A Flawed World.

Imagine a world in which everything is perfect.
(Let’s pretend it’s true even if it isn’t.)

As we now know, the earth is not a perfectly round sphere.
But when God created the Earth, it was magnificent and beautiful.
That was before the wrong fruit was consumed.
Before the serpent deceived humanity.
That was before the first man realised that birthday suits are no longer appropriate for public consumption and that some cover may be required.
When greed was not a thing before it became one.
Before a jealous brother murdered another brother.
Before the universe started throwing us lemons and demanding that we flip them into lemonade.

Lola might have been fond of lemons.
She might have also made scrumptious lemonades.
Lola was timid.
She never thought she could handle things on her own.
It’s possible that she grew up with low self-esteem.
She was powerful, though.

I\’ve never understood why some people developed a timid nature as children, while others developed bold personalities or behaved like hoodlums.
And while some people are able to overcome their timidity, others struggle through life.
So unjust. Such an imbalance, hence, a flawed world.

Lola was a fighter. She still is.
Eventually, she stopped letting life control how she lived.
By the horns, she grabbed the bull.
She dealt with life.
Pushed forward.
She persevered, and her strength is an inspiration.

But let’s pretend Lola was never timid.
Let’s pretend she didn’t think everyone else was better than her.
Let’s pretend she was the cutest girl, and when she walked by, everyone stopped and gawked.
Let’s pretend she had no trouble interacting with her classmates or making friends while in college.
Let’s pretend that she attracted all the boys.
Let’s pretend she had everything under control and that her academic performance was excellent.
Let’s pretend that she got all she wished for and that she never considered offing herself at some point to end it all.

Many people read motivational books, and that’s fine.
Some people believe the solutions to their problems in life are in those books.
Others think they are the best manual for living, and that’s okay.
But we all know that life does not come with an instruction sheet.
And how we live and survive is entirely subjective.
What works for you might not work for me, don’t you think?

Let’s pretend Lola never desired to be the fairest of them all.
Let’s pretend she never read “How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less” by Nicholas Boothman or James Williams’s “How to Make People Do What You Want “.
Let’s pretend she didn’t adhere to the advice from the self-help book.
Let’s pretend that everything went her way.
Let’s pretend she didn’t buy more books in search of solutions.
She did all and still did not get all of the answers she desired.

The universe is designed to keep us striving.
And because we are constantly driven by desires, we are encouraged to keep aiming for the top.
And once you reach your peak, you realise there are more peaks to come.
You realise times have changed and the perceived best is no longer the best.
This is because the world is ever-evolving.
So you need to keep moving forward and aim for new highs because anything short of that would be seen as settling for less.
That is why the rich will continue to try to get richer, and the learned will strive to learn more.

But to what end?
When does it all stop?

The truth is, it never stops.

Not until nature calls.
Not until the bones begin to progressively lose their strength.
Not until the muscles begin to lose tone.
When one no longer has 20/20 vision.
When it becomes difficult to remain in a 3-minute squat without losing balance.

Lola reconditioned her psychology as soon as she became aware of the situation.
She was able to prioritise her objectives and establish new benchmarks.
These became her guiding principles as she progressed.
She developed her own drive.
She constantly motivated herself and set her sights on the top.
She succeeded.
She is free to choose whether she wants to go for another top at this time.
And even if she doesn’t, she is still happy.

We all want to live flawless life in an imperfect world.
I appreciate a good life.
I’ve learned, however, not to kill myself in pursuit of those dreams.
I’ll take it one step at a time. There is no rush.
And when life hands me lemons, I can put my lemonade-making skills to use.

It’s okay if the books don’t provide the answers you seek.
It may appear that you are not meeting your objectives, but that is fine.
It’s okay if you don’t appear to have everything figured out.
Simply keep moving.
Set specific and attainable goals.
Don’t be disheartened by what isn’t working right now.
Consider your destination.
You may fail a couple of times, but keep pushing.
And once you’ve achieved your objectives, you\’re bound to want more.
Don’t kill yourself in the process because the universe will almost never be perfect.

See you at the top.