WHEN the word maintenance comes to mind, it may be firstly considered as the repair of cars or machinery. However, these are not the only things that can be maintained over time. It is important for us to maintain almost every aspect of our life. Every day, we try to maintain relationships, businesses and even our work. Similarly, physical infrastructure and even social systems are maintained at a larger scale. But how do we manage to keep and continue the existence of everything around us? The art of maintaining something is to ensure that you retain its function and prolong its existence. It is usually overlooked but it is a key aspect of our everyday life.

If we don’t maintain the mechanical abilities of our automobile, then how will it live up to its current use? Similarly, we should strive to maintain and upkeep all aspects of our lives in that same manner. I want to highlight that we should not leave things up to luck or chance for them to prosper. This can be generic, and the key notions of these explanations can be transferred to almost every aspect of your life. It takes hard work, time and effort to ensure the longevity of social systems and relationships. If only we could maintain things in life with the snap of our fingers, life would’ve been much easier. However, this is not the case. Life is not always that simple.

You’re in a long-distance friendship? A simple phone call once a week can help maintain it. Do you want to maintain good grades in school? Well, you have to study and apply your knowledge when it’s crucial in order to do so. Would you like to stay within a certain weight range? You have to learn how to manage your diet and exercise accordingly. These are practical examples of how you need to work accordingly to ensure the maintenance of life’s activities or events. The lack of maintenance is usually a downfall, and we’re left wondering why things did not improve or continue as we expected.

Not only can this simple word be interpreted in our own lives, but the overall development of our country relies on maintaining what we already have. We have new bridges and roads, but what good will they be if we don’t regularly check to see what needs fixing? If we don’t maintain the current social services we currently have, how can people continue to benefit from them? I do believe this is something that needs more careful thought and attention in all aspects of our culture here in Guyana. Personally, I find that there are three important things to consider when it comes to maintenance.

1. You should remember that a specific aspect of your life requires active maintenance.
2. Create a checklist on how you think it should be maintained.
3. Go beyond that checklist and actively seek to maintain.

Just as we can create beauty or car maintenance lists, I believe we can go beyond those and prioritise other important aspects, such as maintaining proper mental health or healthy relationships. At the end of the day, what you choose to maintain is based on your personal experience and priorities. I just wanted you to be aware that most things in life require our attention and effort. I do hope you become more mindful of this from now on.