The Journey To Self-Discovery: The Pains And Gains Of Life

Posted on November 3, 2019 by the Editor

By Babawale Oke. Babawale, 26, is a freelance writer, editor and founder of a youth-driven blog. He is also an entrepreneur with a specific focus on the agricultural sector. He lives in Ibadan, Nigeria. Please read his article and leave your thoughts and comments below.

The journey through life would have been smooth and hassle-free if we all knew what we were created for at birth. Within our short stay here, we would have made mouth-watering impacts before passing away. However, the story is different. If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. A lot of people waste away in life in the process of unraveling what they were made for; we spend money, attend conferences and read volumes of books with the intent of knowing what we are meant for but still end up crawling through life.

Things are more complicated for those from third-world nations; the ill-birthed governmental policies and environmental factors naturally muzzle life out of us. We only read of greatness without having a taste of it; we long for a world that will never come, and we nurse ambitions never to be realized. We live in eternal psychological pains and end up dying like wretched beings!

The assertion of Michel Foucault that: “I don’t feel that it is necessary to know exactly what I am. The main interest in life and work is to become someone else that you were not in the beginning” is not only apt but also forward-looking. No human deserves to live in a cycle of unwanted pains. Our real identity is not enclosed in our circumstances of birth, rather, it is what we decide to make out of life.

At birth, our identity is modelled after our parents; people describe us based on the status and occupation of our parents. Some were fortunate to have been given birth to by the rich while a lot came through poor parents. None of us made a choice. Life is too short to be questioning the circumstances of your birth. What is paramount is what you make out of it. You have to be solution-driven, forward-looking and impact-thirsty. This is the only way you can distinguish yourself. This is the foundation of self-discovery.

The most form of miserable living is to live in the shadows of others. Within my short stint on this planet, I’ve seen second-tier billionaires; people whose names are not mentioned except someone is being discussed. Despite their material wealth, there is nothing original that can be alluded to them. That’s pathetic! On the other hand, are those who live on their parents’ possessions. Such people never saw a need to design a life of their own. Happiness may be shared but joy isn’t transferrable; joy is an internal feeling that gives us the satisfaction we crave for. It’s personally designed, it’s personally lived. It’s gotten through a sense of purpose.

There’s no necessity in thinking that you’re a child of poor parents; no need of thinking of being a product of wedlock; there’s nothing fantastic about being a child of the rich when it comes to personal development. They’re merely vehicular means through which you came to this world. You can’t live in an illusion for your entire life. What is important is what you carve out of life for yourself.

What makes life interesting are the challenges we daily encounter; the conflicts that show up on our ways, the victories we rejoice in and defeats that humble us. When you move out of your comfort zone, you see life from another perspective. Some people shy away from this reality and die without having a real taste of life.

When we leave our comfort zone, the aim is to find a better abode, a more comforting environment, and workable relationships. In the process of this, there are items you need to drop; you need to work on your behaviour, be more calm, tolerant and react maturely to issues. When you’re consistent with this, your entire being changes overtime, making you different from who you were at the beginning. At this point, people no longer describe you in relation to your parents but with your personal experiences in life. Your relationships are now built on personal efforts and life designed to taste. You can reminisce on the past at this juncture and either laugh or cry. Consciously or otherwise, this is what every human goes through in life.

Even if we decide to remain unchanged, life would still find a way to manipulate us. That’s why I share the sentiment with Foucault that we must drive life instead of vice-versa because if we leave our destinies at the mercies of life, it would most probably create an ugly future for us.

At this point, I humbly request that you open your heart to me for a brief conversation: I don’t know your circumstances of birth neither do I know the number of defeats you’ve suffered before now. Never allow those things to define you. There are billions of people on earth but there’s a seed in you that’s not in anyone else. Nurture it to growth. Be conscious about your development and look beyond the temporal setbacks. If you keep knocking, the mountain would soon level up. No one knocks and gets knocked. If your work doesn’t give you the joy you long for, quit and work along with your passion. My message is simple; never allow what you can control drive you around.

This is what I call the journey to self-discovery. If you’re given a chance to look back at what you did throughout your stay on earth before taking your last breath, will you feel empty and die with regrets or satisfied and smile joyfully to the other world? Answer this question through your daily activities!

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194 comments on “The Journey To Self-Discovery: The Pains And Gains Of Life”

  21. Adeola Oni on

    This portion of the article resonates: “The assertion of Michel Foucault that: “I don’t feel that it is necessary to know exactly what I am. The main interest in life and work is to become someone else that you were not in the beginning”. A well written piece. May your ink not run dry…

    Reply
  24. Ogungbire Daniel Gbenga on

    Nice write up…. Majorly human satisfaction is derived when ones purpose is discovered and working line in with it

    Reply
  31. Fatoki Oore-ofe on

    Wow!!! This is a deep thought. It really got me thinking. I need to share this article for my friends to read. Well-done @ Oke Babawale.

    Reply
  34. Faithtomi on

    If we decide to go by the saying what would be would be,what may eventually be may not be what we want. We have to go for what we want. Thanks for the writeup. More grease to you elbow.

    Reply
  49. Damilola Sunday Siyanbola on

    “When we leave our comfort zone, the aim is to find a better abode, a more comforting environment, and workable relationships. In the process of this, there are items you need to drop; you need to work on your behaviour, be more calm, tolerant and react maturely to issues.”
    Thanks Mr. Oke Babawale for giving us a very Educative and yet Entertaining article.

    Reply
  57. Egbe on

    Road to self discovery takes a lot of patience because of the ideas that as been programmed in our head since young age. Patient yet working smart by putting God first to achieve and discover the true purpose of our existence.
    Your pen will not run dry, i pray. Keep inspiring.

    Reply
  73. obiodoh Daniel on

    Wow!!!! Not only is this write up true, it’s motivational. People like this young guy should be given a higher platform to tell the youths of the today the truth about life. Well done. I wish you success

    Reply

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