My Journey - Progression to Success

If you ever wondered where life could take you, you are not alone. Life in itself is a journey full of many lessons to be learnt, assignments to be carried out, downfalls, discoveries, and plentiful success.

As an adolescent, growing up in the remotest part of what is know as a third world country in West Africa is not an easy experience. Notwithstanding the beauty of not having certain luxuries, such as, uninterrupted power supply, game consoles, sophisticated toys, and the likes, in my possession, I often relished communicating and mingling with like-minded mates from nearby neighborhoods.

At that stage of life, the only worry in mind was having a filling, but befitting meal in my bosom. Moreover, sleeping, playing in the sand dunes, swimming, attending village parties, and engaging in adventurous activities were the order of the day at the time. It was almost as if life was without worries. Little did I know that I was in for a shocker. If only one was schooled on the pitfalls that life may throw at you, so you could be better prepared to shoulder it all.

Isn't it funny how time always catches up with you. Days go by, and the night only seems like a minute lasting only a second. Momentarily, it might be Jesus coming in the horizon, if only we knew when that will be.

Of course, I was never born into such a sorry situation, as described above. My parents were well-to-do and at the early stages of my life as a child, I wouldn't consider myself as lacking the best things in life. Although, we were not the richest family on planet earth, my father always ensured that we did not have to go another day empty-belied. He worked hard and I could recall during the Christmas celebrations, we (I and my brother) were often presented with a chicken each..Happy days, I say. My mother was like my heaven, beautiful, resourceful, compassionate, loving, and possessed a one-in-a-million smile. Despite these happy memories, little did I know that things were about to take a fascinating turn, one which would greatly impact me and my brother for the rest of our lives.

If only war could have divided us as a family, that I think would have been somewhat comprehensible. But, my case appeared to be more horrendous. One day calamity came knocking at our door-step, a broken home, dad was no longer able to function health-wise and finally gave up the ghost, living with family members who were hell-bent on maltreating us, treatment that would have made slavery look like a walk in the park. Not that I am making light of the pains our forefathers suffered.

Only if my mind would permit me to write more of my experience. However, as the saying goes "there is always light at the end of the tunnel". Regardless of the demeaning nature of all I endured, my drive to attain the best in life was never questioned. As a matter of fact, it served as an impetus for me to strive for more in life. All my life up until the past decade, I felt caged, edgy, anxious, lost, enclosed, and less confident.

Nonetheless, I was not perturbed and my ambition was obvious. I turned to education as a way out and dedicated most of my time studying and learning. Knowledge is power and if you have it, you can overcome many things in life, associate with men of high repute, maintain meaningful conversations, build rapport, walk confidently, influence people and command respect among your peers.

In many areas of my life, I often go the extra mile to be the best and regardless of my hang-ups, I never let them limit me in any way. People who know me, would attest to the fact that I am not a quitter, and always fighting to the end, regardless of the difficulties that I am presented with. And you can do the same in your life today.

"A Quitter Never Wins, and A Winner never Quits".

Here I am today, a winner and a product of the University of life. Travelling, happiness, achievements, and cleanliness are some of the things that makes me feel sane. The former helps me to regain some of the freedom that I lost as a child, and confidence is at an all time high. God Almighty has always been the center-point of my life, irrespective of my imperfections. He is real, and I can testify of his magnificent works.

I hope my story has inspired you and will continue to do so. You can be anything you want to be, if you put your mind to it.