I grew up in a home where we were daily motivated to “make it in life.” Funny enough, I came from a background where we were mostly comfortable. We actually lacked nothing. So if there was any reason for me to be laid back or feel so complacent, then my upbringing would have been the perfect excuse.
But my father was the type who never expected less from his children. No, laziness was not an option. He was intentional about raising us to be independent and grounded. He deliberately denied us certain privileges and that included certain things like monthly allowances, unnecessary luxuries, and even the casual entitlement that came with our kind of upbringing.
He literally made us understand early that everything we wanted or needed to have, really had to be earned.
Watching TV, for instance, was a luxury. You had to see us reading our books and trying hard to finish our assignments just so we could earn the right to sit in front of the screen.
He was so consistent with this, and over time, it built something strong in me.
So yeah, I grew up with a mentality of independence. But over time, I came to understand that there is a slight difference between being independent and being determined to “make it in life.”
Because while Independence helps you survive, the fierce determination to succeed in life is usually triggered by a defining moment. It’s like an eye-opening experience that metaphorically flips a switch inside you.
Mine happened in 2019/2020 and that was during the peak of the COVID pandemic.
All schools were shut down and so was my business, mostly because it revolved around students. So everything literally came to a halt.
I became so broke. Like so broke that I found myself doing the one thing I hated most: asking my dad for money.
Now, don't get me wrong-I’ve always loved being an independent female. So that moment of financial helplessness hit me much harder than I had expected. I became too desperate.
I knew I had to make money and make it big. That was also the season when cryptocurrency and blockchain started gaining real massive attention. Everyone around me seemed to be making it, so I jumped in too.
But as my usual self would do - so impulsive, I rushed in without proper knowledge and as a result, I got scammed multiple times.
The money I had saved up to restart my business when school resumed? I used it to buy scam coins, meme coins, and random tokens. I was literally told to “HODL” them, only for the projects to rugpull and vanish without any trace.
Oh, I can't forget those moments.
It was really painful. But it really forced me to sit down, re-strategize and now invest in knowledge. That was the real turning point in my life. I stopped looking for shortcuts and began to understand the value of learning first before earning.
Till today, that "I must make it in life" fire hasn’t died one bit but it came at a cost which also brought priceless lessons that have continued to shape my mindset. And truly that is what keeps me going
