Why Won't I Be Proud?

_{Andrea Piacquadio}

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Sometimes, when I relax and take an inventory of the things I have done so far and how far I have come, indeed I know I have come a long way. The way things had been last year, is very different from how it is now. And the way it had been two years ago is also different from how it is now.

Anyhow it is, everyone evolves. We grow and learn new things and this newly acquired knowledge prompts us to take new forms of actions that either take us closer to our goals or draw us further away from them. Either way, we are constantly in motion. We are either moving forward or backward and at the very least we are moving in circles. That’s when we say a person is stagnant.

The only time we stop moving in life is when we are dead.

Thinking about the one thing I did that I’m proud of till date, it is a pretty tough decision for me. Seeing as I have done quite a number of things during my time on earth. There are a number of them I am not proud of, and there are some that are just there. I had to do them because I had to do them. They didn’t have any major impact on my life.

There is one thing I promised myself as I came of age, and that was that I would never have regrets. No matter the mistakes I made, there will be absolutely no regrets on my side, because I believe that when making those decisions I did them having my own best intentions at heart. And the fact that it did not go as planned was definitely out of my control.

Hence, no regret.

Over the years, I have tried to live up to that. Doing my very best to make something meaningful out of my life, and if it does not go as planned, I move on with life. It might be hurtful, but I move on regardless. No hard feelings.

Hehe… I am getting sidetracked. This is not the one thing I am proud of. And for that, I guess I can say that it is the fact that I am now on my own now. I am now my own person and making my own decisions, that is the ultimate thing of pride for me.

_{Andrea Piacquadio}

I remember when I was struggling to get admission into the university. My major motivation back then was not to go and study, instead, it was for me to leave my parent’s home and be on my own. I was already calculating how much I would be getting as an allowance, how much would be spent on feeding and other miscellaneous, and then how much would be left for me to lavish as I saw fit. And most of all, I won’t have to run those endless errands anymore.

Well, eventually I got my wish. I got the admission and I was on my own, free as a bird and getting the allowance. But the life I saw was not what I had expected at all. it didn’t take long for me to realize that the allowance was not going to cover me anymore and the school bills alone were enough to swim laps in. And that was how I was forced to monetize my writing skill.

And to the glory of God, it has been the best decision I have made so far.

When I started, I was just a novice who knew how to write stories. But the moment I decided to take it up as a profession, I found myself learning. And now I’ve ghostwritten not just novels and non-fiction books, but also research works and the like. Every day I keep pushing myself to do better and be better. It comes at a price, but I have found that it is one I am always willing to pay.

_{Niko Twisty}

Last year, I had the opportunity to work at the Nigerian Bottling Company, but I turned it down so I could pursue my writing. It sounds gutsy, I know. But I was scared to my boots back then, so scared I didn’t even tell my parents that I was not going. I had to lie to them that I had applied and was yet to get a response.

But then, that turned out to be my motivation. Because there was no way I could turn down a job at NBC and then not make it in writing. That equation would be very unbalanced. I put my all into it and soon, when earnings were concerned, I was making just as much as my coursemates in NBC.

It took me a while to get here, it has not been easy at all. But now I am at a stage where I am my own person and I can make my own decisions. Professionally, I am at a stage where I can decide to be picky on the kind of jobs I take because there are some clients that will just wear you down to the bone. They will pay you for peanuts but expect to be given buffet service.

And the thing is that I am not even halfway through yet. There is still a long way to go, but I am sure that with persistence and determination, I will get there.

_{Andrea Piacquadio}

There is nothing quite like the feeling of being surrounded by the things you got through sheer hard work of your own hands. It hits differently, and only a select people know that feeling. If you are one of us, then you are part of the lucky ones. But then, one thing is certain, in the end, we all will get to where we need to go. a place that when we get there, will fill us with pride.

So, my dear friends, what do you think of this? Is this achievement worth being proud of? What is that one thing you are proud of? Do you have any advice for me? Feel free to share your thoughts with me in the comments section below, I would love to know what is on your mind.

_Snapwire

Thank you for reading. Till we meet in the next post.

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_{This post is inspired by the third topic for this week which is Pride. Feel free to try it out.}

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_{Borderimage credit: @deimage.}