Skip to main content

IN THE RING OF LIFE: WHO SETS THE STANDARD?

The subject of being pressured to consider life as a competitive race is one which cannot be overemphasized. Although it is one which is often spoken about at various places including seminars, conferences, workshops, in homes and schools, it remains one area that society just cannot get past approaching positively.

It is common to be asked some of these personal questions in rather upsetting ways: When are you getting married? How many children do you have now? Where do you work? Often, these questions are asked out of curiosity with a view of measuring our success in life or perhaps just to mock us because of the perceived delays defining certain aspects of our life.

I dare ask, who actually determines what is delay and progress in life? What is the standard of measure of success in life? Why do we equate accomplishments in life to marriage, occupation, childbirth, net worth, social status among many others? Ironically, one will barely come across acquaintances who would ask; how can I help make your life better than it currently is... Usually we are just so eager to hear negative news!

Unfortunately, we may be driven to succumb to this unfounded pressure and belittle ourselves and our achievements just because we might not have attained height A or B as our childhood friends, colleagues, church members and even siblings. The end result of such distressful thoughts is the negative impact it has on the emotional and mental well-being of the person(s) involved.


While one may make such queries and leave the scene, the individual in question is left to journey on a road of self-doubt, self-pity or blame and even self-condemnation. What we fail to realize or perhaps we just refuse to acknowledge is that, life is not a race at all. Every individual was born with a unique mission, purpose and destiny. No one has the moral right to make anyone feel less of an accomplished person based on the expectations set by them or society for the individual.
  1. Who is attacking your person currently based on their perceived expectation and vision for you
  2. Do they really have the right to question your worth as much as you have given them space to?
  3. Have you ever considered that they probably are just afraid that you are a powerhouse and intimidated by you?
Dear friend, by all means, shake off any pressure being set for your life and shine at your own pace! You owe no one an explanation for your life and other business.


Some studies have shown that happy people are those who live free of societal burdens and define their own conditions of success and growth in life. I therefore urge you to live your best life in peace and be your own unique self always.

Comments

  1. Interesting thoughts.
    I love the part where we should rather seek to help people make their lives better rather than just being inquisitive about one’s position on the ladder of life.
    Bless you Counsellor

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for your contribution. Bless you too

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Please remember to click the follow button on the top left corner of the page. Warmest Regards!

Popular posts from this blog

IN THE RING OF LIFE: "MOMMY STOP"

Since my twins have started talking, I have been telling them that they can be and can do anything good they want to . I am careful and intentional with constantly reminding them of that. The essence of this exercise is to build their self-confidence and esteem and also empower them to be anything positive they desire to be without yielding to negative energy. One morning, one of the twins, my three-year-old son was dressing up for us to step out. He wanted to close the flap of his shorts but was visibly struggling. I decided to guide him to do it in good time. As I stretched to hold his flap, he held on to it, gave me a stern look and said, "Mommy stop! You told me I can do anything. Why are you helping me? I will do it myself!" Heh! I was shocked but pleasantly surprised that he was applying the principle to even me. I managed to find my voice somehow and said, "Yes, I did say that and it's true that you can do anything. I just wanted to help you". He repl

IN THE RING OF LIFE: CARE FOR THE STUDENT LIVING WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS

Substance use disorders, depression, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, and suicidal behaviour have been reported in the broader literature as the typical and most prevalent mental health problems among the youth population in Ghana and within the Sub-Saharan Africa region (Nyundo et al., 2020; Ohene & Ofori-Atta, 2014). This is a source of grave concern to many stakeholders especially in the educational sector. It worthy to note that educational pursuits are essential for the individual for many reasons; to gain knowledge and information, build capacity, develop goals, and influence employment opportunities. It also enables the individual to learn social skills and soft skills, address social inequality and be responsible contributors to society.  Despite its numerous benefits, the pursuit of education may also be daunting for students irrespective of their age. However, for students who are recovering from any form of mental health conditions (MHC), educational pursuit can be eve

IN THE RING OF LIFE: WHAT DO YOU DO IN CHALLENGING TIMES?

Life has a way of throwing us off our intended course often. It is either our set goals are unmet due to choices made with insufficient information or as a result of circumstances far beyond our control as mortals. In most cases, this frightens us and when we are unable to quickly recover, our life may become miserable, stagnated or perhaps enter a phase of absolute halt. However, I have come to appreciate that probably the word - CHALLENGE(s) gives more openings than we may acknowledge. This is probably because during the times when we find ourselves in a situation that CHALLENGES us, we are shaken beyond our usual scope of reach. Let us reflect on an untapped angle to challenges we encounter in life: Some dictionaries define the word CHALLENGE as (an invitation to take part or compete in something/a call to prove or justify something/a dire/a bid/to question something, a situation, a person etc)... Thus in perceiving a situation as a CHALLENGE in life, be it in relation to education