The Greatest Lesson Was Never to Lose Myself

There's actually someone who has influenced my overall life, especially business wise. But even beyond that, this amazing person has influenced my life, because tell me why I won't be humbled by the kind of strength she displays, I've watched this amazing and beautiful human wake up every single day to pray, cook, take care of us and get us ready for school and then make her way to her daily hustles.

Even on days when w know there's nothing in the house, and as kids that we were back then, we still understood. Kids on a norms are less concerned, they just want to eat, buy biscuits, do this and that, but we on our end saw how difficult things are, and were kind of matured enough to not bother her, even still she wants us to ask, and she wouldn't even show that she's carrying more than enough already.

I can tell you today that my mum is a very very successful human, just that your definition of success might be different. An old her success inspires me in ways words won't be enough to comprehend. There are a lot of things I would have loved to made mention of, but I won't want to litter the space with stories and all, this amazing woman is the definition of endurance, patience, love, care, and most importantly she's the definition of a MOTHER.

While I was sick and on the sick bed, it was an illness that took some years of my life. She told me something I would never forget.

"Your condition may have slowed you down, believe me it won't take you away from me, and since it won't...make sure not to bury your dreams/future." She said it in Yoruba, our native language.

The word has been guiding me since then, even after I got better, I refused to stay grounded, the illness has had its toll on me and I couldn't do certain things, but then I still keep on going. I can't sit down idle. I found some simple and light work to do, things that won't affect my health, and I returned to school and that was how with determination I kept moving forward.

It was from my mum that I learnt that giving up is never an option, I didn't read it from a book, I saw it from what she lived, she taught me compassion and the importance of helping people, she will always say, "ko to nkam ni so ni di ahun." Meaning "Saying it isn't much makes you selfish." She will always help in her own way. She has taught and shown me that even impossible situations can still be possible if you remain persistent and consistent, you will not only get where others as re struggling to reach, but you will go farther.

Now, I will love to delve into the second topic, I can't just overlook it since I have something to say about it.

Talking of popular beliefs that to me, I feel has damaged our society. There are a lot of it, but I won't want to start jumping from this to that, I will just pick one that I feel is very popular and has misled a lot of people, especially youths. And it is the belief that if you're not rich at a young age, you have failed or already failing in life.

This belief, idea and whatever it is has destroyed, damaged, and poisoned the minds of a lot of our youths. That's what you see them getting pressured and doing different harmful and illegal things to make money, then you find them on the internet flaunting different things, showing their expensive lifestyles and what they seem to call..."perfect lives."

And because of all of that, a lot of youths as well get pressured, including those who are doing good and honest works, they feel ashamed about it and want to step up as well. I saw this firsthand some few years back, a good friend of mine who's so honest and well brought up happened to start mingling with some sort of people in school, this guy's were into fraudulent/illegal activities. He got carried away by their luxurious lives and wanted to feel among. So, Corona virus broke out around that time, and we were all asked to go home and all, school closed. I have a work I was doing so I stayed back, he did the same too, a few weeks later, he left his place and went to stay with this guys for over two weeks. I didn't even know, he didn't tell me about it.

It was later I got to know, few months later when the school was to resume, this friend of mine resumed school with a new car and started living the luxurious life too, I asked him about it since I knew he wasn't from a rich family and isn't doing anything that much that could fetch him that life in such a shiet period of time. He just waved it off and told me it was "Grace."

The last time we talked, he said something... "I no come this life to suffer." That was what he said, and in all honesty, I didn't wish for him to suffer, nobody wants to suffer, but is illegal and fraudulent means the only way to living the best of our lives...?

And we have some who got corrupted from what they see on the media, that's what some even compare their relationships with, forgetting that all those online relationships, lifestyles and all, have something behind the cameras, they are only showing you what they want you to see and what they know you want to see. Success most times takes time, we shouldn't be pressured into finding means for a fast money/get rich quick stuffs.

There's something I always tell my junior ones in the neighborhood, which I'm also doing for my students at the moment, it is that, it is better to live a honorable and dent free life, then destroy your future trying to impress those that did not even send you... Funny right.

Also, I'm someone who believes so much in humanity and having a good character. My mum at times tells me that I skip church and all, but I always tell her to show me a time when she's seen me getting involved in something bad, or that someone has came home to report me to her for engaging in something illegal. This is not to say church is bad, this is to say that character matters a lot, and I value it.

I as well remind myself that delay is not denial, the fact that it does not look like it yet does not mean it won't look like it later. Just don't lose yourself, your humanity, and your character in the course of trying/finding means to survive.

Protecting yourself, what you stand for, your value, your name, your humanity, and your character is enough success on its own.

right.

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