My navigation was to acquire everything within reach, or perhaps reach as far as my sight could capture. My major challenge was youthful exuberance. I wanted to let the world know I existed, as much as I wanted to own it. Perhaps I wanted to eat my cake and have it. I literally owned a car by proxy from my freshman year in 2009, as my mom bought a car and hijacked it from her; probably I'm the reason she doesn't know how to drive till date. I was glad I owned and drove a car; however, what I did not realize was that I would be responsible for the object I so much valued. My little savings and money gifts were often channeled into the maintenance of the car. This soon began to tell on me as I began to feed from hand to mouth. The friends and colleagues I thought to impress became a secondary focus as my primary goal became to learn how to eat and live first before enjoying the extras life had to offer. Most of my pocket money was either used to buy fuel or make repairs on the car. Eventually, I told myself that, in reality, the car had become a liability rather than an asset or an item of luxury.
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My escape route was to prioritize days to go to school with my car. The days I chose to drive to school were either lecture-full days or days that I would be leaving school late and it would be difficult to get transportation out of school. I was able to adjust, and my friends gradually understood, especially since I didn't request financial support from them to maintain the car.
Life was not a hell zone for me, as I had the privilege of benefiting financially from my older brother. The only challenge was that his gesture of help was limited to when I was in school as an undergraduate. I wish I had invested those 'excess' monies I received then, but I consumed them as fast as they got into my hands. I lived like there was no tomorrow. I lost focus on acquiring the world by working hard. I satisfied my every need without forgoing any. What I wanted was what I went for. Unfortunately, rather than be on par with my dreams and aspirations, I was drawn back and had to face the reality of facing life almost alone. I remember my older brother, who used to send me money while I was in school, saying to me, "Doctors don't go broke." It was a tease, yet the message undertone was for me to face life squarely and independently. Maybe if he had continued to shower me with funds even after graduation, I may not have seen the reason to retrace my steps and live minimally.
Life through social media has exposed me to more wants than needs, and if I continued with the youthful exuberance I had, which was to acquire every good thing in life, I would quickly be bankrupt and be more distant from my aspirations. My dream is simple: live and live with contentment. An old man in my fellowship once gave us advice as youths; he said, "Not everything that passes in front of your eyes is for grabs." This has made me realize I need to separate my needs from my wants, acquire less of life, perhaps fewer troubles, and have more to spare for the future.
Thank you for reading. I would love to have your comments and contributions.