Defined by Position- On the Train of Life

I see you are pleasantly comfortable sitting there- What do you wait for? Waiting for the wind to blow in your favour to proceed with your life- is that what you say? So, you are playing it safe, perhaps? I see…

Today is a beautiful day indeed! Look, look at the plane among the clouds; it had to go against the wind to be able to take off and make it to the sky. Look over there; look at the children playing with a kite. A kite rises highest against the wind, not with it. Do not handicap yourself by making your life easier; it is not only for what you do that you are responsible, but also for what you do not do.

Get up! Come with me; let’s take the train of life. You can make choices on how you want your life to be. On the train of life, there is first, second, third, and ‘no class’. The decision is yours. Never apologise for travelling first class- you are entitled by your hard work to enjoy the comforts of life. If you decide to travel first class, please make sure that your abundance and your wants do not ruin your spirit at the end of your voyage. You might have the tendency to make yourself so big- but don’t, you are not so small. You might become prideful to hide your own faults- but, at the end of the day, you are the only one that has to live with yourself. Ah, please do not ignore other’s pain and sorrow, as you travel with comfort in your train of life.

On the train of life, second class is the place where resentment, envy, jealousy and greediness might ruin your life, by looking at those in first class. Bending to those you might need from, does not make you humble. True humility is when in power, you decide not to misuse it or abuse it. Smiling with hypocrisy to those above you, does not make you a good person. You are good when harm is done on to you, and you let final justice in God’s hands. This is the most dangerous class to belong to, because it’s defined, either by your assets or by the inferiority of your own mind. The only way to break the cycle is by your attitude, which will determine your altitude in life. The irony of second class is to claim for mercy from first class, when you are not capable of extending the same to those less fortunate than yourself.

On the train of life, third class is the place where many have been forgotten by human kind. Third class is a place where tomorrow might just seem so far way for the hopeless and the helpless; and today might be too late for the hungry, the naked, the sick, and the oppressed. Yesterday is an eternity filled with sorrow and pain for third class. If only each person from the train of life reaches out to make a difference to a member of this class; the world would awaken to a glorious morning- a morning never seen by the human eye!

I know, you are wondering about the place ‘no class’ on the train of life. I will not lie to you; there is not a promised outcome, no security, and no luxury in this section of the train of life. Some of us choose to live at the edge of life, inspired by a noble cause. Some of us rather live a minute of glory standing up, than a hundred years of a simple and superficial life, sitting down in the comfort and richness of this life. You might ride on the top of the roof where the heat might consume your strength, or the cold wind of the night might paralyse your mind.

You might go through valleys of shadow and death, or a jungle of hungry beasts- to master fear and conquer your environment. Your moves are defined by the spirit of courage, and determined by the understanding of the purpose of life. You need to have a ‘God’ and a ‘belief system’ to support your strategy in life. The first principle of wisdom is to fear the justice of thy God in all you do, or do not do. The above is the beginning of all knowledge and understanding.

This is no place for cowards- you must not be afraid of sudden terror, of the ruin or the wicked when it comes; for thy God will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from the snare. Wisdom will be your weapon at hand to make sure your perception is right. You must learn that sight is weak; therefore, your strategy will consist of seeing far away dreams up close and close realities from afar.

I wish we all fit on the top of the roof of the train of life, but space and time are limited in this life. The struggles and the challenges are many, perhaps even more than in any other class of the train of life. Unlike first, second, or third class, the third eye to the consciousness of man is wide open- making it unbearable to witness the stubbornness of the fool, the mentally blind, and those unable to discover that the only way to redirect destiny and the barriers of class is by initiating the journey within, on the train of life.

By Diana BenAvides

This writing is property and copyright of the author, published with consent.