We had finished phase one of production when news that legendary footballer, Pele, real name, Edson Arantes do Nascimento got to me. A few hours later, I came across another legend’s passing, Vivienne Westwood, and a thought crossed my mind: ‘Is this the passing of a generation of legends to make room for the new?’

I found in common with these two people that they both had gifts that placed them way ahead of their time. Vivienne Westwood helped invent the punk look of shredded t-shirts, which, as time went by, evolved to spreading the word about social and environmental issues. Pele, on the other hand, was an athlete like none other.

As I searched images for both of them, I came across one with a quote by Pele. It read: “I always had a philosophy which I got from my father. He used to say, ‘Listen. God gave you the gift to play football. This is your gift from God. If you take care of your health, if you are in good shape all the time, with your gift from God, no one will stop you, but you must be prepared.’ ” This quote reminded me of a video I had seen once where Kerry Washington spoke about goals and praying. She likened it to wanting to catch a bus, so you pray to catch it, but you must try to catch it when it comes your way; otherwise, you will miss it.

And so, borrowing from both statements, the simple message is: As we make our requests(prayers) to our God in this new year, we must try to discover the gifts He has given us and use them in our chosen field. Take care of our health, as our body is where He put the gift and being equipped with that gift, be prepared to grab the opportunity (catch that bus) when it presents itself, as that might be that big break we seek— a kairos moment.

Until next week, enjoy your read.