Hang in there: The art of not giving up, by Ebunoluwa Ibibo

Life isn’t a bed of roses. This is not a mere saying, it is an assertion.

There is a reason humans were born with spines. Our spines were delicately put together to give that support or projection, needed to stand firmly.

Hanging in there, shouldn’t sway you. I write from a position of pain and positivity today. Hang in there, simply because no matter how hard life is for you now, it won’t last forever. It is just a question of time. It is a phase and like all phases, it would fizzle .

The grit to hang in, is what should be developed and strengthened.

Anthony Joshua wasn’t born with a silver spoon. In fact, his childhood was very rough. At some point he was homeless and broke. He tried out menial jobs, even bricklaying. Until his cousin suggested boxing to him, when he was already a young adult. He gave it a shot. Today, he’s a two time unified heavyweight world champion.

It is uncommon but he got it because he could hang in there. Out of 32 fights, he won 28. Learn the art of not giving up.

Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, of blessed memory, was a renowned businessman, philanthropist, aristocrat and former presidential candidate in Nigeria. His was a story of someone who rose from grass to grace. His childhood was traumatic, he was his dad’s 23rd child. At age 9, he had started fending for himself and his mom. He sold firewoods to food vendors in exchange of food and money. Yet, he was unrelenting in acquiring western education.

Abiola lived for humanity and touched the lives of the less privileged. Until his death, he was a highly successful business man, who received both national and international awards.

A common banter was thrown then in his clime that, even the devourer could not devour his wealth. Per adventure the devourer found its way in, it would eventually get suffocated in the vastness of the money he had. A beautiful story of someone who hung in there.

The story of modern America still bemuses me, each time I ponder it. Do you know that America was once ladened with oppression, suppression and racism? It was a long road of reconstruction and emancipation for them. If you doubt this, go, google the Late Martin Luther’s “I have A Dream’ speech of August 28, 1963. He foresaw freedom, equity and egalitarian government and fought for it.

Today, America is one nation under God. The whites and blacks hold hands and mingle largely. His black followers, even after his assassination, refused to cower. Have you ever wondered why the Government House in America is known as the White House? It is common knowledge now, that a black man worked and lived there for eight years.

Hang in there even amidst the boisterousness of life’s wind. Stay rooted when the noises and silences are deafening. Hang in there, when you are clueless, weak and distraught. Your spine is your backbone, do not back down. Hang in there, you are the one in charge. Do not allow circumstances micromanage your life. Once the match is still on, the players keep playing. A goal can be scored just before the whistle blows. Do not truncate the events of your life by blowing the whistle prematurely.

The storms will cease, tranquility will be restored. If only we all know how close we are before we give up. Stay rooted, folks!

Ebunoluwa Ibibo
@ Golden muse