Action And Reaction.

Every one who has studied Introductory Science or Physics in secondary school is familiar with Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Now, that law holds true for every physical motion. That is why you can stand up and walk upright, without falling over, despite gravitational pull and the interplay of other forces on your body. The inherent reaction engendered by the action from those forces ensures that you do not tip over and fall to one side or the other. Occasionally, however, there is a deficit in the counteraction or reaction to the interplay of these forces and the result is a fall. Equilibrium is, therefore, a function of balance of action and reaction.

This law holds true in life also, only that, in this case, the reaction that ensures balance and equilibrium is not automatic. There is a daily constant action of forces, both positive and negative, on our lives that threaten, sometimes, to tip us over the edge. How we react to these forces and events largely determines whether we fail or succeed in life. How you react to what happens to you in life, therefore, is more important in determining the outcome of your life. In other words, what you do with what is done to you is more important than what happened to you in the first place.

Let me give you an example so you understand my point. I was a bad (very dull) student during my primary school days. My brain was as thick as a reinforced concrete wall. Nothing penetrated my brain and I could not read or write. My case was bad and my mates knew it and some of them took sinister pleasure in rubbing salt into my injury. They mocked me mercilessly and even composed a song to illustrate my dullness!

That action was bad enough to cripple my spirit and confine me to the fringes for life, but it did not. Why? Because I refused to believe that I was dull. So, instead of running away and hiding behind the dark cloak of failure, I stood my ground and fought back by reacting positively. The mockery and jeering and name-calling drove me to work harder and longer and smarter. 

And then (thank God!) my brain began to stir and come alive. Gradually, I could put letters together and pronounce words and my writing began to gel. My literacy and numeracy grew by leaps and bounds and, by my second year in secondary school, I was literally cruising academically. My friends and mates stopped mocking me and started, though reluctantly in many instances, respecting me. Some of them celebrate me today.

My story changed mainly because I refused to fall over and roll with my dull circumstances and accept the uncharitableness of some of my teachers, mates and friends. Instead of discouraging me, mockery and jeering motivated me to work harder and smarter. My positive reaction to a negative event in my life resulted in positive outcomes that continue to benefit me, my family and humanity at large, even to date. As long as I did not give up, I eventually overcame and succeeded.

That is one of the reasons I am always so positive. I see a happy ending in every situation, no matter how bad. I believe that things are bound to get better, as long as I remain positively committed to taking the right actions and doing the right things. As long as there is life, there is always hope for better things.

Let me leave you with three quotations that I find very useful and instructive:

1. "The difference between a strong man and a weak one is that the former does not give up after a defeat.” – Woodrow Wilson.

2. "It is inevitable that some defeat will enter even the most victorious life. The human spirit is never finished when it is defeated…it is finished when it surrenders.” – Ben Stein.

3. "Winners are not afraid of losing. But losers are. Failure is part of the process of success. People who avoid failure also avoid success.” – Robert T. Kiyosaki.

You can be a thousand times better than you are right now. Do not be beaten down by the negative events of life. Do not be beaten by defeat or failure or loss. What you do in reaction to what happens to you is the determining factor. Beat down the negative action by reacting positively. Bounce back and stand tall.

Yes you can!

You are victorious!

It is all within you!

It is me, Agoso Bamaiyi, your friend for a greater Nigeria and the best things of life.