Hello Hives,
Sometimes, I sit down and think about what it really means to be successful in life. Is it about having a lot of money in your account, driving an expensive car, living in a beautiful house, or being someone people respect? Honestly, I believe all these things are part of success, but there is something more important that we should never lose while chasing our dreams, and that is our humanity.
Life in Nigeria is not easy these days. Many people wake up every morning with different responsibilities waiting for them. Some are trying to feed their families, some are struggling to pay their bills, while others are working hard to build a better future. I understand that feeling because I also have my own dreams and responsibilities.
As someone working in plumbing, I know that earning a living requires hard work, patience, and sacrifice. There are days when the work can be stressful, but I still have to keep pushing because I have a future I want to build. I want to grow beyond where I am today, take better care of my family, and possibly create opportunities for other people.
However, I often ask myself a simple question: What is the point of achieving all these dreams if I become the kind of person who looks down on others along the way?
Imagine becoming wealthy but being unable to help someone who truly needs your assistance. Imagine becoming so important that you can no longer speak respectfully to people who have nothing to offer you. To me, that is not the kind of success worth celebrating.
Money is important. Nobody should pretend otherwise, especially when there are people depending on them. But money should not make us forget that we were once struggling too. The person asking for help today might be the person offering you help tomorrow. Life has a way of changing people's situations when they least expect it.
In lieu of this, I believe we can pursue our ambitions without losing our kindness. We can become successful without humiliating others. We can protect our interests without deliberately hurting people. Sometimes, even a simple greeting, a word of encouragement, or helping someone when we can afford to do so makes a difference.
For me, real success is being able to look back at my journey and feel proud, not just because of what I have achieved, but also because of how I treated people while getting there.
I want to become successful, but I don't want success to get into my head and change me into someone my younger self would be ashamed of.
At the end of the day, our money, positions, and possessions cannot follow us forever. What people remember about us may be the kindness we showed them when we had every reason to think only about ourselves.
So, if achieving success means losing the ability to feel for others, I would rather rethink what success means to me.
What is the value of reaching the top if we have to lose our humanity to get there?
Image Used Is Ai Generated