What is the first thing that comes to mind when you remember that the world we live in is a temporary place?
How does it feel knowing that we will be gone someday leaving friends and family behind?
This topic has taken tears from my eyes countless times because it is nothing easy seeing someone you love depart from this cold world, the pain remains here because the deceased won't feel what others are feeling as they embark on an after-life journey.
Death is a bitter truth we have to swallow because no matter how long we stay, we are going back home.
Have you ever wondered why the afterlife is called home?
The world we live in is full of struggles, hardship, and pain but as humans, we find a way to create our happiness regardless of our conditions or what the world looks like. Since we don't have things to struggle with when deceased, the death position is considered a rest point for every human.
As much as I believe this, I have a small disagreement because I believe that only those who lived a good life are the ones truly resting. It has been a guide for me because I have understood from a younger age that the things we do while we are alive have an impact on what the afterlife would look like for us and it is one of the things that should encourage or motivate us to live a good life.
Every day lots of people journey from the world to the afterlife and seeing the youths who could change the world leaving quite early can be heartbreaking, in a short period we have seen the exit of people who are philanthropists, people who have helped lots of dreams come to reality, people who have inspired people to achieve greatness in the world and despite knowing that death is inevitable, we wish these people weren't taken away from us.
It got me thinking about several things which resulted in the topic, it was a question but I this according to my thoughts and belief.
What does the death of others teach me?
I am someone who picks lessons from everything happening around me and I have concluded that the death of others is a lesson to us, it doesn't end there because we will also be a lesson to some other people as well.
The lessons are numerous but everything is built on one thing which is "we will all be leaving someday".
The words keep ringing a bell in my ear whenever I hear about the death of others, it makes me scared. It makes me worried about the things I want to achieve in life, it makes me worried about what my afterlife journey would look like.
What will I be remembered for? The good or the bad things of the world. It is impossible to have a perfect life but not doing the best you can seem to be the major imperfection for me.
The world is meant for no one.
It is so surprising for me to see people live like they own the world, they do so many terrible things to a fellow human because of the wealth or power bestowed on them.
It baffles me how this set of people are blinded to the fact that those who lived like them in the past are no more. Understanding that we will be leaving the world someday is enough for us to be good and live life the best way we can because we will be returning empty-handed as we came to the world.
So why do we have to:
Be cruel?
Live like there is no tomorrow?
Be an oppressor?
Forcefully take things from people?
Refuse to help people in need when we can do so?
Make others cry when we should be spreading happiness.
These things are what we see in the world today, people go on stealing not just from an individual but a whole nation just to satisfy their selfish desires forgetting that none of the wealth will be taken out of this world.
Everything we acquired here will remain here, the fame, the wealth, the connection, luxury, and power won't journey with us to the afterlife. They all end here and have no value or importance when we are done here.
What matters???
I remembered someone asking me how rich do I want to be in life some years ago and my response was that " I want to be rich enough to take care of my family, friends and help the people around me who are in need". The person said why didn't I just choose to be as rich as the world richest man and I said that all those things don't count for me because none of the wealth matters and when I am gone they become history but even with the little I have, the life I have touched, the people I have blessed are what matters.
I didn't say those words because of writing sake, it has always been my dream to support people with the things I have.
Recently a woman was buried with a casket worth thirty million naira in a place where there are homeless, sick, hungry, and jobless people. You must be thinking I am disturbed with a poor man mentality, you are right but I would have chosen to start a foundation with that money in the memory of the late person.
I have grown to believe that the things we do here on earth are what matters, our journey afterlife would be determined by how we have lived. It is just so unfortunate that as realistic as the truth is, a lot of us still turn away from it.
Living a good life of your choice doesn't prevent you from having fun or exploring the world as you have dreamed, it doesn't stop you from enjoying your wealth neither does it condemn you to terrible things afterlife but helping others should be a priority as well.
All images in the post belong to me...
Be kind to others and be of service to them in every way you can so you won't have regrets in the end. Be someone who is dearly and lovingly remembered for all the kindness you have shown.