Dante Gabriel Rossetti a poet and an artist was once approached by an elderly man. The elderly man approached him to show him some of his works of art, for the great artist to make a few comments about their value and viability. The story says, that when Rossetti saw the works of art, he could not conceal his assessment of the fact that they were useless. Being a kind man however, he did not make fun of it, he simply explained to him, that he could not lie to him and felt that the works of art were of little or no value. The elderly man as you would guess, was disappointed, but the didn’t let it shake him too much. Before turning around to leave, he asked the great artist for an opportunity to get his remarks on the works of art of a student of his. The artist obliged him, and the elderly man presented the works to him. The eyes of the artist lit up!
Dante Rossetti, was impressed with the works of art, and generously poured accolades on it. In fact, he told the elderly man to ensure that he did whatever he could to encourage the student. From what he could see, he really has real talent and something unique. Contrary to Rossetti’s expectations that the old man would feel hurt that his student had potentials to be greater, the old man seemed visibly moved, emotionally so! “Is that your son, the great artist asked?” Seeing that there must be some connection. The elderly man responded, “no, it’s not my son, that was me 40yrs ago, I only wished I had heard what you just told me now then, I would have been encouraged to paint.”
Forty years from now, we will no longer fit into the classification of young. We would have had our great years of youth and energy behind us. Right now, we can still say that our best years are ahead of us, we’ll probably still say the same then, but we would not have 40yrs anymore. Our plans will be short and focused, our needs smaller and different, our priorities would have been altered by time, by stage, by what time we have left. Even God says honor the lord in the days of your youth.
“Honor and enjoy your Creator while you’re still young, before the years take their toll and your vigor wanes, before your vision dims and the world blurs and the winter years keep you close to the fire. In old age, your body no longer serves you so well. Muscles slacken, grip weakens, joints stiffen. The shades are pulled down on the world. You can’t come and go at will. Things grind to a halt. The hum of the household fades away. You are wakened now by bird-song. Hikes to the mountains are a thing of the past. Even a stroll down the road has its terrors. Your hair turns apple-blossom white, adorning a fragile and impotent match stick body. Yes, you’re well on your way to eternal rest, while your friends make plans for your funeral.” -Ecclesiastes 12: 1-5
Those days are sure to come, but the best preparation we can make for those days, is now. The time to hear the words of the great encouragers is now! The time to venture, to try out your skills, to hone your talent, to express your gift, is now! Not tomorrow, tomorrow is late! Now in this moment of time, you are creating your next moment. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is not yours, the only time you have to use, is today!
My heart sobs for the elderly man. 40yrs ago, his works could have ended up a masterpiece, 40yrs ago he had the makings, 40yrs ago, all he needed to alter in his routine was what he prioritized. All he needed to hear was encouragement to go on. All he needed was insight into the fact that what he had was real, different and good. How many of us have what it takes, but have been so afraid of criticism that we have not brought it before those who can help assess it? How many musical talents are rotting because those who they presented their ideas before were unqualified to assess it? How many teachers are running from teaching because they believe that they deserve to be better paid? How much of life’s purposes and God ordained vocations are being sacrificed on the altars of – “I didn’t know”, “I wasn’t told”, “I was misinformed”. Quit claiming the promises and standing in the premises, take the promises and go, go, go!
The Almighty has graciously blessed us all with a starting point. There is none alive who doesn’t have something. In the parable of talents, the talent signifies a starting point. Everybody has a starting point. It could be a skill, a little money, a relationship, a degree, an exposure, an experience. Whatever it is, where you are, is the best place to be for your next step. To advance in life however, we must be willing to engage what we have. To engage in this sense means to lose it, to give it out, to offer it for criticism, to offer it for service, to offer it and take the risk of losing it, to make it available to beyond yourself. To live the life of your dreams, you must stretch out and live beyond the reach of fear.
Don’t live your life like a caged pet. Live your life fully! Honor and obey God, yes, outside of that, there is a lot of room to be the fullest we were created to be. Quit worrying about what people will say about you. Wake up and smell the coffee, people are not thinking about you. They are thinking about themselves. People are more bothered wondering what you will say about them than what they said about you. No matter how you try, you will never please everybody – to try is to plan to fail. Ask yourself a few fundamental questions – Do you enjoy doing this? Is it in the pathway of adding tangible and memorable value? Do you have raw talent for it that can be developed into skills by practice? Go for it! Don’t wait for 40ys to discover that you might have been the best. Exhaust the possibility now. I’ll rather venture and fail, than keep looking back all my life wondering if my life would have been better. Take responsibility for your life, now!
Stop procrastinating – act! Stop dreaming – live! Stop wishing – plan!, Stop worrying – move! Let’s look back in time and have exciting stories of our adventures, our failures and our successes. Let’s make our footprints, not on sand, where they can be washed away, but on stone and on gold. Let’s live heartily and with passion, not boringly for mere sustenance. Let’s dream big dreams and dare great things! Let’s start NOW!
38 thoughts on “Now or Never”
Inspiring and thought provoking as always. This is our moment to make the best out of everything we do. Many years from now we will be saddened by the things we didn’t do rather than the things we did. There’s really nothing to loose in trying.
Deolu,
another good one from u again. Honesltly, this is the right time to wake up from our slumber. Fulfilment comes from purpose. Nothing is more beautiful than a piano being played by a maestro. Nothing is more beautiful than to hear a saxophone played by a professional. It is fulfilling. Yet nothing is more disturbing than someone playing an instrument who is not skilles in doing so. The entire atmosphere around the person is disturbed. You almost want to beg them to stop. That is an example of how God feels when you live a life you were not born to live. So start living the life you were made to be NOW OR NEVER.
A heavy blow of words this early morning. Engaging what we have is sowing our self to the course we believe him. Myles Munroe says, PASSION is not finding what to live for but what to die for. Nelson Mnadela, Mother Theresa Martin Luther King, Jnr… all found what to die for.
Nothing can be compared with impactful living. Thanks for that reminder. PURPOSE-PASSION- PURSUIT
I quite agree with you that we all have a starting point, start were you are with what you have, the grass always look greener on the other side, make your own grass look green.
Great post Deolu.
Remember the lord your God… my favourite scripture. Thanks for the insight
Very true brother.
The only obstacle a man has is himself, and whatever you fears are, they are only shadows or better described as mirage and not real.
May I also quote here that “as body without Spirit is dead so Faith without Work is Dead”. That means if Body = Faith, then Spirit = Work. How interesting that even after the Body is weak the Spirit sustains it, so when your Faith seems weak or confronted with “realities” the Works sustains your Faith. Act!
Ha, infact i’m motivated more than ever before to start something now……….Thanks a lot for reminding me . God bless you real good
Fantastic, I’m off/set to start something i’ve postponed for 18 mths and reading this post affirmed the fact that i’ve got to do this and now too, thanks
Oyinsi,
I’m actually afraid of our own generation because of the level of exposure we have to information. We have the internet that most of us don’t use in the right way, just as we have didgital TV that we most times use for things that does not add to us. These and many more are the various ways by which information has been reaching us, but how much of these things have we put to use? There is a scriptural passage that has been disturbing me for the past two weeks, and I feel like sharing it here. “… to whom much is given, much is expected”
Great words there, enough to push the goaless and fainting one to work!!! Thanks for the mind provoking words. So many opportunities but few people to take the risk. God help us as we decide launch out and never be mediocres. Bless your heart.
thanks once again sir D for your words. for a while i have been nursing the idea of registering a blog but thanks to your words i gathered enough strength to finally register one. looking forward to making as much impact as u r doing in the years ahead. thanks again
“Imperfect action is always many times better than perfect inaction” Whatever you planned to do, start doing it now” Nice one Deolu.
I’ll go start it now… yes now; something, I’d postponed for 6 months.
Great post. Thanks Oga Dee
Inspiring message. Keep fulfilling your purpose, your best is yet to come.
more grease to your elbow deolu. its a word for the moment
As usual..it keeps getting better! i have been blessed.. i think God is saying same thing in different ways to those that will care to listen and put action to words… for me , i have reached the point of no return..i must advance forward and if i stop..its to rest and gather momentum ! Nothing in life comes easy, but we first have to encourage ourselves, that life will not give us what we ask but what we DEMAND! Demand means action and thats the faith that works! God bless you again and thanks for encouraging us all always with your post…if i call you prophet again..you go wan dodge..you cannt dodge this o! lol
great one! Deolu, more of God’s blessing…
Theodore Roosevelt was quoted to have said this;
” It is not the critic that counts, not the one that points out where the doer of the deed could have done better, the credit belongs to the man in the arena who is rubbed in sweat and blood and mired in dust. He at best knows the sweetness of victories or the least pain of defeat… So that his place will never be among the cold and timid souls who never knew failure or victory” Thanks
“The Almighty has graciously blessed us all with a starting point. There is none alive who doesn’t have something. In the parable of talents, the talent signifies a starting point. Everybody has a starting point. It could be a skill, a little money, a relationship, a degree, an exposure, an experience. Whatever it is, where you are, is the best place to be for your next step”.
No one on earth can lack access to at least one of this resources. No excuse for failre
this reminds me of what a man that i greatly admire used to say. it goes thus “it’s better to face the things that will matter 30years from now now”. we must truly make effort to the at our best. u don’t know what can do, how far u can go, until u take up assignments or better put, take responsibility. thank you sir
The words have started coming. We the visitors to this site must not be comfortable to remain the same. Actions we must take. We must dream big and live the dream. We must say at the end like Paul the apostle ” I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE. I HAVE RUN THE RACE” …. A CROWN OF GLORY AWAITS ME”.
We must finish and know that we finish before going yonder.
Thank you Deolu. Keep the words coming. We will emerge as sheaves.
It is wonderful and interesting to know that we all have a starting point and that God gives every man a chance. I like this and i think it is worth while.
Life is full of adventures. life they say is beautiful, but what does it profit a man to come to this world and at the end of the day does not achieve anything. A major problem known to be the greatest to a man is the inability to implement what he has, the enthusiasm to go on when the battle is tough and the lack of ability to stand whenever he falls.
My bro,i see great people in my country, men of great and weird ideals,ideas that are jaw breaking,vision that are mind blowing,but the problem????????????? lack of encouragement, cause the battle is tough and the road is rough,but beleive me YES WE CAN.
THANKS FOR YOUR WORDS . Proudly Nigerian.
D, i cant start to tell you how much of a blessing you are to your Generation, you always know how and most importantly when to light the fire and belive me brother you just did. the bettom line
”Stop procrastinating – act! Stop dreaming – live! Stop wishing – plan!, Stop worrying – move! Let’s look back in time and have exciting stories of our adventures, our failures and our successes. Let’s make our footprints, not on sand, where they can be washed away, but on stone and on gold.”
this say it all
Challenging and inspiring again, as always. NOW is truly the time to remember God and to start fulfilling the purpose for which we are created. We have all got a start, we must use this wisely, so that in 5, 10, 20, 40, 50 years, we would be able to look back and feel good, and be able to look forward with greater strength. The key is NOW!
my mentor,i want 2 say thank u 4 d encourgement ,i have discovered dat we need encouragement always 2 keep going in life.thanks,delsu abraka
It is really working. I actually decided to go back to some stuffs i left for sometime.
I got fired back via this post.
Procrastination is indeed a great killer of time. Thanks brother!
Just as I finished reading your post I swung into action on something I had been asked to work on (Customer Service support). I had before now prepared the essay shown to someone I feel would act as a sounding board and he said it was alright and gave suggestions on how I could make it better usable. Long and short of it, was how do I present my ideas to my boss who asked for it in the first place? because I had flunked the first essay/presentation. I have tried to seek audience with him to present my ideas which was due to reading your post but I’m yet to see him. I’m hoping and Praying for a miracle that he calls me.
Thanks for this essay it made me move…….take a step maybe not a giant one but I moved…………having at the back of my mind that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a step.I guess you’d say how apt!
Sure, the time to begin is now. He who procastinate never get any thing done.
Hello sir,
‘Everybody has a starting point.’. This is enough for a sermon. I still remember what you said at memorable gatherings. That, we don’t need money to make money, but integrity / character.
If we catch this revelation, I believe that we will go far. We all (irrespective of your status ) all have a starting point.Just move, make that call,send that text, and before you know it, things will begin to change for good.
Deolu, you will never run out of insightful revelations.
The Lord bless you.
if not now, when again…My favorite quote when i was still teaching in Ajegunle are the words that kept reverberating in my mind as i am going through this write up the second time.. I have not forgotten it but as i read this again i am sparked to try something here that i have been thinking for a long time. I have been afraid that it may conflict my visa status of not allowed to work here. All the same i am challenged to pick it up now. thanks agai
just tot i shld add a potion of God’s word says, “in the Morning, sow your seed and at noon do not relent for you never know which might succeed… i believe we really need to move now.
i concur sir! the best time to do anything worthwhile is NOW! i dont want to have any regrets tommorrow that is why i am doing all i can do now to be the best i can be. thank you sir. this is something for the Nigerian youths.May God help us.
DEOLU, you’ve touched my life, God bless you!
I appreciate reading your insight. It is awesome. Ese pupo!!!
it is simply mind blowing!
A journey of One million miles begins with a step! Courage is not the absence of fear but takiing action despite fear, don’t die in your comfort zone but move on to your faith zone. I will forever love you for the great insights that has always fuelled the passion for pursuit in me. Thanks for this great post!
Awesome! This is truly inspiring. Thanks!
Quitters never win and winner never quit, we must continue to believe in our ability, what matter is not what people say about me now but how the story ends. Thanks for this wonderful piece.