5 Life Lessons You Canโt Outgrow
Relearn these lessons and grow your life and people skills
It was my boyโs first day at his new school.
Along with his mum, we were standing in joyful pride in the queue.
We were not oblivious of the throng of other parents and their wards at the new school, all that seemed to matter most on that day was our son.
The other new students were equally excited and motivated. These are our future giant slayers. Inexorably, the parents' future, hopes, and dreams are tied to these tender strappings. Boys and girls they are now, men and women they will be, come tomorrow. And that tomorrow is nearer than you think. So it has always been one generation after another. And so it is for us on that day. Great expectations.
The registration process now over, the new students were being ushered into their respective hostels.
First, their personal accessories must pass through the vigilant inspections of the schoolโs staff. This was to ensure none of the students was in possession of any โcontrabandโ items like chewing gums, video games, mobile phones and other similar stuffs.
It was also necessary to ensure that the pupils have their clothing materials properly labelled. Any loss or mix-up of personal items may cause quarrels and fights. There was no need to take such a chance with the rambunctious troupe.
Outside, a light drizzle was on. The dull but clear sky was trying but failing at screening off the sun entirely. Happily enough, the rain was not such as to keep one quickly drenched. All the same, it was inconvenient.
Several parents, with their wards hanging by their tails variously quipped;
โCanโt the school authorities do something about it?โ
โShouldnโt have envisaged this scenario and make provisions for it?โ
โOr even to improvise and provide parents and pupils with a canopy?โ
Cacophonies of suggestions were flying here and there. It was then that one woman chipped in. There has been vast improvements compared to last yearโs conditions. Indeed, she should know better. Last year, one of her children, a boy, was admitted into this same school. Now, her daughter was joining the brother. The school recently moved from their old campus to a new and bigger site.
There have been vast improvements compared to what was obtainable in the old campus.
It sure tells so much about our present performance and progress when people notice and appreciate improvements over what we did last year. Surely, the room for improvement is the largest room in the world.โ
Here are the lessons I regained as I stood in line with my boy at his new school on that day.
Complacency will soothe you to death
Whatever your lifeโs calling, donโt relax about your past achievements. When you do so, failure and death are imminent. Maintaining the status quo is not enough. Doing so leaves you at the mercy of others and the entire world will leave you behind.
As it was the first day of the new school session, many new students and their parents must of necessity report at the school. With this large influx of guests and their vehicles, the schoolโs car park was bustling with various models, brands, and sizes of cars. The temptation was there for early arrivals to park their cars such as to enable them to leave as soon as they get through with the hostel admission protocols.
It was while in the frenzied atmosphere that I learned the second lesson. With practice, we all improve at this skill, but no one ever graduates from it.
In this โme-firstโ and narcissism-bedeviled age, how many of us are ready to heed or take that lesson to heart? The Holy Bible taught us to always โdo to others what you will want others to do to you.โ That is to say, do not do to others what you donโt want them to do to you.
This is something we must always do, even if it implies having to bear with some temporary unpleasant personal inconveniences.
Go, live out the โgood lifeโ principles
OK, I agree that this is easier said than always done. We are all humans with our individual foibles.
The point I am making here is, to be yourself. Be true to your pure and godly or moral principles and convictions. Always choose to do what is right even in situations where you can do wrong without any obvious immediate backlash or negative repercussions.
What is wrong is wrong even if everybody is doing it and what is right is right even if nobody is doing it.
Living conscientiously
Being considerate of others and living conscientiously go together.
Most of our planetโs problems are caused by people who insist on not paying forward the charity they got. Always remember, you are not the center of the universe, and neither does our galaxy revolves around you.
With that lesson at heart, I maneuvered my old Honda Pilot to the back of the car park. We knew full well that some less scrupulous late-comers may drive in later and block our exit. We took the risk all the same โ park at the back instead of inconveniencing others by โblockingโ the front.
And that was exactly what happened. The car park rapidly filled up. Right in the front of our car was a brand new sleek Kia Optima. Our school runs were soon over as our boy retreated from us into his new โresidenceโ. It was time to go home. But now, we were โtrappedโ and now at the mercy of the absentee owner of the Optima.
โHow can someone just block other cars without giving a thought to the fact their owners may need to leave the place before them?โ
โI really cannot bring myself to do that. Shame will never allow me to do it.โ
โSome people just donโt care that some of their actions inflict pain on others.โ
All our efforts to locate the owner were futile. Her mobile phone number was not registered with the security men at the gate. Hence, it was not possible to locate her. Well, we just have to wait it out. When the owner of the Optimus car come around to move the car to โbailโ us out, almost one hour passed. We were not the only ones stranded. โHe or she must be a very inconsiderate person to have acted this way.โ That was what we thought.
At last, a petite lady appeared on the scene. Even before we could open up to vent our frustrations, she was all out with sincere apologies.
It turned out that she was not inconsiderate at all. Far from it.
Before she left the car park, she gave her number to the security-man directing traffic in and out of the park. Apparently, the security man left the premises without notifying his assistant or giving the ladyโs mobile phone number to him.
The unintended consequence โ was other vehicles were trapped behind the Optimus, as its owner was out of reach.
With an unassuming demeanor, she continued with her profuse apologies. Our annoyance now thoroughly assuaged, the stranded fellows now beamed with smiley reassuring faces โ her apologies accepted.
And so for us on that day, all was well that ended well. The moral of the last experience above call to mind the fourth equally vital lifeโs lesson.
Donโt be too quick to judge others or write people off.
As much as possible, always put the best construction into other peopleโs actions, (until proven otherwise of course). You never know how it feels or hurts until you walk in other peopleโs shoes.
Five years have passed since Willy started his secondary school education. Three days ago, we dropped him off at school to start the last lap of his six years course. The kids have been at home on a compulsive COVID-19 imposed extended six months plus holiday. Hopefully, by the middle of next year, he will be done and over with high school.
Five years seemed long ago, but my boyโs last lap journey brings to the fore the last lesson I learned on that day.
Several decades before that day, my dad and mum had rejoiced over me as I progressed through the education levels. Now it is my turn and my wifeโs too.
The tomorrow that once seemed so far away is now at hand. Once I was the child, now I am the father. Here is the last lesson I learned on that day.
Faraway tomorrows are closer than we thought.
Do not let the distance or duration or even costs stop you from pursuing a worthy cause.
For some of us, this may be the need to go for more training in formal, online, or vocational courses. Many times, the time along with other costs will stop us from pursuing worthwhile goals if we let them.ย
But considerย this, โIf you do not start now, two, four, five, or more years from now, you will still be in the same place.โ Whatever your lifeโs calling, keep on moving and pressing on toward your goals.
Here are the takeaways from this personal story
Whatever your lifeโs calling, keep on improving, otherwise, complacency will soothe and painlessly smother out your dreams and your life.
You already know the good life principles, go ahead, and make the world a better place by living them out.
Live conscientiously, after all, you are not the center of the universe. Donโt let a day pass without you extending the kindness you have received to others.
Donโt be too quick to judge others or write people off. You never know how it feels or hurts until you walk in other peopleโs shoes. Be patient and empathetic.
Tomorrow and all its accompanying tomorrows are nearer than we thought. Keep your eyes on the goal. And donโt forget to always take time to enjoy the sights and sounds of this journey called life.
Thank you for reading.
Another version of this essay was originally published on Medium.
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