CHOICES

I was seated at a balcony facing the Maasai Mara in the evening and my eyes couldn’t help but wonder across the vast land covered by a combination of beautiful trees and a large parcel of it engulfed by grass. From a far distance, I could see some wild animals retreating to hide in the cover of darkness while others started coming out of their hiding places to feed. It was about 6:00 pm and the sun was just starting to set. From the horizon, I could see its beautiful “orange-like color” glaring and lightly reflecting on the tree tops and grassland. The beauty of nature just helped me forget about all the hustles and bustles of the city. The scenery was just beautiful and totally peaceful. The Savannah grassland is definitely an epitome of beauty… Each animal seemed to fully grasp its role in the ecosystem. The silence was however disrupted by the roar of a lion. I must say the sound of the roar gave me chills and I was filled with a kind of fear and respect I have never felt before. As my body adjusted to this scenario, I was startled by the cries of a warthog which was being chased by a lioness. Within a few minutes, the warthog was captured and a few moments later, the lioness was helping itself to its prey. This was a really glorious thing to watch but anyway that is a story of another day…Further along, I could see a cheetah chasing an antelope. This was quite interesting because the acceleration speed of the cheetah was really exhilarating and fabulous. It pumped a bit of adrenaline in me. After a few misses, the cheetah landed its prey. In both situations, both prey and predator chose certain maneuvers and choices based on what they thought would increase their chances of survival. The race of survival awoke in me the concept of “CHOICES” and how what we choose to do determine who we become in the end. Several thoughts on what I would probably want to “CHOOSE” to do in my life came to mind as I watched animals in their habitats fight for their life and their zeal to live to see another day clearly portrayed. So, I just walked into my cabin and picked my laptop and started typing on the kind of choices I would love to make and hopefully all of you might desire to make to enrich your lives;

I choose…

To be a success, not a failure

To be courageous, not a coward

To be an original, not a copy

To be the one, not the option

To be the voice, not the echo

To be the determinant, not the deterrent

To be the answer, not the problem

To be the light, not the darkness

To be the inspiration, not the discourager

To be the optimist, not the pessimist

To be the safety net, not the arrow

To be the diamond, not the glass

To be the rainbow, not the storm

To be a joy, not a burden

To be the hope, not the despair

To be the pride, not the shame

To be rational, not hazy

I CHOOSE TO BE ME.

By Eva Mwangi