Life is a collaborative race

People have different opinions on how they view the journey of life. I have heard some describe it as a sprint as they believe the earlier the better. A friend once told me that the good things of life should be enjoyed when we have the strength and health for it.

Another school of thought thinks life is a relay as no one exists in isolation. Everyone stands on the shoulders of those that have gone ahead of them. From parents, siblings, colleagues, teachers, and society at large. We are a sum-total of the various people that have had influences on us. In that case, no one is an island and no one is self-made. Even though that is true, one’s outcome is largely dependent on how one has been able to maximize those influences and experiences.

The third school of thought thinks life is a marathon, it is not how fast but how well. They believe that how you finish is more important than how you start. I opined that the three schools of thought are correct as life has a mixture of relay, sprint, and marathon. Sprint because speed is needed in the right direction. Just like the proverbial adage, a stitch in time saves nine. One must seize opportunities within the lifetime of that opportunity. Sometimes, there might never be a second chance. Think about a football striker scoring a goal when the match is over. That definitely will be termed an exercise in futility.

Life also has an element of a relay as knowledge is progressive and everyone belongs to a family tree. I believe life is an endurance test as everyone goes through seasons, and life cycles. The time from cradle to grave connotes a marathon. However, one cannot catwalk as speed, stamina, endurance, strength, and flexibility are of the essence. More importantly, collaboration is needed as we journey through life. An inspirational quote by African Proverb about the value of Community in my opinion is one of the best summaries of the journey of life: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” We obviously cannot go through life alone, we need the guidance, support, prayers, friendship, and mentorship of people ahead, behind, and beside us.

They are definitely road bumps on the journey of life and the holy book pretty much lets us know how to avoid the roadblocks. Paraphrasing Proverbs 11:14 & Proverbs 15:22; says in the multitude of counsel, there is safety. So, I believe life is a collaborative race and everyone needs to be aware that one can’t do life alone. We need both vertical and horizontal symbiotic relationships. We must learn to enjoy where we are on the way to where we are going. There ought to be delayed gratification as the journey of life is a long one. Today is important but tomorrow is even more important. Some people only think about tomorrow and they are not able to enjoy the moment. Some other people just think about today saying tomorrow will worry about itself.

The journey of life is a balancing act and we must learn to enjoy the moment but not at the expense of the future. We should not forever be in a state of anticipation. It is called delayed gratification and not denied gratification. As we race through life, we need to embrace meaningful relationships that will inspire, encourage, motivate, and keep us going. We must never stop learning, yearning, live in regrets, and more important we must collaborate. Life, though a solo race, we will always need others to complete the journey.