For so many of us, life is a hefty journey with many twists and turns. It’s, therefore, inevitable that at some point, we pause to reflect deeply about what’s left of our life; for us to look back at the years lived so far, reflect on the present and think of where to go next. It is in such moments that we finally understand some things about how life really works, what matters and what doesn’t, thus, manage to overcome some of the irrelevant preconceptions we’ve always held about life. It’s true wisdom really does come with age. But looking at life now and knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to the younger version of yourself? Arnaud Mugisha Gatera, professionally known as DJ Marnaud, says if he had a chance to advise his young version, he would tell himself to choose and do what he loves and is capable of doing. Life lessons to some mean following your heart and always staying true to yourself. Net photos Whereas he says that this is not a must for everyone, he believes most people yearn for this, noting that even a 10-year-old kid would want to live such a good life. “I would also tell myself to always point to the future and plan every single minute. To pray, love and be patriotic.” For Bruce Intore, a local event organiser, nothing really is complicated in life, this is what he knows now and says would recommend for his younger version. He says he would ensure to follow his heart and always be true to himself even if other people don’t necessarily agree with him, explaining that this eventually pays off. Scovia Karungi, a mother and wife, says it’s a blessing that humans don’t know what lies ahead of them. “If I knew what lay ahead of me when I was still young, I don’t know if I would have the courage to live life the way I have,” she says. “But looking back, I would tell the young me to be brave because life isn’t for the faint hearted. However, I would also encourage myself to look out for the happy moments because when these come, they will make the rough ride worthwhile,” Karungi says. TV Presenter, Athan Tashobya, says “Funny how I wouldn’t want to change anything because it feels like I am just getting to my best years. “Anyhow, the older I get, the more I realise that you don’t need a lot of friends when the ones that you got have always got your back. Keep them and guard the friendship no matter what,” he says. “I would also tell my younger self it is the people you love, not the money and fame that makes you rich,” Tashobya adds. Businesswoman Winnie Umuhoza regrets just realising that we are all on a journey and that all of us have weaknesses and fears. “I wish I knew this earlier, life would be so much easier for me. I used to beat myself up for the flaws I had. I thought I was the bad one and that all other people were okay. I was so wrong,” she says. She also notes that though she has learnt this the hard way, she realises now that nothing is really constant in this life. “Life is not constant, which means things will always change. Even those we consider very important such as relationships, they all change. But regardless of what we lose along the way, we stand to hope that the best is yet to come. And now that I know this, for me, life is a beautiful journey and it’s worth every step.” Meghan Nimwiza, Miss Rwanda 2019, says she would tell her younger self to trust her instincts more than anything else. “Sometimes you will doubt yourself or the decisions you’ve made, but never doubt your heart because it’s your best advisor. Growing up I always or most of the time had doubts about my decisions. I would always wonder whether I am making the right decision or not and when someone talked me out of it I would snap out of it instantly,” she says. Looking back now, she realises that trusting herself then is the best thing she could have done, observing that as life goes on one realises that it’s better to feel your way through than to think it through because no matter how logical things are, if they don’t feel right then it’s only a matter of time until you realise how wrong it was. “So the best advice I could have given to my younger self is “do what feels right to you, what your heart feels more at peace with and what will make you happy, because at the end of the day no matter how much outside assurance could mean, your heart knows best and following it is the greatest decision you can make.”
