Every river has a source which may be a mountain, a rock, a lake and swamp among others sources from where it starts its journey to its final destination. Most rivers start their journey in a humble way, just as a small stream which grows bigger a long its way as it is joined by other rivers. Water from a river can support life and that is why it is a home of many living things like frogs, fish and snakes. Human beings also use the water from the river for different purposes. A river can also cause hardships when it floods or it dries up as life and property may be endangered.
River Mississippi with its key tributaries.
A river has many opportunities it offers including using water for irrigation , power generation, transport , fishing, sports among others and it is up to you to exploit these opportunities in order to live the world better than we found it.
There is no river which flows in a straight line from its source to its destination. It meets many challenges along the way which makes it meander a lot. The challenges could be man made obstacles, a mountain, a hill, a rock, landslides, a swamp, flat land and desert sand among others. It overcomes its obstacles through meandering around the obstacle until it is able to proceed on its journey. You will therefore find a river with some bends. In some cases it bulldozes its way through the obstacle. It can also change direction when going forward becomes impossible. The extent of meandering varies from river to river depending on the size of the obstacle it meets along the way. If it meets a huge mountain, it may meander for a long distance. Most rivers can cause soil erosion as it may carry away soil from one area to dump in another area.
Your life can be compared to a river.
Get yourself some pencils and drawing and paint your journey from the start to today. You will realise your journey meanders in exact way like a river. Your life began with a mission to embark on your journey of life until you reach your final destination. Your birth may have been smooth or quite challenging. You may have lost your mother in the process of your birth. Your early days in your journey may have taken either a smooth or a chaotic path. It is possible you found yourself in situations which were extremely difficult. Your journey of life meandered because of challenges and opportunities along the way. As you can see your journey of life has not been a straight line as it has meandered along the way. The meandering was necessary mainly as a result of the challenges you met along the way which may have included the following among others;
- Poverty
- Disease
- Ignorance
- Death of parents, guardians and relatives
- New ideas
- Failures
- Marital issues
Do not forget the meandering could have been caused by opportunities.
You are what you are because of the lessons of life you have freely received in your journey of life. The key bends in your river of life represent turning points for better or for worse in your life. The most important lesson for yourself and others is the fact that you were able to safely continue with the journey despite the challenges. It is important to know what exactly happened. There is a high probability that some people have been lighting your candle along the way which enabled you to continue with your journey. Drawing your river of life will make you better appreciate the lessons in life which has made you what you are. You are at liberty to share your river of life drawing with its life lessons with others. Through sharing you will be exposed to other peoples’ life lessons which will for sure enhance your capacity to overcome challenges.
Author
John Muhaise Bikalemesa
Director: Big Drum Advisory Services Limited
john.muhaise@bigdrumassociates.com
