Life is all about winning and losing. Sometimes to win, you have to lose. In some instances, you must refuse to let go for you to win. You have to uphold some matters so that you can enjoy victory. Below are areas that you cannot afford to lose your ground.
1. Don’t lose your common sense – It is said that common sense is not all that common. It is expected in this life that one engages all their faculties in order to be and do what is expected of them.
Sadly, there are some who happen to lose their common sense and engage in activities that jeopardize their lives. They fail to think through issues, focus on the future, and make good choices of friends. The way they spend their time and money depicts lack of common sense.
Common sense is the basic compass of life. It is the guide that should govern our relationships, behaviors, and actions. Losing our common sense is to set ourselves up for a long walk in the dark. It is to switch off the lights and still hope to see where we are headed.
2. Don’t lose your dignity – Dignity is a sense of pride in oneself; self-respect. It is not given by anyone or anything but resides in the hearts of men and women. It cannot be taken away from you unless you throw it away.
Dignity is lost when people feel cornered or want to fit in. They engage in actions that demean their self-respect. Unknown to them, they don’t get better friends by throwing away their dignity.
You don’t need to lose a part of you for anything. There are many who have chosen to walk from opportunities other than trade what they hold dear. Hold on to your values and soon others will learn to respect you. Stand for something that is bigger than you.
3. Don’t lose your humanity – Humanity refers to humaneness or acts of benevolence—the kind feelings humans often have for each other. Humanity is value that we must always uphold.
Inevitably, we have racial, tribal, religious, gender, and class boundaries. Nations have demarcations that give us labels as far as nationality is concerned. Regardless of the boundaries, we are bound together by our humanness. We are one no matter the color or creed.
We must uphold this humanity and refuse to allow evil to rule over us. To lose humanity is to lose our place as a unique creation. The result is hatred, biases, and bigotry demonstrated by racial prejudices, negative ethnicity, superiority tendencies, annihilation and murder.
We have to safeguard this value. People should engage in acts of kindness that make the lives of others better. Human beings must build more bridges instead of higher walls. Let your heart pump out love into your world. Don’t lose your humanity.
4. Don’t lose your temper – There are many things that will make you angry. Sorry to say, there are many living in regret today because they lost their temper at some point and did something that hurt them or others badly. Some are in jail today because of uncontrolled anger while some marriages have collapsed because those people lost their cool.
There is nothing beautiful in watching someone who cannot control their temper. Anger is an emotion that lives in us. We continually have to battle between letting it lose and controlling ourselves. Don’t lose your temper because when you do, the result is pain, disappointment, and regrets.
5. Don’t lose your laughter – Life can tough. It is easy to be overwhelmed and gradually lose your joy. Joy has nothing to do with the happenings in your life. It is an attitude that one maintains. It is a position one chooses to uphold no matter the storms he will face.
Those who remain joyous have a positive energy to face life. They are not smothered by the difficulties of life. They don’t ignore the problems but they also don’t allow them to steal their joy. Don’t allow anything to steal your joy.
Look for a moment of laughter. Things can be tight but laughter is a good medicine for the soul. Have moments to enjoy life. It doesn’t have to cost you to enjoy. It doesn’t have to be crazy to be fun.
6. Don’t lose your focus – To pursue your dreams and goals, you must remain focused. You cannot afford to lose your focus in life. Whatever you have set your eyes on; you must work at it diligently and passionately.
Lost focus leads to a haphazard way of living life. Distractions and detours take a center role in one’s life and before long one gets busy with no fruits to show. To win, you must keep your eyes on the ball. Don’t lose your focus if you want make it in life. Remain consistent.
7. Don’t lose your fighting spirit – Successful people have one thing in common—they don’t give up. They keep fighting until something happens. Persistence is their code.
Opposition and barriers are issues that every human being faces. It is easy to be discouraged and throw in the towel. Life is a stairway that we must all climb. Sometimes the stairway looks like a steep rough terrain but still we cannot give up.
The pathway of life is strewn with casualties of men and women who lost their fighting spirit at some point—some before they started, others midway and still more when they just about to win.
Courage to start and persistence in the journey makes the difference. Fight for what is right and for what you believe in. Don’t let failure stop you. Don’t settle for good when better is around the corner. Don’t lose your fighting spirit.
8. Don’t lose your hope – This is the death before the actual death. A hopeless person is desperate enough to do anything in life. He is like a tired bird that patches on any kind of a tree.
When hope is kept alive, one has enough fire that makes them look forward to a better future. No matter what happens, they never lose hope. Keep looking for that silver lining on the clouds. You might just find it one of these days. Don’t become hopeless.
9. Don’t lose your life – Every person has been given one life only—none has a spare. It behooves each one of us to protect what we have and spend it purposefully.
There is reason as to why each one of us exists. Nobody was created to just pass by in this world. By the time we die, we should have left a positive mark and lasting legacy. What we do with our lives is a gift to the world.
Some people have a knack of engaging in activities that obviously endanger their lives. They behave as if they have another life to pick up if the one they have is broken down.
Don’t lose your life. Instead, utilize for the good of all. Make your life count.
10. Don’t lose your family – We are all created to be in a family. If our biological families are not functional, we seek to fulfill that need by connecting with others—friends, clubs, cliques, or gangs. We yearn for a place where we can be nurtured and can have a sense of belonging.
A family is a very significant unit in our lives. Everyone must work hard to keep their homes together. When a family is lost, there is a deep sense of grief and emptiness. Stand up for your family and don’t allow anything to mess up with them. Don’t lose your family.
11. Don’t lose your faith – Having faith in God offers one an amazing system of support and a firm refuge. However, those who proclaim faith in God face all manner of tests and tribulations that threaten to pull them down. They are ridiculed and humiliated by those who think that trusting in God is archaic and stupid.
A steady relationship with God is vital for a fulfilling life. Matters that make people walk away from the faith result in the same people regretting their actions later. Temptations are bound to come but one needs to appreciate that they can be overcome. Don’t lose your faith in God. It is the only permanent thing you have.
Don’t lose. Hold on. Be steady. Be firm.
Image source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Boulder_River_drizzle.jpg
Leo Kinuthia 