(This is
written based on personal experiences and observations among people I interact
with. Now the list is not exhaustive but my take on things.)
1. The temptation to give up is so strong
In your early twenties you are at the most
exciting, most ambitious stage in your life. You feel like you can do anything
and you want it all. You have all the zeal you can master but at the same time
when the tough gets going, the temptation to quit is so strong. You start to
wonder, is this the path I want to take? Is it all worth it? All I can say at
this juncture only resilience and passion will keep you on track otherwise you
will change lanes. Don’t get me wrong- change is good every once in a while but
then being determined is one of the greatest traits to possess. It shows people
you really know what you are after. What’s that saying about when you want
something so badly, the world convenes to hand it you…? There’s that too.
2. Your self-esteem is at its most fragile state
Most of us enjoy our childhood and teen years
being sheltered from the big, bad world by our loved ones. But when we join the
20s bracket, most are in campus and mom and dad can’t be at our beck and call
24/7. We start to embrace adulthood and start owning up our mistakes, accepting
the consequences of our actions and realizing that there’s no one to give an
encouraging smile with every turn we take. Once in a while we accept that yes
there are others who are brighter than us, better than us and we can’t always
be the top in all we do. Sometimes, we undergo rejection, could be in the form
of an interview, a competition and must strive to maintain a positive attitude.
But c’est la vie (that’s life) you win some, you lose some.
3. The first serious heartbreak feels like the
end of the world
Now I know I have been here before, that
point in your life where you feel it in your gut that yes you have met the one.
It’s the Cinderella-prince charming kind of love. Nothing can stand in the way
of your love. It’s just rainbows and butterflies. Most times you never see the
unhappily ever after coming and honestly, who can blame you? But indeed not all
relationships work out and that moment of realization is so painful, you feel
cheated, maybe even want to find cupid and strangle him. You swear off love but
in most cases, you heal, let go and before you know it you are already drafting
a new check list for the next Miss/ Mr. Right.
4. The self-transition from high school to
campus is more vivid than ever
Oh how I remember my high school days, the
ever diligent CU (Christian Union) active member. At that point in time
temptations of the world were almost mythical. I was sheltered by my boarding
school lifestyle and never thought my faith would ever waver. Now in campus, I
must admit that indeed I have fallen into temptation severally; I don’t go to
church as religiously among other things. It is more challenging to stay on the
righteous path but salvation is a journey so Aluta Continua!
5. Your Career path is the ultimate puzzle
When I was younger I was sure I was going to
be a teacher or a lawyer but here I am now a Finance option student. Even so, I
am not 100% I want to be the next CFO of say Equity Bank Ltd. I feel that as a
result of my outgoing personality, I should be in public relations or customer
relations. So I have personally concluded to let my Finance major be my
stepping stone in pursuit of the ultimate career and professional fulfillment.
6. The importance of being successful
Last but not least, how to become successful
is what I find the ultimate quest. At this stage in life one begins to realize
that in fact they want a better life than their parents/ guardians. That you
want to spoil them for availing all the opportunities they did growing up. You
want them to be proud of you and make 90% of the sentences start with “My son/
daughter…” To be honest the only way to accomplish all these is through being
successful. Better still the core question is how and this is one that requires
a lot of soul searching, working smart and my personal fix mentorship. I wish I
had a universal answer/ formula to the question “How to be successful in life?” I can
conclude by quoting one of my role models, Mr. Kamal, CEO of Craft Silicon,
“Best way to fail is to not believe in yourself and surround yourself with
people who don’t believe in you.”
