The Three Gateways
And you are the Knight on guard.
This is not some conspiracy theory as it is today with words like ‘gateways’, especially when you're on TikTok. This is real, and chances are that you already know this.
If I were to ask you, what makes you function the most here on earth? How would you respond? Chances are that you'd say your ability to see, to hear, to speak, to walk, to smell, and all of that. It is not a secret that if you take one of these things away from your life, you would be less of a functional human than you are now, biologically.
The eyes are what give you light to see in the world. Without the eyes, nothing Communicates to your brain about the color, shape, and size of what is in your environment. There is nothing that helps you make a decision. You have to rely on someone else's sight. Seeing is one way to take in information and make choices that will impact your life.
The ear is also another way to take in information. The things you hear can alter the trajectory of your life and destiny. There is some information we hear that causes a shift inside of us that we never would have heard without our ears. It seems really underrated, but the ear is one of the greatest, and there are so many things we never would understand about our world without the ear.
Then there's the nose, which gives you a sense of smell that gives you awareness. Apart from the fact that it helps you breathe — a primary function to continue living, it is also the reason why you are alive today because of how it protects you. Without your nose, you never would have caught the smell of gas from your kitchen, and that event would be a different story today.
A few months back, I came home from church extremely hungry. I walked into the kitchen as I already planned on what to eat. I was about to light the gas when I realized that gas was smelling. I first stepped outside to find where the smell might be coming from. When I didn’t find it, I walked back inside only to realize that it was my gas cylinder that was leaking. Let's just say you wouldn’t have me writing this now if things had turned out differently. Good thing I had a nose eh?
So I introduce you to the three gateways into your mind; the eyes, the ears, and the nose. They are gateways because it is through them that you can take in information that will change your life. You hear, you see, and you smell, and these things give you information to make decisions that will impact your life for the next decades.
I am sure you must have heard the saying, "You are only one decision away from changing your life forever — either for good or for evil." And guess what? It is these gateways that impress their influence on the decisions you make.
We heard an excellent skit maker some months back capture it perfectly; 'info leyan fi n fo." It loosely translates into "Information is what causes you to fly." Guess what the lack of it will do to you? If you guessed that it would keep you on the ground, you have guessed correctly.
Now, guess what having the wrong information and running with it will do to you. I can only leave that to the creativity of your imagination.
We have a responsibility, then, towards these gateways. To protect them jealously so that when we make decisions, we know that we are making them from a clean angle; from protected gateways.
We must love our lives so much that we stand guard to these gateways.
You can protect your eyes by building a system that will make you see only the right things. You might want to argue, "How can I control what I see? There are so many variables in life." Well, someone said something profound some years ago; You might not be able to control what you see (read as: look at), but you can control the second look. And the truth is, there's a difference between looking and seeing. Seeing is about interpretation.
You can protect your ears the same way. Be measured about the things you give your ears to. What you listen to truly determines the things you meditate on and decisions you take thereafter, which then impacts your life. Who are you listening to? What songs blast through your hearing device day and night? What messages and podcasts do you listen to? Do the information that comes out of them reflect who you hope to become that you'd be proud of? Before long, you will go where you lend your ears to hear.
The same with your nose. You have to be alert. If anything, it's a natural protective device. Don't preoccupy your nose by taking in substances like some people do. You have to make sure that what goes into and comes out of your nose keeps you alive because that's what the nose is meant to do.
You are a knight, and your duty is to protect these gateways. Jealously stand guard against the things that go into your mind through your eyes, nose, and ears. You have to live with the knowing that you are standing guard. This is why the mind is called a battlefield.
You already have preset ideologies and systems to fight. You have to stand guard and be sure you are not letting more enemies in to defeat the friends you already have fighting against those systems in your mind. This is the way to show that you love life, and are committed to seeing yourself become something to be reckoned with.
In The Greatest Salesman in the World, there was a scroll that said, "And most of all, I will love myself. For when I do I will zealously inspect all things which enter my body, my mind, my soul, and my heart."
What is the greatest way to show that you love yourself if not to remain guarded against the things that enter your mind? Think about it.
There is another gateway, which is touch. This will be discussed in another newsletter.
To Your Growth,
Your Coach,
Abiola Okunsanya,
Handzinspired. ✨
Thank youuuuu
Thank you, sir. 👏🏾