by Demola Rewaju

Though I come across as a ‘know-it-all’ on this blog most times, I’m actually just a student of life, sharing the lessons life has taught me and hoping that those whose paths are most similar to mine can learn from me as I have over many years learnt from those who have gone on before me.

I’m sure you know that song by John Legend, one of my alltime favourite crooners and if you drive around Lagos you would know or guess that most drivers just basically wing their way through traffic not fully sure of which way to go especially when trying to beat traffic on any popular road. Just observe one driver get fed up with the hold-up and do a detour…others will likely follow, certain that he knows a shortcut.

Life is like that sometimes: nobody really knows; especially when it comes to relationships and stuff. Nobody knows exactly what you’re going through, why you’re putting up with the things you’re putting up with or why you do the things you do. Everyone else sees from outside but when you live in the reality of a thing, only you can know what it feels like.

Though I come across as a ‘know-it-all’ on this blog most times, I’m actually just a student of life, sharing the lessons life has taught me and hoping that those whose paths are most similar to mine can learn from me as I have over many years learnt from those who have gone on before me. In my personal life, I shy away from dishing out advice except in rare cases where I know I can totally control the execution of the action I advise a person to take – a privilege I abstain from and only pick up with a great sense of responsibility.

In sharing my lessons I try only to show what I’ve been through, giving glory to God and telling it like it is. I share to help others but nobody really knows…

I resist being judged for the things I do because I do them with much thought and even if the end result doesn’t come out as I expect I take responsibility for it with full knowledge that I cannot help being what I am. It’s hard sometimes to share all that’s on my mind without directly explaining my thought process but I am just following my own path and doing what I am called to do in the best way I can. Trust this though that whatever I reveal is only a part of the story and if it will be used against me anywhere, I have my response prepared.

I revealed the truth about the challenge I had when I was about to get married – I mean the anonymous petition because I felt it was the right thing to do. I revealed it because when I ran to my first place of spiritual succour and narrated my challenge, I was made stronger by the revelation of the challenge my spiritual mentor had faced during his own wedding period. Now, I know I am called to share my life lessons to help others and if I can be weakened by that process yet many others will be strengthened, I have no regrets; none whatsoever but I know I cannot be weakened by that which I deliberately choose to reveal.

I am not afraid to be seen as vulnerable. I know my strengths even if I expose my weaknesses. I live my life from the deepest parts of my being and if it says ‘speak’; I will. I tell the stories of how we overcome because I need someone to know that no matter what it is – they will overcome. That is why I write and if in the process I render myself vulnerable, so be it: no regrets.

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This post is published with permission from Demola Rewaju

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.