The day you were born was indeed a day of joy for your mother, your parents, if you are like most children born in good homes.
But that day was not the day your existence became reality, especially to your mum. To outsiders, you became a reality the day you were born, but not to your parents.
So, what is reality?
Reality means to simply EXIST.
Anything that can be acknowledged in the present EXISTS. For instance, you can acknowledge the conception of a baby, or a pregnancy.
So, reality means to live, to have existence.
Ugochukwu Omeogu once said that anything you can touch is already on its way out. Anything physical is already dying. Take note of that.
So, let’s talk about the day you were born.
This may be a hard pill for you to swallow, but it’s true.
I will open it up with a statement that was credited to Pastor Mrs. Bimbo Odukoya of blessed memory in 2005 just before she passed away in that ill-fated airline in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. She just celebrated her 45th birthday, and on that occasion, she was quoted as saying that each year she celebrated her birthday, she got closer to her grave.
That may not be the exact words she used, but the message is so clear to all that each passing day takes us closer to our graves.
And that brings us to the topic, the day you were born…
So, do you know what happens the day a child is born into the world?
God told Jeremiah and He is saying the same to you and me right now, “…before I formed you in your mother’s womb, I knew you.” Before you were formed in your mother’s womb, you already existed and had a name. Remember that both John the Baptist and our LORD Jesus Christ were given their names before they were even formed in the womb.
Even when in the womb, you started growing in the womb until the day you were mature enough to enter the earth. While in the womb, babies hear what is said to them. Someone said the spirit of a baby is as old as that of a grown man; what happens is that every human spirit that enters this planet is continuously learning to understand the planet it finds itself in. That’s what we do when we are growing; we’re only learning our new environment. We do this by learning the language, the behaviors of others, and other attributes that we need to survive here. When we are done, we return home.
Before your parents came together to give your life a physical existence, you were only an idea. While you were in the womb, you were still an idea that could be felt and somehow touched, but still, no one knew how you looked like. No device can show exactly how a fetus in the womb will look like when delivered in terms of facial looks, behavior, identity, and others.
Then came the day you were born into this world. You started crying and the day after you were said to be a day-old baby.
Today, you are XYZ years old, where “XYZ” represents the number of your age. You may be 20, 29,39, 69, or whatever the number is for you. Moses asked God to “Teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom”.
Where are we going with all of these?
Simple, it is that from the day you were born, you became physical, and anything that has become physical already has started dying, according to the time of life.
That means you started dying the day you were born.
So, what can you do with this information?
Two things I expect you to know and do…
- First is about that idea you have conceived that can change the world, or at least make an impact. When anything is still an idea, that’s the best time to invest or support such after you have done the right analysis and evaluation of such ideas.
If you are waiting for it to come into material existence before you hop in or invest in it, you will already be late. You may have heard of private placements in the world of investing. Those who are often called private investors are mostly those who believed in the project, business, or company when it was still in the idea formation stage. They are the ones who come to buy in at penny prices.
Don’t get it twisted, sometimes, they may be wrong also and the idea may fail for any number of reasons. But they also minimized their risks by entering as early birds. Since they bought at the lowest prices, their risks are also minimal. What they do here is making mistakes and learning with little commitments they can afford to lose (calculated risk).
In terms of risk to reward ratio, they often enjoy anywhere from 1:2 risk-reward ratio to as high as 1:10 or up to infinity risk-reward ratio.
The latecomers who come in only when they see it manifest materially also take risks, but their risks are usually huge and far greater than the early bird investors (private investors).
When it is already physical, it is already on its way out most times. Haven’t you noticed that sometimes, it is the early bird investors that sell part of theirs to the latecomers? Some sell all and move on to other things, while there are those who only sell so much that cover their entry cost with some good profits while keeping some to still take winding down profits.
The lesson here is for you to learn to make mistakes with small, and early enough when it might still be an idea, or at the beta stage.
I am not trying to say that all ideas that are materially existent should not be invested in. No, because with dynamic leadership, new things and ideas are created almost daily to keep the company or business alive for hundreds of years, until perhaps someone who doesn’t understand the history of dynamism in the company takes over and forgets the purpose of existence of the company.
- The second thing you should know and do? The day you were born was also the day you started dying, and you should start thinking about eternity as soon as you can reason. Start using your mind. Start preparing for your exit into eternity.
Do not live your life by chance.
Right now, start coordinating your life as if it ends tonight, and yet plan as if it will take an eternity before the world ends.
Learn to start doing good, make peace with your Maker, yield your life to Christ Jesus and make Him the Lord and Saviour of your life. Stop living your life by chance. Live a purpose-driven life from now henceforth, and you will make an impact in life. Do not just be a number here as you number your days and apply your heart to wisdom.
Peace!
IAM Ifeanyi Uche
