In primary school, we used to sing a marching song: “The day is bright; it’s bright and fair; oh happy day; the day of joy; … mama jollof rice!” Of course the “mama jollof rice” part was arguably not in the original rendering, but it was a testament to the joy that filled the hearts of the singers. Today, those singers are now adults, and for many, the joy has left. But with a whole year ahead of us, being joyful could be the recipe for staying sane.
Alright, I know you weren’t expecting a new year post to have somewhat of a sombre tone, but it is what it is. In a 2022 article, I wrote about Nigerians needing a merchant of hope to emerge from the 2023 Presidential Elections, but while the announced winner has pledged to deliver Renewed Hope, it is yet to be seen if our compatriots have believed in him enough to be hopeful. But then, the search for hope is not limited to Nigerians alone. 2023 brought enough economic turmoil globally with inflation rates and interest rates rising even in countries with historically minuscule rates. Suddenly, Americans are shying away from mortgages because the rates are “excessive”. Imagine Americans crying over 5% interest on loans when Nigerians have been enjoying 20%. Even governments are not left alone as the cost of borrowing is aiding an astronomical rise in national debts, bringing Western countries to the infamous “debt trap” in which the Global South has been resident for decades. And let’s not even get started about wars and “military operations”.
In the midst of everything happening, we see a sense of rising despondency. Last year, the “japa” wave continued across Nigeria, with some of our finest and brightest packing their bags to begin afresh in new lands. Paradoxically, even people with “a good life” and well-paying jobs in Nigeria are feeling they have no future here and selling all their belongings to leave Nigeria, while many abroad are wishing they could return immediately, sending money back to buy up properties and helping to price real estate beyond the reach of their compatriots left behind. At the root of the matter is a deepening sense of discontent and a search for hope amidst a threatening slide into depression. This might explain why barely a week into the new year, we had a first reported suicide in Nigeria with a note that suggested while many were still sharing new year messages, this person believed the year had nothing to offer.
For me, a sense of contentment and a reliance on “the joy of the Lord is my strength” keeps me going every day. I say contentment because if we are not careful, nothing in life ever gets enough. If we keep our focus on being able to meet our needs, we are more likely to feel content because more often than not, many of us have our basic needs met. It is when we bring in our wants, the nice-to-haves, that we begin to begrudge the life we have, whereas many others would kill to be in our shoes. You need a safe place to stay, not necessarily a five-bedroom maisonette, just as simple jollof rice is likely safer for you than “fine dining” in an overpriced restaurant with a sea view that does all for your ego but nothing for the essence of your life. And the love of a woman with natural fittings beats the deliberate charms of an exquisite model with more scalpel-fitted endowments than real flesh.
Now, as you may have already guessed, I am what many would tag a “religious person” and I owe no apologies for my Christian faith as I am yet to see what anyone would say I am missing in life just for being a Christian. But why am I bringing this here? It is because much of the hopelessness comes from a sustained belief that Murphy’s Law is supreme. However, I play by a different set of rules. My own rules say that “all things work together for my good”. So, when things don’t go the way I want, I won’t get despondent because I believe that it will all work out in the end. My belief in the goodness of God is stronger than any feeling that there is no hope, and so, I can go through life with my head raised high at all times regardless of whatever is happening on the outside.
The year is fresh. With more than eleven months to go, it would be destructive to go through each day feeling there is nothing in life for you. When we wish others “Happy New Year”, let’s internalise it and tell ourselves that we also would have a happy year. And when we feel that our lives are shitty, let us beware that we fail to acknowledge the privilege we enjoy that many others seek. And when we feel like comparing ourselves to some other persons, we should ask ourselves if we would still want their lives if we knew how they might actually feel about their own lives. We are not the worst on earth. Our lives are not useless. So, rather than bask in the flames of self-defeat, let us commit this year to believing we can fly, and against all hope, holding on to hope that 2024 will be good for us.
Happy New Year!
PS. Being content is not the same as being nonchalant about life.
Image Credit: alphacoders.com
Jilomes 