BE AMBITIOUS BUT YET CONTENT.
It is really hard to see an ambitious person that can be content but to have happiness you need to be content. Fortunately for me, I know someone just like that: MY MOTHER.
This woman has shown me what is it to be ambitious and content at the same time. Before I go into her story in this regard. Let's do some definition of terms. We will keep the definition overly simplified for the purpose of this discuss.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ONE TO BE AMBITIOUS?
To be ambitious means to want a better life for ones self. It is not just the wanting but to do what is necessarily to get a better life for yourself.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE CONTENT.
To be content simply means to be grateful for what you have at the moment. A content person is not jealous or envious of the progress of his neighbour or acquaintance.
Back to my mum with her qualities as relating to the topic at hand. I saw my mum accept a job that paid her peanuts just to prove herself. My mum left the frozen chicken business in early 2000 when OBJ band the importation of frozen food couple with an accident on her way to the country with frozen chicken from Benin Republic. After 8 years in the business, she decided to enter back into the work force. She was in her early 40s when most people just settle with life but not my mum. Since in her former work life she was a secretary where she took dictations in short hand and type up documents with a typewriter. In the early 2000 this methods were already obsolete, so my Mum after her accident went to Unilag for diploma and advance diploma in computer studies from 2001 to 2005. Getting a job at that age was difficult so she settled for a Job in Abuja just to prove herself. Her pay was way less than her transportation. She earned below minimum wage for eight years. Meanwhile during this period she went back to a university on a part time basis to get her degree in computer science. In 2013, her company was acquired and majority of the staff was laid off but not her. With her degree now her salary was increased but it was still less than a 100k. Then again the company was reacquired again by a much larger firm and all current staff were compensated and laid off leaving only a few essential staff my mum included as well. The company started hiring staff and giving people marvelous offers. My mums colleagues were earning #400k and my mum was left earning just below a #100k for the next 4 years. She was left on her former salary level from the previous owners of the firm.
The funny thing was I never knew how bad things were because she never complained about work and was always happy. The company this year 2018 did a salary review and slashed a third of her colleagues salaries and hers was finally taken to their level....
In all this, I have learnt to be grateful and also ambitious in my endeavors. Thank you Mrs Rose Ogwara, You are a great Mother.
