Writer: Rapelang Monyamane
Going through memories, I came across a photograph, of two young girls. Beautiful, fiercely beautiful. But the most intriguing part of the photograph was not in the picture itself (because looking at it now, we weren’t nearly as beautiful as we thought we were, lol, so sad) but the absolute joy of genuine laughters and knowing that up to this day, nobody can come and claim they are the reason we had the best time of our lives.
It goes without saying how life has transformed since 2011 up to the present day. Where social media has become our main source of pride. Where how many likes we get (for likes that are costing us our souls) are what motivates the lives we live. Where our autonomy has goose-stepped us into believing we can abase our morals just to feed our addiction to people’s applause as a bar for our self-worth.
The lingering question, through all of this, that refuses to leave my cognizance is, at what cost? Aren’t we supposed to feel good about being happy? Aren’t we supposed to celebrate our progression into strong-willed, abled, deserving of happiness? Then it hits me, you can not celebrate what you do not attribute to yourself. Whilst you can not take credit for.
It is okay to be a broke college student. It is okay to struggle every once in a while. You don’t have to have it figured out. It is okay to not afford to be at the hottest joint every single weekend. In varsity, all of us are just indiscriminately trying to figure out who we are, where we belong, what our life’s purpose is. The trick is, don’t sell yourself short and end up regretting it trying to convince people that you have it all figured out, while they are just as dazed as you are as to what life holds for them.
Integrity is the essence of everything successful. The only things you need to slay are those demons, those dragons telling you that you are not enough. And that you need to do anything to prove yourself worthy. Never let a moment of temporary pleasure, temporary admiration, temporary power, force you to live a life of permanent regret.
Because trust me, nothing is more precious than looking back at a photograph, remembering how blissful you were and knowing that the rights to the bliss belong solely to yourself and no one can claim them. This festive season…slay with your morals and integrity intact mogheerl.
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