[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”8643″ style=”vc_box_shadow_3d”][vc_column_text]Once upon a time, I was not always the independent, outspoken extrovert everyone believes I am today. Once upon a time, I did not know what it meant to be me and as I drifted away, I questioned God’s purpose about my existence. Rediscovering myself went hand in hand with deepening my faith as a Christian, looking into what I believe was the bigger picture of what God had in store for me. I had to figure out who I am, because God has created me to be uniquely me, regardless of what others had to say, and same goes for everyone else standing here. I remain forever grateful to my sister, Emeoghene ONAKOME-MESSIRI (Class of 2023) for helping me understand this.
Essentially, every human being is created, imago Dei, in the image and likeness of God. This means that from the beginning of creation of life and the world, as St. John Paul II expresses it, ‘every human person is given the capacity of expressing love, that love in which the person becomes a gift – and by means of this gift – fulfills the meaning of their being and existence.’ Each one carries an indelible mark of God in them. We are spiritual beings on a human journey, and we carry a uniqueness that cannot be shared. Each one walks around with a divine element in them that cannot be duplicated or photocopied into another human person.
However, as each person evolves, grows and encounters the various elements of world, we can sometimes lose the unique mark of the divine that we carry. Some external factors can drive us to corrupt the pure fabrics of our being. We begin to lose touch with who we are; we mess with the uniqueness of our spirit and are carried away by different conflicting waves. A typical example here at JMC exists in group dynamics.
If you look at some friend groups here in the college, you will notice that they walk in the same manner, they hate the same meals, dislike the same people (probably for the same reasons), and even sit beside each other during study halls. The temptation with such groups is that identity crisis could easily set in once they separate, and they are no longer together at the end of their time in JMC. Some members of the group who did not understand who they were and what they were doing in the group could easily break down and lose compass when they are by themselves.
The necessity of developing yourself and having your own self-understanding rests on the fact that no one knows you better than you do. Each morning when you wake up, you want to look at yourself in the mirror and be okay with what you see. Not just physically, but also internally, knowing that you are uniquely you. Irrespective of what other people think or say about you, or the situation life puts you in, you will always know you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
One hard truth we have to swallow is that at the end of our days here in JMC, when we meet one another outside, we do not want to be remembered as that boy or that girl who was in one group and was lost in it. We probably want to be remembered and called by who we were. Nola! Jayden! Kamsi! Femi! Not as one who was in a group and hated a particular meal because the members of your group hated the meal too.
My dear friends, fellow students, find yourself. Who are you? What are you doing? Why are you here? You need to understand the inner workings of your heart and your spirit. Intentionality about uaderstanding yourself and knowing what you are doing will open the doors to brilliance, maturity, depth and formation of a sound character. My dear friends, self-understanding will help you cultivate the tools for growing an informed conscience, a compassionate heart, a committed spirit, and a competent mind. Simply put, a person who understands themselves and is in touch with their inner life is a person who has an excellent character.
It is going to get scary at some point. These questions will vex your mind. Pause. Look over your shoulder and confide in that friend, teacher, or mentor. Because although you are trying to discover you, when the going gets rough, and the road seems rock and you’re in your all time low, you need someone to let you know that you are not alone.
My fellow students, the word today is go! Yes, go. Find yourself. Know yourself. Love yourself. Seek help. Enjoy the experience of soul-searching. Remember that you are unique and gifted, courageous and uncertain. But in all, you are so genuinely you. And we always have Christ who strengthens us. So, run. Touch. Give. Take. Do. Be. Engage. Indulge. Taste. Ignite. Listen. Feel. Heal. Dream. See. Believe. Become. Stay true. Be you!
Oluwabukunola Natasha ALABAJA
Class of 2026[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]