5 lessons the deaths of Grace Makosewe and Achieng’ Abura have taught me about career and life

I heard about the death of the Grace Makosewe and Achieng’Abura on social media, and in each case it was a ‘what?’ ‘what?’ gut wrenching reaction. Then it dawned that the reality is, everything, no matter how beautiful, talented and glamorous has a start and an end, and so does life. It got me thinking and reflecting and here are the top 5 thoughts I came out with.

1. Life is short, live it
Grace was a party animal who enjoyed her life to the full.  Achieng’ Abura was a musician who ventured into a field many fear for its challenges with a degree in chemistry and at the mature age of 26 years. What dream are you holding back on, waiting for perfect conditions in order to pursue?
At the very least they died living their dreams and their best life, with little to regret.

2. Take care of your health and wellbeing.
Achieng’ was on the heavy side, and it is thought to have contributed to her health problems, and to have had an adverse impact on the quality of her life. She was said to have encountered a heavy depression that led to a rapid weight loss which led to her body weakness and probably contributed to her sudden death. Grace was said to endure lots of late nights for her business and her lifestyle which tends to come with higher alcohol consumption than most. That, with time, can be a stressful combination on the body and mind. Which begs the question, what are you sacrificing or actively doing to improve your own health and wellbeing?

3. Go after your career of your choice
They all appeared to do most of what they wanted, and are therefore likely to have had fewer regrets. If you had to go right now, stop and think. I mean do it now, stop and think about it, what regrets would you have about pursuing the career and life of your choice? Does the reason you tell yourself every time the question rises in your mind still hold water?

4. Friends and family are not always loyal, accept it.
Achieng’s depression is said to have been partly caused of the disappointment of not being able to raise funds for her son to seek specialized treatment abroad, in spite of all her fame, and all her fans. Now imagine how lonely and sad it must have felt to find that out, especially for someone who was also a giver herself. By all means nurture your friendships, but you will not always right about how they will respond when you need them.

5. One day it will all be over
One day there will be a funeral, and a headstone with your name on it. What will it say? Do you care about what legacy you will leave behind? Are you at the point that your reputation matters beyond your death? This is a lesson to think long and hard about; as it will help you determine how you choose to live, the rest of your life.

May their souls rest in peace.