Years ago while still a secondary school student, I came across an old book at my brother in law’s house, I think it was Dale Carnegie.
It was in there that I first read the importance of giving oneself a pep talk.
The book said doing so will keep your spirits high and your believe system strong.
I found the idea extremely interesting but the idea of standing in front of the mirror and talking to myself oh no…. I felt was really awkward.
So instead of pep talk I resorted to pep notes, some of them became longer and became what I called pep letters.
I wrote pep letters in journals, in pieces of paper some of which I lost. Somewhere along the line I stopped writing those.
Perhaps it had something to do with motherhood because then I concentrated more on writing letters to my sons (someday when they are grown up, I hope they find the letters).
Chris says we need to have a good conversation with ourselves, ask questions such as what is next, why do we do the things we do, what gets us worried.
So I embarked on the selfie letter journey. I went back to pep notes and I have since written many to myself. These have made me strong. I thought to share this selfie letter with you today. I think you can write selfies too to help you capture the moments, the turmoils, the joys and pains within your heart.
Dear Self
You will not always make sense of life. Some days life will be terrify you, it will feel like it is slipping away unlived, other days it will feel like it is burning down right before your eyes. Some days nothing will make sense.
On days like that do not be afraid, life is not always meant to be understood but to be lived. If you spend too much time trying to figure it all out and to get it right, you will be robbed of the joy that comes from just living.
So what if you don’t know what your life is meant to be?
What if you do not know what your purpose is?
What if you haven’t accomplished your dreams?
What if all you ever wanted to be is no longer what you want to be?
So what if life is not what you had pictured?
So what if nothing makes sense?
Just may be life is not meant to make sense but to be lived.
Maybe it is meant for you to take it all in, to breath it in and to live it.
On days that life terrifies you, remember to listen to the singing birds. Let them remind your soul to sing too.
Read good books and savor the pleasure of reading.
Pick pebbles and shells when you find them.
Take walks and while you are at it remember to notice different colors of the flowers on the wayside.
You go to the mall or bus station count the number of people smiling.
Life is meant for the mist and raindrops to kiss your face and for the sunlight to caress your body. Take its beauty in, let the mountains speak to you.
Let the rivers whisper the sweet nothings to your soul. Maybe the rivers will remind your soul of its potential to overflow and navigate through life’s hardest routes.
Life is an interesting playground. Take slides and swings on it. It will leave you with a smile on your face. Pay attention to life, you will find that the hours in it are full of magic and full of God. You will hear God and feel his hand if only you listen. And this God gave you life for it to be lived; you don’t need rosey paths and Hollywood endings to live it.
You go ahead eat mango, deep your hands into the watermelon and let the juices drip over your lips. Cook. Get lost on what is in the plate. Allow your food to linger on your tongue. Why hurry through life; just for a moment will it harm you if you leave your phone unattended. Smell the baked bread and throw away the one thats stale .
Remember when you were a child and the world was beautiful, the stars and the moon were a wonder and the smell of fat cakes was divine.
Remember when cuddles and hugs were pure.
May you open your eyes to those wonders, the ones that adulthood made you forget. May you see them again, breath them in. Go on catch the butterflies when you find them and let their color cohere into your hands.
When the night comes and you still cant make sense of life watch the sunset, sleep, lift your head from the pillow and wait for its rising.
Remember life is not always supposed to make sense.
Don’t let it slide by without living it.
Maybe when you come to the end of it just maybe you will realize it was supposed to be lived just as it, that its beatings were not supposed to make you stop living.
