No one will live forever. We are all here for a short while. It is actually not how long we live that matters but how well we live. To live well and live a life of meaningful impact we need to discover purpose on time. Nobody will be celebrated for what he/she would have done, only for what he/she did. There is no better time to start living one’s dreams than yesterday. After all, you can only be young once.
Methuselah lived for 969 years on the surface of the earth! That was the only record we read of him in the Bible. No record of what he did nor what he would have done. Each time I read this portion of the Bible, the question is: What did this man do with his youthful years? As I write I am still at sea over living for such a long period of time without any record of meaningful impact. Jesus Christ, on the other hand, lived for 33 eventful years of impact. At 12 He knew His purpose and wrought his first miracle at 30 – he turned water to wine. He actually fulfilled His mission on earth within 3 years! He set forth at dawn knowing full well that he could only be young once. His impact still reverberates throughout the world more than 2000 years after His death. Methuselah lived for 969 years of no impact and Christ lived for 33 years of indelible impacts. What a contrast! What are you still waiting for? Remember, you can only be young once.
While there are several people in their 20s and 30s making impacts, we have people in their 50s, 60s and 70s meandering through the world without purpose. At the first Nigerian Students’ Roundtable on Saturday, 29th September, 2012 , I shared the podium with some fascinating young Nigerians. Victoria Ojo is a lawyer with an intimidating resume. She has represented Nigeria and Africa at several law competitions. And guess what? She is just 24. Another young lady that caught my fancy is the brain behind Sesewa Nigeria Limited, an outfit that provides internship opportunities for many Nigerian students. She also started out her business as a student. She has affected so many lives positively that her name rings a bell among Nigerian students and within the corporate Nigeria. Guess how old she is. She is in her late 20s! My charge to those that are yet to start because of one excuse or the other is that you can only be young once. So step out of your cocoon.
There are several logical excuses for us not to maximise our youthful years. Excuses such as lack of job, lack of start-up capital, lack of parents, lack of enabling political atmosphere and several other lacks we may want to adduce. The interesting thing about acting while we are young is that there is an opportunity for us to keep learning from our mistakes until we perfect whatever it is we want to do. In fact, there are no mistakes; only lessons learnt. The more you learn the better for you. When then is the best time to learn? It is in your youthful years, as you can only be young once.
In the round leather game, one thing I have noticed is that footballers tend to do very well while they are still young. Check the list out: Lionel Messi of Barcelona Football Club started his career at age 13 and today, at 25, he has won the World’s Best Footballer of the Year award three times, with several other laurels in his kitty; Wayne Rooney of Manchester United Football Club is a celebrity in his 20s; and Cristiano Ronaldo is a shining star in the game of football in his 20s. The list is endless. These young talents are shining in their youthful years. In some years to come they will all quit the stage, but they will still have something to fall back on. This is because they will have garnered enough experience in the business of football that can be turned around. One notable thing about these young talents is that they seem to know they can only be young once.
Like all the young people mentioned in this piece doing great exploits in their youthful years, you can also perform great feats. All you need to do is to step out. Take the first step. Conquer your fear. Go after your dreams. The only person that can stop you from leaving an indelible footprint in the sand of time is YOU. You can do it if you believe well enough that you can do it. And you must start now while you are still young, as you can only be young once.
In Africa, we value old age so much that we think that’s the only thing that matters. but I’m glad to learn that Mathusalah’s did not match his accomplishments. Great lessom
What a motivating and inspirational masterpiece. thanks bro..
so how do we know if there were other records of Mathusalar that we’re not aware of? or were not recorded in the Bible?