Life Is Not a Straight Line

“Life is no straight and easy corridor along which we travel free and unhampered, but a maze of passages, through which we must seek our way, lost and confused, now and again checked in a blind alley. But always, if we have faith, a door will open for us, not perhaps one that we ourselves would ever have thought of, but one that will ultimately prove good for us,” so declared A. J. Cronin. Let’s reflect on life as not a smooth, straightforward, and predictable pathway.

Do you know that life will not always work as you expect? It may not be as smooth as you wish or as straight as you would prefer. As much as you pray for the best, the reality about life is that many times what you expect to go up may actually come down, the road may become more winding than you pray for and some things may come later than you envisage. In the words of Preetam Nath, “Life is not a straight line. It’s complex, messy, and, at times, resembles a knotted string. It’s circular where you might come back to the same point (for me, it was from from nothing -> Point A -> Point B -> back to Point A).” In the words of another writer, “The path isn’t a straight line; it’s a spiral. You continually come back to things you thought you understood and see deeper truths.” As Amanda Linehan said, “Even though you could say that life always moves forward, forward doesn’t always mean straight ahead. Forward can mean backtracking. Forward can mean getting sidetracked. Forward can mean circling around. Forward can mean sitting still for a little while. As frustrating as it feels to not be moving in the straight line you think you should be, these ‘diversions’ are usually necessary.”

So, enhance your capacity to meander through the windy road of life without losing your faith and passion. As Nath counselled, recognize that “Life is too short to be spent doing the things you are ‘supposed’ to do.” Learn from him: “I choose to do the things I am ‘meant’ to do. I choose to listen more closely to my soul’s song and pursue what I am truly meant to do.” When things do go as expected and you’re tempted to feel angry, frustrated, and disappointed, remind yourself of John Piper’s note: “Life is not a straight line leading from one blessing to the next and then finally to heaven. Life is a winding and troubled road. Switchback after switchback. And the point of biblical stories like Joseph and Job and Esther and Ruth is to help us feel in our bones (not just know in our heads) that God is for us in all these strange turns. God is not just showing up after the trouble and cleaning it up. He is plotting the course and managing the troubles with far-reaching purposes for our good…” Train yourself to do what you should do and to take some things as they come. Be conscious of anxiety and regrets over what is outside your control. Know, as Lao Tzu said, “If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future.”

As you step out, reject the temptation to let the winding course of life leave you frustrated or dejected. Try to accept the stack reality that sometimes life may not take you through the familiar or preferred road. In such case, you need to stand firm until the entire journey unfolds.

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Prof. (Engr.) Esang Esitikot is a professor of occupational health and safety, a COREN-registed chemical engineer, public affairs analyst, certified management consultant, World Safety Organization Ambassador, recognized Environmental Ambassador, marriage counsellor, youth mentor, reviewer for some international research journals and volunteer lecturer at the Institute of  Health, Safety, Security and Environment, University of Uyo. He works for an international oil company and can be contacted via 08035103559 (Whatsapp only).