A Time I Was Low, But Things Changed
I was still a student, struggling to find my path in this world. Things weren’t looking too good. I had big dreams but no means to actualize them.
Being in school didn’t stop me from dreaming big. At 300 level, second semester, I had already developed an independence mindset. I disliked the idea of running to my parents for every little thing, so whenever I needed money, I found legitimate ways to earn it. I did small businesses, and saved every naira i got, and often deprived myself of wants so i could focus on priorities.
In my 400 level, things shifted. A friend reached out asking if i had a PC and could work remotely. I had just gotten my laptop for my project, so the timing felt perfect. I applied, did the interview, passed the one month training and got the job.
The salary was good and I was beyond excited. I put my best into the work, quickly became one of the best in my department, and even started coaching newbies.
For the first time, I could fully take care of myself in school without running back home for assistance.
Back to Square One
Everything seemed to be falling into place, I worked 8 hours a day but still managed to read, attend classes and sit for exams. I felt lucky to have both school and a steady job.
But in my final year, second semester, things got tougher. Emergency project meetings cane up. I was writing my thesis and doing lab work.
I started working overtime just to meet deadlines at work. Slowly, i was burning out.
Then came the mistake that changed everything. I was assigned a task by asupervisor, but Microsoft word only displayed half of it. Without realizing, I submitted what I saw which was less than half of the actual task. She was furious. I explained and apologized, redid the work, and she thanked me.
The next morning, I woke up to another set of angry messages. She accused me of ignoring tasks on purpose. I explained again but it didn’t matter, she reported me to the boss. Before I knew it, I lost my job.
I was devastated. I cried because I wasn’t even given the chance to explain properly. I had no savings left. Once again, I was back to square one.
Starting Over
Confused and heartbroken, I packed a few things and stayed with a friend. Talking about it helped me heal, forgive and move on.
Starting afresh was familiar territory for me. It wasn’t easy, but I reminded myself I had survived worse. I polished my CV and began job hunting again. At the same time I restarted my small business.
It wasn’t doing perfect but I was out of the Kill zone.
Interestingly, the company later reached out asking me to return. By then, I had already moved past that chapter.
Life’s challenges will always come. For me, prayer and trust in God helped me pull through. Everyone deals with oain differently, and there’s no manual for overcoming it.
But one thing I always hold on to is this simple truth,
”this too shall pass.”
