FISHTALE
Short and simple is what comes to my head.
Have you ever wondered why as deadly as the shark is if it makes the mistake of washing up at Bayelsa beach, Mama Bature will increase her roasted fish price to 7,000 Naira? She will even tell you “boarder just closed na only exotic dey.”
Do you think she will not sell??? Oh Lord!
Add cold drinks or smooth silky yoghurt to go with some colseslaw and chips and we’ve got parte’ after parte’
It’s clear isn’t it. Life said to me “Operate within your niche.” “Operate within your niche.” she said.
I started this year with a stringy confidence, this time trying to tread cautiously not to make any slip ups, to get as much from life as possible, but I found out that my focus was divided each time and then at some point I started asking myself “okay, what do I even want to do with my life?. Then in the bid for a change of routine you just read off another person’s playbook and decided that “this move” is the next step I want to take, you are not even minding the fact the same person you’re trying so hard to follow in their steps derives their plan from someone else too! What a facade!
I can’t begin to ruminate the money wasted in chasing after another man’s dreams, or the time wasted in brewing another colleague’s life steps as my own and the line they give me is “guy you still dey naija ni?”
Left and right people leaving the country. I kept feeling I was being left behind. People investing in big projects all around.
You talk to one girl sef for 2 seconds, you wanna go out, next thing, “Are you mobile?” I have samsung, nonsense! It can haul a universal bus. It has power saving mode sef.
So many times I wanted to just sink in and give in to my feeble-minded self, I even incured some debt at some point, all for what? personal clout???? no naaa no naaa.
Then I met someone, one who was God sent and from who I regularly heard the words “calm down, listen to your heart.”
Who showed me it’s alright to dream the big dreams, who showed me it doesn’t matter how bad your health seems to fail you whenever you want to take up a great task, just don’t stop dreaming and then little by little by little I crawled out of my dark cornered space. Booboo, God bless you, God keep you, God support you.
Truthfully speaking, it took the mercies of the creator to step out into a new light though a little dim but a light you know it’s yours not a reflection of another.
I had to operate within my own space within God’s plan for me, not what looks good, not the current trend, it’s a “my own path” trend.
To one singular person I’ll tell you this, Do not be fazed, that your beautiful beautiful career will pick up, that scrumptious dream would illuminate you very soon, that deliciously prepared partner of yours who everyone thinks has nothing to offer will become a honeycomb soon. Just know it will take time, heart and mind commitment, effort (especially for those that will love with their hearts not with their heads, you have to match both though)
Becoming good is easy, just be hardworking and work smart with good support you’ll get there.
However, you see, many of us reading this don’t want to be good, we want to be great!
That is hard, it takes time to hone your gift, to nuture it, to allow it to grow.
Some trees take 20 to 50 years to bloom but when they do, they become life to a whole forest, plantation. That’s the difference between the great ones and good ones.
Oh and you need funds to hone your dream but know this, if the dream is that good, they’ll pay way better for your best.”
Here’s my own new year’s resolution. To become “Oluwatobi Bamdupe” meaning “God is big so help me give thanks”, a powerful name by powerfully enlightened parents with an all powerful God.
I am a human being first before I am one who saves lives.
I am a human being first before I draw smiles on other people’s faces.
I am a human being first before I play sweet melodies to the tunes of the hearts of the world.
Be the being you were born to be not what the world feels you should be, not what Nigeria thinks you should manage, not what that pot-bellied halitotic boss of yours thinks is ideal.
Take time to hone all that the great creator has deposited within you, because this me, by God’s grace will die empty, every shred of my God-given resource will water my nation, nothing will be wasted. I look forward to sharing my dreams with you all. God bless you all and have a happy new year.
Season Greetings from Perry’s Tots.🎄
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