An opinion piece by Ocheche Johnson - Lagos, Nigeria
“I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific”- Lily Tomlin.
I do not know much about Lily Tomlin, but reading this quote the first time cracked me up, big time. Growing up to discover that there are lots of decisions that have to be made can sometimes be scary and at other times, it is a challenge that you would want to embrace. A discussion with a close friend of mine recently shows that as youths, we have not figured life out everything yet. We have not figured out every single step we want to take as much as knowing the choices to make when we get there. And guess what? That is fine too. I am able to share this insight not because I know the answers to every question that bugs my mind, but because I know through experience that with time everything falls into place. And that could apply to you too.
Being at a crossroad is not the end of our journey as individuals; it is rather what we do along the road that has a great deal of impact in where we eventually get to. This is real life! Unexpected things happen every day and being oblivious of that does not help at all.
While we are resting, keeping in touch with friends, keeping up with sports, having fun doing hobbies, getting lost in a book or finding ourselves a hero in a game, we are discovering dots that lead us slowly and subtly to where we want to go; to whom we really are.
So, the challenge is not struggling to figure it out. It is about owning your experiences, and while you are diligent at that, you are unveiling parts of a puzzle that once bugged your mind. That is where I am right now and the journey is beautiful.
