Sometimes We Need That Little Push...

I had a relative whose vehicle wouldn’t start until somebody pushed it. I thought it was a joke, but turned out to be true. You can check wikihow on how to push start your car and find out all about it (1). It’s funny because the same guy used to always boast that his cars were thief-proof, which is something major in Kenya given the number of carjackings that used to happen back then. With time one learnt that the cars were probably thief-proof because nobody wants to steal them anyway, and if they did, they wouldn’t know how to start it or it would break down a few meters away (just an indication of the quality- or lack thereof – of the cars).

Anyhow, what made me think of that person’s wont-start-till-you-push vehicle was how some people take for granted the power of a motivating word or gesture. Sometimes in life, we don’t start working on a particular thing until we’re pushed by someone. We can’t expect to be self-driven all the time, because sometimes we run out of fuel, and we need to recharge. Sometimes this push doesn’t come from a positive source, however. It could come from a negative one. Have you ever heard of a fat kid who was bullied for so long until one day he decided that he has had enough and so worked to lose weight? While I disapprove of bullying in general, in his case the push came from a negative experience; one that pained him so much that he decided to do something about it because the pain of staying the same was worse than the pain of making a change. There’s a quote that says, “We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.”

But most of the time, the pushing comes from a positive source; a friend who believes in us; a family member who makes duaa* for us; a stranger who invests in us; a writer whose words have made a difference in our lives. So take a moment to appreciate the people who’ve pushed you and helped you reach the place that you are at right now, because there are some whose dreams get extinguished because of other people’s consistent mocking and teasing. And if you’re one of those who are continuously discouraged, just remember the quote, “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

And sometimes, the push is just what we need to not only move ourselves forward, but move others forward as well…sorta like this.

Image from istockphoto.com

Just for fun; 1) http://www.wikihow.com/Push-Start-a-Car

*duaa: prayer