It struck Ajna that everything was connected to the world and nature, more closely than humans were. Everyone was far from understanding their connection to the higher power, to their ultimate purpose, and yet they were slowly getting closer to destroying the earth that they lived on. They went out to find life on other planets. They would soon want to go look beyond space. Maybe there was the world that we were always promised, the world that we would go to after we died. Ajna believed that this world existed: the afterlife.

Not everyone believed in the afterlife, but Ajna wondered how it was that someone in their deep sleep could dream of someone they couldn’t even see properly and yet be able to tell who that person was and know everything about them instantly, with a sense that humans lack in their conscious state. Ajna believed that it must have occurred somewhere. Belief is a very dangerous psychological practice, because it has the potential to be made without putting too much thought into it. This was the case in Africa, where a white man named Kurtz came into the heart of the world and told the people that had the riches of the world that they were worth nothing, that they were animals and not humans only because of the colour of their skin.

How was it that full-fledged people who only differed in colour were suddenly made to believe that they were not humans anymore? Why did Africa not have more men like Okonkwo? A man who knew where he came from, a man who was bold enough to know his worth and had the integrity to die for his people, who had lost their customs. It was just hard for Ajna to keep on believing as he grew older. All the ideologies that were set by those in power seemed to be their ideas and choices, even more so than before.

He used to think that the ultimate life was to go to nursery school, then primary school, high school and then tertiary before getting married and having a family of his own. This idea was so believed by many that everyone thought it was their choice to waste 22 years of their lives to get a piece of paper that they gave the fancy word ‘degree’ that would ultimately lead them to their purpose. It was fair enough for him to admit that it worked for him. It made him realise the ideologies that were passed down through media. They were passed down to influence his decision, and the games of politics created a rather more unstable world for Ajna.

In a world that is unstable and always changing, one needs a stable home, the kind of home that Ajna never had when he was growing up. He now had the opportunity to give himself what his parents had tried so hard to give him, but had constantly failed due to the cruelty of the world. The world was run to destroy the lives of the poor, while the rich got healthier, wealthier and richer just in the name of power. Ajna himself could now influence others towards a righteous path. He also didn’t know what this path was, because of his belief that everyone had a purpose, and that it was not possible that every child’s purpose was to go to school and graduate, then get a job, get married and have a family that he would live happily ever after with. That, in turn, was the light and truth that Anahata loved about Ajna, and his influence spread amongst his friends and other people he was close to.

He slowly moved towards his purpose of enriching the lives of his fellow humans. He slowly raced towards the climax of Maslow’s hierarchy, and this was what he needed if he was to get his message across the world, perhaps a world big enough for a person like Ajna, a man with self-worth. It was going to be a difficult task to get his words published, it was going to be difficult to get into the media. He knew the power of those who control the means of information. They are powerful enough to convince a man to sell his soul for fame. This fame that he was to sell his soul for came with a lot of conditions, conditions that demanded him to fake his life.

They all live fake lives – these ‘celebrities’ – the fake lives that every youth wishes for. Who was to teach them if the stars sit in front of the camera and tell the poor youth how blessed they are to have achieved what they achieved, the hard work they claim to have put in to get them to where they are? It is difficult to say these things to anyone because they would label you as jealous, crazy and pathetic. But Ajna was not to keep quiet. He had someone who could listen to him, for starters, and that was Anahata. But he knew that no matter how bad he was, there would be someone who would listen to him, someone who had the same ideas about the world.

It did not take Ajna long to discover that there were many silenced souls. People who had beautiful voices who could not make it in the industry. Beautiful hands that produced beautiful art, and all this talent was silenced by a black parent. There was ignorance in regard to the famous classic totalitarian parenting style that limits children’s potential. It had to be unlearned. The youth that grew up under those conditions were better candidates to learn the right parenting styles for their children. It was going to be a difficult task for Ajna, because there were still those who were trying to achieve the dreams of a dead man before they could start with their dreams. How was it going to end if it continued to be like this? Fortunately, those who could hear Ajna speak as he was walking down the street managed to get a glimpse of his knowledge. The rest would have to live to hear him again when he addressed the whole world. His purpose would be achieved.

Tell us what you think: Should everyone have the same path in life? How important is it to follow your own dreams and ambitions?