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Thursday, 23 August 2012

Riding the Bus (In Lagos)

I grew up knowing that i'll be a sucess in life.

Its not a wish, a prayer, a dream..well actually it is.. but it is also my reality. I am a success. I may not look the part or walk the part, but i'm learning to talk the part..oh yes! I complain a lot about brain- washing by some spiritual leaders but one thing i'm grateful that i learnt from a lot of them is speaking positively. They tell you when you wake up without a kobo (at home or abroad) you must declare "i am rich" and this is one thing i believe without a shadow of doubt.


My walk to success was 'crippled' in great unquantifiable measure by the misguidance of my guidance counsellors in secondary school (wetin dem dey do sef?). Typically because i was very outspoken, often partaking in debates and quizzes on behalf of the school, i was certified 'lawyer material'. I didn't even bother myself thinking so much about it because in my mind at that time, i was born to wow the world with my arguments. Yes, i was going to become a lawyer.

If there is any word in the dictionary that can explain to you what it really means to be a lawyer, and even more particularly a young lawyer, it is LONG-SUFFERING. You should look it up. There's patience and then there's long-suffering, and i assure you if theres to be a "naija language" word for it, a young lawyer is the kind of person we like to call "suffer-head".

After excruciatingly long years of studying to be a lawyer, you go through the hell that is law school, and finally graduate to find out that there are so many more lawyers than you had estimated. Yes you would be forced to continually do whatever it takes to impress your very many "seniors at the bar" for at least the next 7-10 years if you are to make your mark in the profession. You finally realise that the very struggle that you thought ended on the day you were called to be a Barrister and Solicitor has actually only just begun.


I said all that to say this. Today when i was forced due to circumstances beyond my control to ride in at least 3 buses, sandwiched between absolute strangers i said to myself ;
"Ese, if you continue with your job even in the next 3 years you may not have saved enough to buy a benz 190". To be frank that is the absolute truth.

In my mind (let me know if you don't agree) success can only be achieved when you're doing somthing you love and are passionate about but even moreso when you're well compensated for it.

Nothing is more motivating than sitting in a bus sandwiched between people with deadly body odour, people screaming on their mobile phones, people singing out loud to music playing from their phones, and conductors building up courage to ask you for your mobile number.

Yes, like many of you the yellow and black bus motivated me to push boundaries to ensure that my childhood dream of success doesn't die.

How to start? Discover your passion...join us on this journey...

7 comments:

  1. Big Sister it is very obvious that you are built for success. I'm sure ull succeed as a. Blogger too. See you @ the top. Cheers. Olawande

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  2. Ese, ds is a luvly piece. U r rite dear nd dts y am seriously dreading working in a law firm. Success is ours

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  3. Lol....too funny

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  4. Ese i cannot agree more. Copy that on the suffer head and long suffering. You're a great writer, you put the exact thots to words.

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  5. I totally agree with you Ese...you can only be truly successful when you feel fulfilled doing what you love.

    I realised this a while back. It's not always about the formal education you acquired. We REALLY need to get this straight. This is where most of us get it wrong and end up having sad lives. Ask yourself...Am I fulfilled as a Banker, Doctor, Journalist(whatever course you studied at school)? Or Am I just doing it cos...oh well! that's what I studied?

    For me, eventhough I'm mightily proud to be a 'Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria'; I SHANT carry it on my head! Presently, I'm doing stuff that I'm really passionate about by the side and it makes me happy!

    Whatever it is for you...just ensure you are working towards Fulfilment! Cos really, that is what matters at the end of the day.

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  6. Ese,thank you for letting lay men know how well off we young barristers are..Great writing babes!

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  7. Wow dis is soo lovely. Pls write more pieces like dis

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