Are you in or are you out?

Guest Writer: Wemi Opakunle

When I look back at my life, there are usually two things that pop out in my mind. The first is how worried I always was when things weren’t going well. The second is how well things always turned out in spite of my worry. I started thinking about this again recently when I had an unexpected expense pop up. I had been saving up for something else and suddenly, I had to use what I had saved to cover this expense. My first thought was ‘why’? My first reaction was irritation and a double dose of frustration.

After some time, I started feeling gratitude. Gratitude that the Universe had anticipated what was coming and allowed me time to save for what I would need. I have often spoken about trusting in one’s journey and knowing that you are more than capable of handling all of life’s curve balls but there’s a difference between knowing this truth and living it.

Let’s pretend that you’re heading out on a road trip. You know your destination, you’ve filled your car with gas, packed up some snacks in case you get hungry, even listened to the traffic and weather report. You get on the road, filled with excitement and anticipation. Twenty to thirty miles in, you hit some traffic. Maybe there was an unexpected accident. You start crawling through, not knowing how long it’s going to take. After sitting in traffic for an hour or two, you decide it’s not worth it, take the next exit and head back home.

The next day, you change your mind, get excited and decide to get on the road again. You give yourself a pep talk and realize that you shouldn’t have quit so easily. You should have stuck it through. It was only traffic, you tell yourself. Today will be better. Off you go. This time you breeze through. There’s a permanent smile plastered on your face. Half way through your journey, you hear a weird crackling sound coming from your engine. ‘What now?’ You ask.

After sitting on the side of the road for an hour waiting for a tow truck, you get hit with some bad news and it’s going to cost you. You tell the tow truck driver to take you back home. Once again, you’re not so sure the trip is worth it. Two weeks later, you start getting the urge to head out again. Turns out everything worked out with the car. You’re grateful and you chastise yourself for not having more faith. ‘You should have kept going’, you tell yourself and you begin to prepare to head out again…

I use the example above because this story is similar to how many of us live our lives. Filled with faith one day and running on emptiness and doubt the next.  If we keep going at this rate and with this back and forth attitude, we will never make it to our intended destination. Just like there are distractions, accidents, unexpected twists and turns on the road, including times when we miss our exit, there are moments when life throws us some serious and unanticipated scenarios. The important thing is to keep going and to keep trying to find your way. It is time to stop with the back and forth and most importantly with the doubt. In spite of all you’ve been through, you are still standing. That has to count for something.

I’m not here to tell you that there won’t be trials or moments when you feel weak but all you have to do is look back at all the other moments of weakness that you’ve overcome and find strength in those moments. It is time for you to look at your intended destination with determination, purpose and faith and ask yourself “are you in or are you out”?

Copyright © 2013, by Wemi Opakunle. All rights reserved.