Omo… in this day and age, where everyone is saddled with responsibilities of all kinds. Whatever it is you’re doing, you have to think of yourself and the dependents who are looking up to you to play your role adequately in their lives. And as it stands, if you mess up in one area of your life, it could mess up your ability to actually be there for the people who need you.
Sadly, one of the major tenets of adulthood is accepting that it’s all about sacrifices. You make sacrifices for your future, you do for your partner, you do for your kids, siblings, parents… you’d have to withhold certain things and pleasures from yourself, sometimes you’d have to say no to some things that would make for an easier life. All so that you can everyone around you can live a slightly more comfortable life.
It happens. Parents deny themselves bags and shoes just so they can pay the school fees of their kids. Siblings have used the money that would have expanded their businesses to pay for the medical bills of their younger ones. And of course, children have given up on things they love, just to take care of their parents. We see these things every day. The truth is, if all these people choose to be selfish, they can simply refuse to do all these things. Yet, it might have an adverse effect, but they may not necessarily be touched. Especially if their conscience has no issue with it.
But then, regardless of how much we need to sacrifice, we need to learn one big truth: sometimes, it’s okay to take care of ourselves. Sometimes, as parents, it’s okay to let your siblings or a nanny watch your kids while you both go on a date. Sometimes, it’s just okay to spoil yourself, spend money on yourself, and see your own money doing wonders in your body. Because when you get a taste of it, you’re more easily reminded of why you’re making it.
Because there’s nothing more painful than looking around and not seeing any sign of your money. Yet, you work hard, and every month you get paid whopping sums of money, but you don’t use any of it for yourself. You spend it all on other people. Yeah… that really does a number on the mind.
Well, for me, I definitely know how to spend on myself. Back when I was in school, I could just get myself a large pizza and some drinks, so I could eat it in my lodge. I preferred to eat it alone, because I knew that if anyone even so much as smelled it, they would want some, and I wouldn’t enjoy it as much. And I did this on Sundays because I knew that once Monday rolled by and resumed classes, bills would come for my neck once again!
90% of my spending during that period was in school and other lodge bills, and the only 10% was used for my day-to-day expenditure. So, somehow, I had to squeeze out the 6k-10k (depending on the size at the time) for the pizza, because I knew that by Monday, the school would suck everything else from me. I guess that was my own way of spoiling myself.
But I’m no longer in school, from time to time, and for me, the most recent selfish act I’ve done was to take up a course. I took a Data Analysis course last year that cost me an arm and a leg, basically rendered me broke for a long while, and I couldn’t even pay some bills, and I was forced to borrow around for a while.
Thankfully, though, the course finished this year, and now, I’m using the knowledge I got from it to make something of my life. So yeah, I guess this was a good investment. At the time, I could have considered all the things I wouldn’t be able to do if I paid that tuition, and I would have told myself to wait until I was in a better position to afford it. But I didn’t. I simply did it, damning the consequences. And as luck would have it, we got through the rough patch.
So yeah, it’s good to think of yourself from time to time. Although, for me, I know my case is easier than most. I’m not married, and neither do I have kids, so the responsibility on my shoulders is lighter compared to others. Still…
Well, it’s a good day, and the most important thing here is that it all worked out for everyone!
N.B: All images used in this post are mine. The thumbnail was designed using Canva.
