On ‘A MENU CALLED LIFE’ By Miriam Mukasa

I walked into my favourite restaurant, smiled at the waiter who showed me to my usual table. He placed a menu in my...


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I walked into my favourite restaurant, smiled at the waiter who showed me to my usual table. He placed a menu in my hands and politely asked: “Madam, what would you like to order from our special LIFE menu today? Our chef has made the following specials:

1. AN EASY LIFE
2. A LIFE FULL OF RICHES
3. A LIFE FULL OF FUN
4. A LIFE FULL OF CHALLENGES
5. A LIFE FULL OF MISTAKES
6. A LIFE FULL OF SUCCESS
7. A LIFE FULL OF PEOPLE WHO AGREE WITH YOU
8. A LIFE FULL OF PEOPLE WHO DISAGREE WITH YOU
9. A LIFE SPRINKLED WITH UNPREDICTABLE PAIN AND PERHAPS ILL HEALTH
10. ALL OF THE ABOVE

“Sir, please give me the All of the above dish” I replied, as I sat back and waited with bated breath to see what my plateful of life would look like. I glanced at the couple at the next table, one half had ordered ‘A Life full of Fun’, while the other had ordered ‘A Life Full of Riches’. Well, given how miserable they looked, I wondered why they had refrained from a plateful of Challenges and Mistakes when in fact, these are what build our spirits…

Something tells me that many people would have selected dishes: 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7. After all, who would not want an easy life – a life full of riches, a life full of fun, a life full of success and one where people agree with you? However, life is not about what we want, but rather, it is about reality. Often when something looks too good to be true, it is. People will dump family or friends who they perceive as being too demanding (because these family members are expecting them to work hard), for someone who promises them gifts, money, or a life full of fun with so little required of and, from them. Off they go without even a backwards glance.

By all means do so, but remember the menu above contains most of the dishes required to make us stronger and survive life. Anyone promising you an easy life has seen that you are easy prey and is playing on your weakness or laziness. They will isolate you from family or friends who want the best for you by telling you, your parents or friends are too demanding because they expect you to work hard all the time. Some of you may fall for this. Others will see right through this nonsense. After all, when you build or buy a house, you make sure the foundations are strong enough to withstand all elements be they: rain, heat, lightening, floods, and so forth – this is often what our parents want for us yet, many of us have rebelled and, continue to rebel. We say our parents are too demanding, too old fashioned, our boss wants too much sweat. Why should I listen to them when my friend Peter is promising me Ksh 150,000 per month, for doing little. Really? Well, good luck my friend; I prefer facing challenges over false promises, any day. For challenges make us resilient; challenges help us to build our foundation thus enabling us to weather any storm. How can we learn to be resilient if we only want the easy way out?

While we humans are made from the same stuff, why is it, some are able to withstand challenges far better than others? It boils down to one big thing: RESILIENCE – the ability to rise every time you fall! So, please sir, give me item 10 in the menu above, and let me deal with all that life throws at me; for I am ready, willing and able to tackle challenges coming my way. I will persevere and I will be patient. For I know that pain thrown my way on planet earth, will be replaced by happiness when the Creator finally calls me home. To read more posts by Miriam, click HERE

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