My Random Thoughts

It's late in the night and I took time to introspect and I looked at how far I have gone. Not that I have had everything but I wasn't where I was. I could recall last year April after spending some weeks in the hospital and leaving the operating theatre, I got a mail that I had got into Young Africans Leaders Initiative Regional Learning Centre next round. A 5 week course for Young African Leaders on Civic Leadership, Public Management and Entrepreneurship. I scheduled my phone interview and I didn't make it. Though I was already preparing for my first international trip. Alas, it didn't work. My dream got buried. I was pained. 

The application was released again after two months and I applied again, made it to the phone interview still didn't make it. I felt so bad. I could recall another was released a week after I got the rejection mail and I wanted to apply again but this time I was denied. So a friend wanted to apply and I helped in the application process. Since I am used to the essay questions and interview. I helped with review and also prepared the friend for the interview. My friend made it and when I got the news. I had mixed feeling, I am human and so I had to feel that way. I remembered that we don't have to get the same opportunities. I can always learn from what she gained and I did greatly learn from the lessons she gained from the experience. 

However, today not only have I completed the online version of the course. I have mentored others who had taken the training and needed mentorship to complete the training. I was rejected but I didn't cry. I moved on. I seek for better platforms. The rejection was actually a motivation to keep doing more. To keep learning and building enough capacity. 

Today I had gotten more than the missed opportunity. I had traveled internationally and not once or twice. I had been on a plenary session outside the country. I had talked to the world. The truth is I didn't just get all this done but I fought for my dream. Every single day and I am still fighting for it. The truth is sometime nobody is going to help. You have to help yourself. Sometime you will slide into people's DM to seek for help but might not get response or in the rare case get the response you desire. Do not feel bad. Sometime, they are also fighting battle you know nothing about. 

So go on and live your dreams. Be the best version of yourself and remember you are not in competition with anybody but your  procrastination, negative attitudes towards life, work and service. You are in competition with you. Since you now know that, try as much as possible to do yourself good by not accepting defeat or failure but seeing it as an opportunity to grow. 

Thank you for reading! 

It's been a while. I hope you enjoyed my random thoughts, drop a comment to show some love! 

Photo Credit: African Youth SDGs Summit