I blinked my eyes open one Saturday afternoon and immediately realized that I was lying on the floor outside of a Mall, where I had just finished shopping. My last memory was paying the bill and heading outside to board a taxi, because I suddenly wasn't feeling well and desperately wanted to get home. My next realization was that 
I had fainted face flat at the top of a short set of stairs. The impact broke the bone around my nose region. I suffered through 6 months of painful and expensive reconstructive surgeries and procedures. Countless tests were performed to find out the reason why I had fainted that day. Medications were prescribed to address the dizzy spells and chest pains that sporadically followed.
Till this point, I was one lucky young man. I moved to Lagos after graduating university with my sights set on building a career. Over the years I have built the kind of life I wanted for myself. I was proud of my accomplishments but pushed further for a particular dream.
Here’s the thing, I’m not that different from anyone trying to be successful anywhere until my doctor told me that my latest trauma was as a result of over working myself. He said almost every health related issue could inevitably be drawn to stress. I had absorbed many responsibilities after the massive layoff at my work place. I thought about work incessantly. I couldn’t turn off, I checked my mails constantly. I even dreamed of work, sometimes confusing what was real and what had manifested in my slumber.
I have learnt to manage stress now, I close at work early and go for medical checkups regularly. success still means a lot to me but what is success worth if I'm not alive to enjoy it.
Word count: 349
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