Starting Over: The Journey So Far…
Life is a series of peaks and valleys, a journey filled with challenges and triumphs. At times, it feels like the path forward is obscured by a dense fog of uncertainty, leaving us disheartened and questioning our choices. Yet, there’s a unique strength that emerges from the struggle — the ability to persevere and start over again and again until the pieces finally fall into place, until it feels right.
This article explores my story of relentless pursuit towards achieving my dreams, whatever they may be at the moment while I hope my unwavering determination will lead me to success.
Struggling is an intrinsic part of the human experience. It’s during these moments of hardship that our character is tested, and our resilience shines through. Some years ago I got into university to study a course I had never heard of; Religious Management and Cultural Studies, lol. I embarked on this risky journey for the wrong reasons, but mainly because I thought to myself,
“how many people in this country even work with their university certificate, after all, chemical engineers end up as bank tellers”.
I went ahead and graduated and immediately started to learn skills. I’ve always loved to work with my hands so I tried my hands on a lot of creative things. I enjoyed them but I preferred to have them as hobbies. I am a huge believer in working smarter over harder and I love soft work. I decided to be a social media manager because I’ve always been a huge believer in the power of social media and the good it can do for businesses. I had some experience from handling my universities socials but I went ahead to take courses online that would help me do it in a bigger and more professional capacity; this is where my journey of online self-learning really took off in 2018.
Within my first year I had taken a number of courses and wanted to learn more so I decided to take the Google Digital Skills for Africa course to get ahead in my chosen path. Around this time I was working as a social media manager and was hoping to upskill, so it seemed like the right thing.
By my second year on the job I felt like I had outgrown the company and was no longer as excited about the role. Within this time I discovered it’s important to me that I enjoy whatever I choose to do for work. And I’m open to trying my hands on the few things that interest me until I find one that sticks. I also ran my beauty business selling wigs, makeup and jewelry on the side during this time. Though I only cater to a very small number of customers at the moment, I plan to restrategize and restructure my business and make it a big deal sometime in the future.
In 2021, I decided to finally try my hands on Cybersecurity after 3yrs of pondering, I had enough interest in it and was and still am very open to the challenge as someone without a science background. While I was self-learning cybersecurity I decided to get another job as a Customer Success Manager and I totally loved and enjoyed my job and eventually got promoted to Community Manager and honestly I did enjoy that too. And right now I’ve broadened my knowledge in cybersecurity and I’m looking forward to landing my first job soon, hopefully.
The whole point of my epistle is to say with each attempt, I refined my strategies and adapted a new approach to trying new career paths ultimately changing my life and improving myself in several ways I never would have thought of while gaining new experiences along the way.
I know starting over can be a daunting task, as it requires us to confront our failures and acknowledge that our initial attempts fell short or that we simply got bored. However, it’s in the willingness to begin anew that we discover new possibilities and the untapped potential that lies within.
The path to success is rarely linear. It’s a series of iterations, marked by continuous learning and improvement. My journey so far underscores the importance of embracing setbacks as opportunities for growth and innovation and unwavering commitment to goals. The struggle itself became a crucial part that pushed me to develop resilience and uncover hidden strengths.
It’s important to remember that the path to success is rarely smooth. Struggling and starting over are not signs of failure, but rather indications of a spirit that refuses to be defeated. I hope my story serves as an inspiration to you. So, the next time life presents you with a setback, remember that each new beginning is an opportunity to write a more determined and triumphant chapter in your own story of success. If one thing doesn’t work, try another and another until one sticks regardless of your age, it is just a number after all. Don’t give up on yourself and your dreams; you’ve got this!
Until next time, find me where the good guys are!