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MAKING IT BETTER: Love Is Really The Answer…Isn’t It?

By Gloria Ogunbadejo
Monday, February 27th, 2017
3 comments

I’m almost embarrassed to ask this question because I feel as if I should know better, but I have had to get really serious about my state of mind and subsequent thinking recently. So let’s have some real talk here folks. Over the last few months I have been angry, irritated, anxious, and even almost disproportionately hysterical about a number of things and with various people. Some of the reasons for my reaction were justifiable and long overdue but I also came to the realisation that my approach to some things was not helpful to me, nor to people or to the situation. It goes without saying that many people are behaving badly in almost every situation you can think of and I have to be honest enough to include myself. I have found myself feeling so frustrated and overwhelmed by narrow minded attitudes and actions of unpleasant people that I started behaving in a similar manner simply to be able to survive what felt like an onslaught.

It’s bad enough having to listen to all the news of all the gory things happening all around the world. Then you also have to contend with all the equally gory things taking place up close and personal in our daily lives. There’s really no need to list things here; we speak on them and read about them daily. I think what felt unbearable to me in addition to all the injustices and outright viciousness, wickedness and unkindness that just seems to abound, was the complete refusal by the perpetrators to acknowledge or take ownership of any of their actions! In addition to this, people around them seem to encourage and collude with them. For those who try to make them accountable end up being demonised. It brings to mind that expression that says ‘The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is if good men do nothing’, or something to that extent.

We live in times when people need to show up, step up and not do nothing. We can all do something. We just have to identify what ‘something’ is within your reach. Nothing is too little. Just like there is a collective movement of evil taking place across the globe which is manifest in all these bizarre stories we read and hear about everyday; I firmly believe there is also a collective movement of good and love that is also making its way. That task will be harder and requires more determination but it can and will be victorious!

Here at Above Whispers, I like to think the intentions of the creator, Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi, to spread love, to fight injustices, to raise awareness of important worldly issues, and a host of other positive efforts has  lit a flame that drew to it like minded people who also feel the need for something different and better.  Here I feel I share space with people who are willing to try to think out of the box and who have enquiring minds. It certainly doesn’t mean we will agree on everything and that is very healthy. However as much as it may be a struggle to read about things that we may be fundamentally opposed to, we still have enough goodwill to be tolerant of one another. Its seems like that should be a simple enough expectation we as human beings should have for one another, but it’s painfully evident that tolerance is a scarce commodity in the world today.

So the penny dropped for me whilst I was going through all this angst I was talking about last time I wrote and today. I was not living in the moment, in this wonderful gift we call ‘the present’ (Gods GIFT to us). It is such a simple concept, living in the moment, being mindful of your experiences daily, hourly; but it’s one of the hardest things to do.  We take for granted the gift of the PRESENT all the time. We waste and abuse this precious time we have been given all the time; time that we can never get back again. I have always believed being happy IS a choice, regardless of what difficulties we are surrounded by. You can change how you respond to any situation. It doesn’t necessarily mean the adversity will be removed, but your attitude will certainly determine how you emerge from it. Sometimes we have to reset our thinking and refocus or focus on what matters. The noises in the world at the moment are deafening. It’s hard to hear yourself think or to know if any of what you are hearing is actually coming from you or whether you have lost the ability to generate your own thoughts. Not here at Above Whispers! We hear one another’s voices, the Loud Whispers, the softer whispers and everything in between.

So my responsibility to myself first and foremost is to check myself and take charge, take control of my responses and most importantly to trust my intentions and know I have been guided to this point by the divine and by my determination and sheer love of humanity……Making it Better.

 

Gloria Ogunbadejo writes a weekly column for Punch Newspaper. She is a Psychotherapist, a life coach, a holistic counsellor and an ordained Minister

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3 Responses

  1. I can’t just stop reading your write ups.. It ministers to the soul. I was so so angry at a lot of things last week and i noticed i was only causing more pains to myself. Love is all that matters, moreover i am not perfect and i keep working on myself.
    Abovewhispers has really opened my eyes to a lot of things and i am glad to be associated with this platform and i also appreciate the CEO.

  2. Waoh…. Nice piece ma.
    I Love this point you made “We take for granted the gift of the PRESENT all the time. We waste and abuse this precious time we have been given all the time; time that we can never get back again”. Of a truth being happy is a CHOICE, regardless of what difficulties we are surrounded by. We can change how we respond to any situation. It doesn’t necessarily mean the
    adversity will be removed, but our attitude will certainly determine how we emerge from it…….
    LOVE is indeed the answer to a better and beautiful Life…. Because Love makes the whole world beautiful and a better place to live

  3. Yeah, love is the answer for it breeds tolerance and understanding. the tolerance to listen to others even when you dont agree with them and still try to understand their perspective. this is great ma

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