the female primary five row just before the Nigerian National Anthem was sung. I felt relieved and wondered why no teacher had stopped me and couldn’t believe that I escaped frog jumps, grass cutting…etc

After the National Anthem I sighted Mr Femi Peters, my Mathematics teacher, walking towards me from afar. My heart began to beat faster than it did the first time while my palms became wet from anxiety sweating. He called me out of the assembly when the headmistress, Mrs Ukpong Neto, was making announcements. He asked about how I felt that morning and wanted to make sure that I was well. He’s questions suggested that something was wrong. He then asked about my family before uttering “Aisha is dead…she died this morning…take heart”.

His words faded slowly and the only thing that constantly rang in my head was “Aisha is dead”. Oh no! I screamed. How could Aisha die? She was brilliant…she was full of life…she was beautiful…she was the smartest in the class…she was the class prefect…she was my best friend.

Sometimes I still wonder what she would have looked like, where should would have been and what she would have become. It made me think about others that have left us. I wonder what new hits Dagrin would have made…I wonder what new costumes Goldie would have pulled off. Sadly, memories are all that we are left with and I am grateful to Aisha for leaving beautiful memories that touch me every now and again.

 According to Will Rogers, “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression”. I guess we never get a second chance to live again.

Loretta Okpuno

Through your eyes

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, I took a trip to the famous Sloane Street. I looked very presentable thanks to my course mate, Mufadzi who took the time to dress me up because I made the mistake of telling her that I did not understand the hype about certain high streets in London and that I decided to pay Sloane Street a visit. Mufadzi accessorised me with her Bottega Veneta tote bag, Hermes bracelet and Louis Vuitton belt while muttering, “don’t you know you are going to a big man’s area?”

 I drew the attention of pedestrians on the high street and commanded the respect of sales men and sales women in the shops. The thought of being effortlessly noticed and regarded as someone important because of my eye - catching apparels baffled me. I felt like an ugly woman covered up in good make up. I wondered what these people (who made me feel soo important) would have thought if they knew that the expensive accessories I flaunted belonged to someone else. Would they have treated me the same way if I walked into their shops wearing Primark from head to toe? I began to pay attention to the treatment I received from people on days that I went all out to look good and on days that I did not. The response and reactions I got could not be compared.

The world expects us to dress to impress or be oppressed and this makes it very easy to be validated by objects that speak for us…. objects of lesser value compared to character…hence we live life though the eyes of others

Loretta Okpuno