Science, Life & Lessons with Eddy

24/06/2026

BELOW ZERO

Day 173 of 365

Many of us assume that when we hit rock bottom, there is nowhere else to go.
But there is something worth remembering.
Below the rock is still the earth.
In other words, there is a number below zero.
Life has a way of teaching us this lesson. Just when we think we have experienced the worst possible setback, another challenge appears.
You receive harsh criticism at work.
Then later that same day, you get a rejection email from a job you were hoping to secure.
Before you can recover from that disappointment, you receive a call that someone you love is unwell.
What you thought was zero suddenly becomes minus one.
Then minus two.
Then minus three.
The reality is that suffering does not always stop where we expect it to stop.
The story of Book of Job illustrates this clearly. Loss followed loss. Pain followed pain. The difficulties did not arrive one at a time. They came in waves.
Life can push us below zero.
When that happens, denial does not help.
We acknowledge the reality of where we are, gather ourselves, and take the next step.
We learn from the criticism.
We submit the next application.
We look for solutions.
We do what we can with what remains.
Because resilience is not proven when everything is going well. It is revealed when life takes us below the point we thought we could survive, and we keep moving anyway.
Your current position may feel like minus ten.
But as long as you are still here, your story is not finished. The numbers can rise again.
© Keneke Thoughts

24/06/2026

23/06/2026

YOUR SUN WILL RISE TOO
Day 172 of 365
One of the things that has always fascinated me is how light behaves across different parts of the world.

In regions close to the equator, day and night remain fairly balanced throughout the year. Sunrise and sunset happen at relatively predictable times, and the transition between day and night feels consistent.

However, when you travel to some parts of Europe, especially during summer, the experience is very different. At 9:30 or even 10:00 at night, there can still be plenty of light in the sky. Then, a few hours later, by 3:30 or 4:00 in the morning, daylight begins to return.

To someone unfamiliar with this phenomenon, it might seem as though the day never truly ended. Yet brightness alone does not determine the beginning of a new day. The Earth is constantly rotating, and what we experience depends largely on where we are positioned at a particular moment.

That observation reminds me of life.

Sometimes we look around and see others experiencing success, opportunities, recognition, or progress. Their lives appear bright while ours may feel stuck in a season of waiting. It is easy to become discouraged and wonder whether our own moment will ever come.

But perspective matters.

The fact that someone else is currently enjoying the sunlight does not mean there is none left for you. The Earth does not stop rotating because one region is experiencing daylight. In time, the same sun reaches another part of the world.

Life often works in a similar way.

Someone else's promotion does not cancel your future opportunities. Someone else's achievement does not diminish your potential. Someone else's breakthrough does not mean your season has been forgotten.

Keep learning. Keep growing. Keep showing up.

If you remain consistent and continue moving forward, your own sunrise will come.

Do not mistake another person's daylight for the end of your story.

The sun is still moving, and your morning is on the way.

© Keneke Thoughts

22/06/2026

USE THE SYSTEM

Day 171 of 365

Recently, I was playing a simple tile-matching game on my phone. The objective was straightforward: find matching tiles and clear the board. It is the kind of game that challenges your attention, pattern recognition, and patience.

What caught my attention was not the game itself, but the tools built into it.

There was a button to undo a mistake. Another could reveal a hidden tile when I got stuck. A third could reshuffle the board when everything became too cluttered to see clearly.

For a while, I avoided using them.

I wanted to rely on my own ability. I wanted to solve every puzzle without assistance. Using those features felt like taking a shortcut.

Then a simple thought crossed my mind.

The designers put those tools there for a reason.

They understood that there would be moments when the puzzle became overwhelming. They knew that sometimes players would need a different perspective, a second chance, or a little guidance to keep moving forward and enjoying the game.

Life is not very different.

Many of us try to carry every burden alone. We refuse to ask for help. We avoid seeking advice. We ignore opportunities to learn from others because we feel we should be able to figure everything out by ourselves.

But progress is not always about working harder. Sometimes it is about using the systems already available to us.

A mentor can provide direction.

Training can shorten the learning curve.

Relationships can offer support.

Wise counsel can prevent costly mistakes.

These are not signs of weakness. They are tools for growth.

Just as the game was designed with features to help players move forward, life is filled with resources that can help us navigate challenges and make progress.

The goal is not to prove that we can struggle alone.

The goal is to keep moving forward.

Use the system
© Keneke Thoughts

21/06/2026

21/06/2026

THEY DON'T HATE YOU

Day 170 of 365

When I was about three or four years old, my mother did something that convinced me she "hated me".

I grew up in a riverine community in Bayelsa State, where many villages are surrounded by water. In places like this, swimming is not just a hobby. It is a survival skill.

Sadly, there have been many cases of children losing their lives because they never learned to swim. Because of this, parents often teach their children from a very young age.

One day, my mother took me to the river.

She placed me in water that felt far too deep for a child my age. She never left me alone, but she stayed far enough away that I had to struggle towards safety.

I was terrified.

In my young mind, I thought she wanted to harm me.

Years later, I realised the opposite was true.

She was not trying to hurt me. She was trying to equip me with a skill that could one day save my life.

The same lesson applies in many areas of life.

We often complain about demanding teachers, strict mentors, difficult coaches, or bosses who push us beyond our comfort zones. At the time, it can feel unfair. We may even resent them.

But when we move on and look back, we sometimes discover that the very standards we disliked were the reason we became stronger, more capable, and better prepared.

Not everyone who challenges you is against you.

Sometimes the people who push you the hardest are the ones who want the best for you.

Growth is rarely comfortable, but discomfort is not always a sign of harm. Sometimes it is a sign that someone is preparing you for what lies ahead.
© Keneke Thoughts