Stop complaining!!

For those that know me well, i am not really a movie person. Nonetheless, When I first heard about Chadwick Boseman’s death, among feelings of sadness and questions like; “why too soon…?”, “how could this happen…?”, why is cancer robbing us of greatness…?”, I was touched by the strength he displayed even when he was secretly undergoing treatment and surgery.

While we sat in front of our TV sets and enjoyed his movies, non of us (well, at least majority of us) knew or could tell he was battling something that would robe him of his life (may his soul rest well).

Chadwick shot 7 movies while going through the absolute most! Can you imagine that? If you have been in media or been part of any video recording however small, you know that the work behind the scenes is not as flawless and easy as it looks when the final production is out for the public to enjoy. It’s work, it’s tiring, sometimes you want to just take a break or want to just deliver it the way it is without trying to take the 2nd, 3rd, 4th… and 9th take just to get it perfect.

Imagining that it must be more demanding for a movie production that involves traveling around the world participating in every promotional tour, not forgetting the obviously exhausting preps, makes me wonder; how can one carry such strength, what is a man hoping to archive by pushing himself too hard, what kind of passion can one have for their responsibilities or jobs that they will do them even when they have valid excuses to take a chill?

All this made me feel like, well, most of us have a lot of excuses and complain way too much. Quote me well, I ain’t saying jump off your hospital bed with tubes on your nose and mouth and show up for your duties. But, can we at least try to do what we have to do with passion and intentionality of seeing excellent goals to the best of our ability. If you passed on now, will people say, “oh yes, she/he lived a life of sacrifice?” Can your boss, employees, team, family, friends or your own self count on you to show up and do what it takes to build a life, a wall, a bridge or relationship that will solve a problem without feeling limitless???

I used to have so many excuses for not doing almost everything I had to do. I would be like; “I ain’t a good orator, I am not sure they will like me, I am too young, I am too old, I don’t fit in, how will they see me, what will they say of me, what if I fail, I am too involved what will happen if I have to step out…‍ The list is endless. All these excuses kept me in certain place of limitation. Within me I knew I was supposed to be doing better but I simply just didnt take those steps because of invalid excuses that looked valid to me. Over the years, i look back at those things and wish I actually did them or pushed myself to do them regardless of how I felt or what I thought about myself.

As I grow, I am daring myself to do things I would naturally feel I wouldn’t because of different fears. And surprisingly, I am realizing that those fears were just intimidating thoughts that were never real. I have also observed that there is no great joy and fulfillment than when you see the results of working on something passionately, however small, whatever it is.

Truthfully, most of us are living under our potential because we think we need what we don’t have to make a difference. There is someone out there who wishes was as healthy as I am, or had all the limbs I have, or received an education I received but unfortunately they don’t. Nonetheless, they still work around what they have. What then is my excuse?

One of my greatest fears is leaving this world not fully exhausted. Dying without sharing all my gifts and abilities. Imagine how you would feel if you had a small tent house on a ground with gold beneath it and you never found out because you never dared to get creative with it. Worse still, you get to live in absolute poverty then as your life withers away, with no strength left for you to do anything about anything, someone discovers that you have been sitting and sleeping.

Imagine that, imagine the regrets you would have, imagine the memories of poverty that would go through your mind as you wish you did or knew better.

They say life is filled with chances and luck for some few “preselected” people. But I think there is no such thing, time and chance happens to us all. However, how we use or see the opportunities that come before us will determine if we get lucky with those availed chances or not.

Life is short. Let’s stop complaining and just do what we got to do. Yes, stop!