By Darasimi Oshodi
In the jungle of Africa, the lion wakes up and thinks to itself that if it must find food, it must run faster than the gazelle while the gazelle thinks to itself that to survive the day, it must outrun the lion. There is a moral to this analogy and the moral is that to succeed in life, you cannot afford to stay in the same position. The lion will starve to death if it refuses to run after its prey. The gazelle will also not survive the day, if it does not outrun its predator.
So what does this tell me? That if I must get anything out of life, I must make demands on life. Life will just hand to me whatever it likes. You don’t get what you deserve in life, you get what you demand. So make your demand. Go out there and run. The millions you desire to have, the fame you crave for, the impact you hope to make will not be possible if you stay in a spot wishing it will fall on your laps like ripe cherries.
If you must not be run over in life, just like the gazelle, you must run and even outrun your predators who are lurking around looking for the opportunity to pounce on you and devour you. Let me mention some of these predators: failure, disappointment, despondency, rejection, poverty, etc. If you don’t move from that spot you are in, then expect these predators to catch up with you and consume you. I sincerely believe that someone who is active can never be bogged down by feelings of disappointment or any other negative feeling for that matter.
Considering this analogy critically, it seems to me that everyone in life will at one time or the other find themselves in the position of either the lion or the gazelle. Whether you are a lion or gazelle, you are fighting for survival and there is only one option: to run. And you cannot just run languidly or leisurely, you must run with all seriousness and with all your might because your life depends on it. Running may mean different things to different people. It may mean looking for ways to make money; it may mean studying to pass an examination; it may mean securing a job; it may mean keeping your job; it may mean fighting to keep your marriage; it may mean just anything.
To succeed in life, you cannot be complacent. You cannot be lethargic in your approach to life. You cannot wish your desires into existence. You must work towards achieving your dream(s). You must give your all to realising your desire. So can you assess your current position/situation and honestly give an accurate evaluation of your state? And whatever position you are in at the moment, know that you have no option but to RUN!
Just run!
