Maisha siyo rahisi, hakuna chochote kwenye maisha yako kitaenda kama
ulivyopanga. Utakutana na magumu na changamoto ambazo zitakuangusha na
kujaribu kukukatisha tamaa. Ili uweze kufanikiwa, ili uweze kupata
chochote unachotaka, unapaswa kuwa mstahimilivu, unapaswa kuwa mgumu,
unapaswa kuwa kinga’ang’anizi na unapaswa kutokujua kabisa msamiati
unaoitwa kushindwa au kukata tamaa.
Falsafa ya ustoa inatujenga tuwe wastahimilivu kwa kutuandaa kukutana na magumu na hata kuweza kuyavuka bila ya kukata tamaa.
Ili kuzuia mabaya yanayotokea yasituvuruge, tunapaswa kuwa na maandalizi ya mabaya na magumu yanayoweza kutokea.
Kama wastoa tunaweza kujiandaa na magumu kwa njia mbili. Njia ya
kwanza ni kuishi magumu yenyewe, kujiweka katika nyakati ngumu hata kama
hujafikia ugumu huo. Kufanya kama vile huna kitu fulani, hata kama
tayari unacho. Kwa njia hii, hutashtushwa pale kile ulichokuwa
unategemea kitakapokuwa hakipatikani.
Njia ya pili ni kujijengea taswira ya magumu kabla hayajatokea.
Unapopanga chochote, usiangalie tu yale mazuri unayotegemea yatokee,
bali pia jenga taswira ya mabaya yanayoweza kutokea. Jiulize kipi kibaya
kabisa kinachoweza kutokea, kisha pata picha kwamba kitu hicho
kimetokea na ona utawezaje kukabiliana nacho. Zoezi hili la kujijengea
taswira ya mabaya linakufanya usipatwe na mshangao pale unapokutana na
magumu, kwa sababu ulishapata picha ya magumu hayo. Pia kwa sababu
hutapata magumu makubwa kabisa, utajiambia ulishaona magumu zaidi ya
uliyokutana nayo, hivyo hayakusumbui.
Marcus anatuambia;
Be like the headland, on which the waves break constantly, which
still stands firm, while the foaming waters are put to rest around it.
‘It is my bad luck that this has happened to me.’ On the contrary, say,
‘It is my good luck that, although this has happened to me, I can bear
it without getting upset, neither crushed by the present nor afraid of
the future.’ This kind of event could have happened to anyone, but not
everyone would have borne it without getting upset. – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 4.49
Kuwa kama ukingo wa mto au bahari ambao unapigwa na mawimbi ya maji
kila mara lakini unaendelea kusimama imara na kuyatuliza mawimbi ya
maji. Chochote kibaya kinapotokea, usijiambie nina bahati mbaya hiki
kimetokea kwangu, badala yake jiambie nina bahati nzuri hiki kimetokea
kwangu kwa sababu nitaweza kukikabili bila ya kukasirika au kuumizwa
nacho kwa sasa au wakati ujao. Kitu kama hicho kingeweza kutokea kwa
yeyote, lakini siyo kila mtu anaweza kukipokea kwa utulivu.
Pia Seneca anatukumbusha kuishi kila siku yetu kama ndiyo siku ya mwisho kwenye maisha yetu;
Glad and cheerful, let us say, as we go to our rest: ‘I have finished
living; I have run the course that fortune set for me’. If God gives us
another day, let us receive it with joy. The happiest person, who owns
himself more fully, is the one who waits for the next day without
anxiety. Anyone who can say, ‘I have had my life’ rises with a bonus,
receiving one more day. – Seneca, Letters, 12.9.
Kila unapoimaliza siku yako jiambie kwa furaha na uchangamfu
nimemaliza kuishi, nimemaliza mwendo ambao asili imenitengenezea. Kama
Mungu atanipa tena siku nyingine, nitaipokea kwa furaha. mtu mwenye
furaha anajimiliki yeye kwa ujumla, anaisubiri siku nyingine bila ya
wasiwasi. Yeyote anayejiambia nimeyamaliza maisha yangu, anapata zawadi
ya siku nyingine tena ya kuishi.
Hakika !
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