{Success Digest With Abimbola Abatta} A Flowing River Does Not Look Back

A Yoruba adage says “Odo ki san ko bojuwo eyin.” Translated, it means a flowing river does not look backwards.

As you sojourn through the journey of life, you are like a river of talents. Your past is not meant to hold you down or impede your progress.

Have you ever observed a river? How does it flow? The course of the water flows forward. Nature made it that way. This is to tell you that regardless of the baggage you left behind, you are made to keep flowing forward. Even if you fall, you fall forward, not backwards.

On your journey through the path of success, break loose from the shackles of the past. The lions of the past will attempt to draw you back as they roar. You’ll be caught in between holding on to the past or facing the future.

Some circumstances will try to sway you off the glow of the future. But remember, you are a flowing river, and you dare not look backwards.

Whenever I ponder on my past, I am triggered to move forward. My past does not define me, rather it is a propeller. It is a springboard for success. Learn from this, and keep flowing.

In another instance, that proverb means you don’t win a race looking backwards. If you have ever witnessed a running competition, you will agree with me that the runners who desire to win never look back. The more a participant looks backwards, the slower he becomes.

Looking backwards, perhaps to see the distance you’ve covered or those you left behind, will slow you down. And when you slow down on the speed, someone else overtakes you. After all, overtaking is allowed.

So, dear friends, we are all racing towards a goal. Our goals may be different, but we all want to succeed. If you truly want success, stop looking at the back. Why don’t you focus on the end goal?

Also, we are not competing against one another. Rather, we are competing with the unique character we left behind (who we were in the past). Strive to be better than you were yesterday. Make effort to be a better you tomorrow. It’s that simple.

Flow forward; you are not trying to outrun your friends or neighbours. Stay on your lane, and keep moving. Whenever you juxtapose who you were ten years ago with the present you, do you see a major difference? Have you really been flowing forward? Or have you been running backwards? Whatever it is, you can still flow forward because you are a flowing river that never looks backwards.

Flow forward this week!

©Abimbola Abatta

Email: abimbola.abatta@gmail.com