Defying the odds, taking a stand

This has been a year like no other in Defying the odds. It has no doubt tested every ounce of our faith, our resilience and our belief in the future in owning your life. Some of us have already reached our tipping point whilst others are hanging on by a sheer tread.

I acknowledge all the disappointments, losses and misfortunes that this time has brought, big and small and all that we have had to endure. It is not an easy time for many of us and we cannot even begin to compare our journey to each other. We all come from different walks of life and we are all affected by different degrees of pain.

Over the years I have been inspired to write a book on living ON purpose. This title has probably never been more apt for me than over the past few months. It captures so greatly the vast ocean of doubt, of fear, of anxiety. It also dawns on you the reality that the world, despite its sudden paralysis, is still moving and you are still expected to do your jobs, run your households, raise your kids and fit your bills. All this amidst the chaos of death, job losses, financial drain and a world that has redefined the words of hope and faith with many of us asking ourselves if there is indeed a higher power looking after us.

We have all been living in our cocoons over the last year, afraid to venture out, to stray from the rules, lest we inflict harm on others. Writing this book has been one of my greatest enablers, it has helped me to cope, its kept me motivated, focused and accountable to myself. It has created a sense of seriousness to overcome the challenges I faced, defiance against death, against loss, against failure.

The more I wrote it, the more I motivated myself. It has been, without a doubt, a beacon of hope for me, guiding me through treacherous terrain and assuring me of the promise of a new day, especially when hope was wavering around me.

It has presented and reaffirmed the need to live a life of relevance with an understanding of who we are at a deeper level of consciousness, because we are so much more than what we have and what we do. It tests our thinking paradigms about what we are passionate about and how we set examples to others in the way in which we show up and uphold our principles in this life, how we school up to teach and shape others in turn, how we step up to seize our goals and our responsibilities and give it the attention it deserves, how we suit up to make our mark on society, because our legacy is measured by what we give, not by what we receive.

Defying the odds, taking a stand and owning your life

It has affirmed the need to stand up to defeat and failure, to claim our rightful place on this earth, to know why we exist, what we value, to direct our lives and to make the changes we have been putting off for too long. We are reminded of the great power that lies within each of us, an extraordinary energy that moves us every day to strive for magic, to move gallantly forward, despite the madness that surrounds us, to continue to aspire in creating our very own miracles. It has emphasized the importance of a life of continuous learning because there is so much we do not know and much we cannot fathom, so we must continue to shift the dial and push the boundaries of our minds.

It imparts the valuable opportunity of learning to value our bodies, our minds and appreciate the gift of life, to shape our thoughts, our habits and our behaviours. We realize that we can either set ourselves up for failure or for success and the differentiating factor is how we live our lives, the level of care and concern we have for our loved ones and ourselves.

It has highlighted the need to apply solid mindedness of personal effectiveness, making sure our affairs are in order so that when our ticket number is called, we are not leaving unprepared, with unfinished business and broken relationships, that we made peace with all that we needed to. This pandemic has highlighted the necessity of savings and brought us to the realization that we have far more than we actually need and so much more that we can use to help others. It reminds us that when we leave this world, we do so empty handed, with nothing, only the goodness of our generosity.

Of course, we were not born into isolation. It reminds us that we must seek to love others, to guide others, to take a stand when we need to, to nurture when we need to. The relationships we create are fundamental to our welfare, our sense of belonging in this world, our sense of acceptance and our sense of fulfillment.

We must speak into our lives, faith and promise, so that we seize this life, with all its challenges and make it count. More importantly, we must say what’s in our hearts and how much we value the people we have in our lives. Covid-19 has been an aggressive reminder of this

This is living a life on purpose, purposely choosing to defy the odds, take a stand and own the life we have, with all its foes and favour.

By Nimee Dhuloo

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