Look to see, lessons can easily be forgotten.
No one, especially not myself expected that the global world as we know it would be disrupted in the manner it has in the last five weeks (now 4 months and counting). Indeed, this is the mother of all disruptions in history. An invisible virus sends humanity into the comfort of their homes and company of their loved ones or sadly their abusive ones.
These are lessons I have learnt from being in the COVID-19 induced lockdown.
1. Life is to be lived as a matter of PRIORITIES not emergencies
The COVID-19 outbreak has proven to us… especially myself that one may race through life comparing ourselves with people around us - how well we meet up with the deadlines, goals, timelines, ambitions and visions of life; how much we acquire in terms of wealth; public recognitions and accolades of life; how much leisure we enjoy.
Good as these things are, I am firmly understanding how to put these things in proper perspective - as the Holy Spirit leads me through. I now know that - Real emergency is the PRIORITIES we give to God, family, pursuit of purpose and the relationships we are building towards the attainment of life’s vison… creating value, adding value and contributing our quota in leaving this world better than we came into it.
2. It all boils down to RELATIONSHIPS
It is not good to live life Alone.
One needs to enjoy fellowship with God - This period afforded me an opportunity to fellowship in very unique manner than I've been doing in recent times. I completed books of the scriptures I would not have normally read. Taught at the family table and stretched the limits of my faith. In the end I pursued my fellowship with such Fevor of purpose.
I also came to understand that for man to achieve his personal purpose and live life fully he needs men – a woman to be by his side, a friend to encourage, cheer on and collaborate with, a co-worker to perform tasks and achieve set goals and objectives. Therefore, I had moments when I reevaluated the relationships around me, and I leading me to cherish them more
Finally, understanding that relationship is the vehicle in which we can contribute significantly to the lives of others, helping others make God-sense of their lives and journeys in life. As John Maxwell would say – “People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care”
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Caring for people can be done either by being a ladder to which they climb to see higher to gain a new perspective, or telescope through which they see beyond their present circumstances, or fertilizer – a catalyst of rapid growth towards the attainment of their full potential, or yet still as pruning knives removing excesses, deadweights and besetting habits that so easily slows down their speed of accomplishment.
3. Connect better with your family
Judging by the fact that I have not really spent so much time growing up with my immediate family members. This period afforded the opportunity to know them on a much deeper level - as we fellowship in the Spirit, share in other’s life journey, correct, encourage, challenge and just love on one another. I really cannot trade this time out for anything else. It is really fantastic in every sense of the time.
Be more adventurous
This break afforded me an opportunity to have enough time on my hands to take on projects I never would have thought possible. Part of which includes – Joining a group of creative achievers in raising funds to support the vulnerable ones - #FundTheFlow. At the same time learning to multiply my productivity in personal and professional life with simple yet applicable hacks. Responding to the desire to start a personal blog that share nuggets and lessons from my life’s journeys (Oludare.substack.com). All these needed that I confront and conquer my procastinating tendencies.
5. Enjoy my own company
A lot of time we use the busyness of life as a medium to drown issues of insecurity, failures and wounds we have failed to process, confront, defeat and conquer. This looooong break period has provided me ample opportunity to have difficult conversations with myself. As I learnt to just sit and enjoy processing my own thoughts being in my world of imagination - not daydreaming. Rather, envisioning for the days ahead of me.
Fun facts
My top moment from this experience is enjoying the company of my family and being a part of a force - #SwitchOnBootCamp.
I have picked up writing as my new skill, churning out more of unpublished articles than published ones. Lol!!! (This here is changing already…)
What have you learnt from this break... Share with me too.
Download the full book here
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Well, from my end, I've picked the habit of reading more books cutting across several areas of life. Spiritual nurturing and sharpening, writing as well, and being determined in achieving set goals. All in all, self development has been the key. Thanks