What's next ? Is a question that is mostly asked after one feels he/she is done with a phase of life most times and needs to move on to becomes something or someone better.
Dating back to when I finished high school, I was really scared of the university. It was like I should go back to start high school again😭😭😭 because of the fun that was attached to it and the security I had already gotten in it, but as we all know we must all move on at some point wether you are ready or not. While leaving school that morning with my bags (because I attended a boarding school) all that ran through my mind was God what's the next thing ?, How will my life in the university be ?, Can I manage to coup alone ?, And as God may have it, I am now a graduate of petroleum and Gas engineering from the University of Portharcourt with a second class upper.
It's funny to know how the thought What's next after the university came to my mind during the second semester of my fourth year in school. This time the thought was really strong and came as a burden. All that came to me was after the university what is your next plan ?. Growing up I have had many big dreams and many have been streamed line as days goes by. But this time the thought What next? Is something that I needed to think through over and over again.
It's been over seven months now since I finished the university, done my final clearance and waiting for my certificate so I can go for my youth services (a programme that all Nigerians go through when done with the university). During this period I have tried so many things, different investment scheme but all seems not to be working and it has left me thinking about how I would go about life.
Going to school is one thing, finishing school is another thing but achieving your dreams is one of the biggest task anyone can be faced with most especially when you truly believe in those dreams. Now the question What's next ? Keeps on coming and coming and it has made me feel clueless most times but all thanks to God he always gives us strength to carry through.
WHAT'S NEXT?
On the mind of everyone aspiring to be great is that question but how you respond to it matters a lot and in fact you response now will live with you for life. The best response to that question is making yourself valuable.
VALUE
Value in this context is the degree to which you can be indispensable, the degree to which you stay relevant despite the changing world. What makes everyone look for you and not you looking for them is tied to how valuable you can be.
If all we have is education, if all we have is certificate without value, growth is not foreseeable.
The first in the list of value is skill.
Skills
We grow according to the degree to which we are relevant and our skills not certificate gives us that relevance. We must always remember that they are many with same or better certificates out there, so it is your skills that makes room for you.
1king 7:13-14 says "13 And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.
14 He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work".
Everyone is searching for someone that can offer services, nobody finds a skillful man and cannot go go every other excess to keep them. The degree to which you are productive helps you to stay relevant and important.
Competences will always pay again and again. Most educated people are not skilled. If you want kings to eat your food, you must know how to cook what delights the king. We must push ourselves to rise from the level to which we look for job to a level were people are willing to keep us at all cost. This all boils down to what you are able to offer in this dynamic world.
You must be competent globally to not just within our region.
They is a compelling favour that competence bring and we must all strive to be competent. You are best best in your field because of the scarcity of what you know.
Character
Character is simply that attributes that makes you unique wether mentally or morally.
Many people have degrees many have skills but they lack character. Character is that quality that makes you standout when everyone has what you have. Character is a great amplifier of our certificate, skill or what ever we have to offer. When skills and character comes together, it compels kings and nobles to come to our rising.
Proverbs 22:29 says "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men".
So when next we are troubled with the thought of What's Next for us in life, we must know that we are not yet valuable enough. At that point, we must go seek to make ourselves valuable.
