Ghana is grieving. We have lost one of our great legends of music. Daddy Lumba - may your soul rest in perfect peace. People are sharing memories and celebrating his strong impact, but we are also gaining lessons from his experiences. It is said that his death is in part connected to an accident that happened many years ago.
According the some close relatives, He had an injury but thought it was not serious. When he had reached the peak of his success in life, the health issues began to unravel. The pain had hidden too long and sadly, it caught up with him.
As much as his demise is sad and sormthing that has hit all Ghanaians, It also gave me the chance to reflect on life. In life, in the midst of the want and need to succeed, build a career, and take care of families, we must also learn to pause and check ourselves.
We often don't stop until breakdown. But true growth - and real protection - comes when we check even before it's too late. Many of us, continue to wait until crisis is here, but it is often here that the damage has already been too deep.
Some people focus only on physical health and regard fitness, eating right, or exercising. Some people care more about their emotional life and staying strong, ignoring pain, and pressing on. But what about our spiritual health? While doing checks on our physical life, our continual spiritual checkups is also needed. Prayer opens our heart to God.
Fasting clears our head. Meditation allows us to listen. These spiritual checks gives way for us to notice when nothing is quite right — not just related to your health but your choices, relationships and everyday walk. They allow us to come back when we start to veer off track.
Sometimes, people concentrate only on their physical health, exercising at the gym, eating a balanced diet, and treating their body as a temple. However, when it comes to their emotional and mental health, they completely forget. Others are the opposite, they tend to stay strong emotionally but neglect their physical body. Still, many people sacrifice their spiritual peace in exchange for material gain.
The painful truth is that if you do not stop and check in every area of your life, you may fly to the top, only to realize that you no longer have the strength, peace, or energy to enjoy the success you worked so hard for. That’s why personal reflection is so important. Taking the time to check in with your emotional, mental, and spiritual self will help you stay grounded.
Have you been overwhelmed or stressed out lately? Are your relationships healthy or draining? Do you still get the same joy that you used to in the things you loved? Those are small but hugely powerful questions that can be your “checkpoints” on your travels through life; they can also help you to correct your course before you get too far off track.
As we maneuver through life, there are many times we tend to ignore signals that things aren't right. Burnout is signal, feeling lost despite things looking perfect on the outside is a signal, and all those unexpected closed doors or life pulling you in a different direction are signals too. They are life's way of kind of whispering to you, "It's time for a check."
Unfortunately, many of us ignore these warning signals because we think we can handle it all. Real strength is taking a pause when need be. “Where care finds it’s way” is not always about big moments; sometimes, it’s in the life’s quiet reminders to slow down and check in.
As we reflect on Daddy Lumba and his great legacy, let’s use this moment to grow. Let this be the reminder to slow down, reflect, and check in with all part of our lives, consistently. Because journeys starting with a check often end in peace, balance, and enjoyment of success we labour hard to attain.