5 things you should know before you are 21....hmmm

Nobody is perfect and nobody knows it all. But life keeps moving and sometimes, things get overwhelming before we can wrap our heads around them happening.

To survive however, we need to know a few things about life.

Note: this isn’t me saying categorically that this is how life is, heck I am all but young myself. This is me suggesting a few things that if known and remembered will help us go through life a little easily with less disappointment.

1. You are not one of a kind – this is sadly true. No matter how talented you are at your craft, no matter how great you do your job well, you aren’t the only person who can get it done that way. Yes. There are others who can do it that way or even better and the moment you realise that, the better things get for you. Because you begin to put it at the back of your mind that if you take anything for granted in life, you will surely be replaced.

2. The world doesn’t end because you are having a bad day- No. Life goes on. Whether you are angry at the entire universe for being in such a bad place at the moment isn’t really anybody’s concern. Someone somewhere is having it better and hoping the day won’t end so it really isn’t all about you.

Try helping yourself by working towards getting better, pour out your heart to whoever helps and don’t sulk.

Also, don’t try to ruin someone else’s day because of that. Remember, the world doesn’t revolve around you.

3. Do not settle for less - growing up in Nigeria has shaped us to believe that it is okay not to have what we deserve and when we eventually get it, we begin to shower praises on whoever gives us like it is not our right in the first place.

For instance, the police catches a kidnapping duo and we go all “accolades and praises” on them. Like seriously? It’s the damn police people’s job to do these things. They should catch the bad guys, make the society liveable for us and it shouldn’t be a big deal when they do their jobs. But then we only shower them with praises because they really never do their jobs on a good day.

A governor gives us what we should get and we are excited, we say it is the best, simply because the other governors have treated the state so bad we have gotten used to it and it is a miracle that this one gives us what we truly deserve.

And we go on getting comfortable with unhealthy things in our personal lives as well and are appreciative when the good things we truly deserve come our way once in a while.

We settle for less because we have been made to believe we are lucky to get that little.

No. You deserve more than little. You deserve more. Believe that and do not let anybody take you for granted.

4. Be cordial with everyone- Sometimes we meet downright annoying people. And they are so annoying even the term asshole begins to sound cute for them. But again, life is too short and full of opportunities to have a fight with everyone.

Stay out of the way of people who add nothing to you and who easily set you off, keep a cordial relationship with them and live your life keeping very little enemies(if you must).

5. Be your own “go to” person- to be honest, nobody is always there for anybody. Everyone’s got their individual problems and as much as that special friend/person might promise to be there always there are times when he/she won’t be there for you when you desperately need them.

Instead of sitting down, hoping for someone to talk to, help yourself out by taking a deep breath, think about the situation and find a way to feel better all by yourself.

Also, if you’ve been hurt by someone, you don’t have to go to them to try and understand why they hurt you so bad. Sometimes they might be available and tell you why but sometimes they might not.

You need to then do your own closure all by yourself because the more it hurts, the more harm you cause yourself not them.