Ebun Oluwole: Taking control of your future (30 days, 30 voices)

by Ebun Oluwole

ebun

                 “The last thing I needed was awkward and meaningless conversations.”

Over the past year, my personality has basically evolved. From an extrovert with gazillion friends to a recluse with less than a handful. Sometimes, I wonder. How did I ever get to this stage just within a year? I’ve been reading tons of yearly reviews especially on 19th Street and one thing that stood out for majority of the people there was that 2013 was a year of growth. In my case, drastic and substantial growth. I don’t think it’s particularly easy for anyone to withdraw from their social scene and try to learn how to enjoy solitude. Well, here I am, one year later. No, I didn’t die.

Solitude and serenity isn’t really the watchword for any average person of my age especially in recent times. If alcohol or sex isn’t involved, count them out and I think this has attributed a lot to the nonchalant behaviour many of us possess.

At the beginning of the year, 2013 that is, I basically wanted to take control of my future. I realised I wasn’t getting any younger. This is the time to do something. Unfortunately, quite a number of my friends didn’t share the same zeal I did [Or maybe they did. They probably didn’t think anyone would be interested] especially since I was older by a couple of years. My friends weren’t
exactly my peers so often times, our interests clashed. As time went by, I realised I couldn’t hang out with this people anymore.

The last thing I needed was awkward and meaningless conversations. I began to withdraw from their company, gave tangible excuses and what not. Fortunately, a number of them didn’t live in the same city I did so it was easy.

2014 is here and the only thing on my mind is how to build and develop myself before I graduate. And by that I mean, being financially independent. If possible, have a few streams of income. I always tell my mother that I don’t want to graduate only to start searching for a job so she knows my stance. She knows that no matter how difficult it is, she’s gonna have to support me outside my academics.

I also try to encourage people around me. Develop yourself; whatever skill or talent, you think God has blessed you with, build on it. Start somewhere, start small. Step away from ‘boyfriend dependent syndrome’. God has blessed you with as much as that guy you’re depending on and even more.

Attend seminars and workshops that help develop your talent or broaden your knowledge. Get an internship. Get involved. Whatever it is, don’t be idle! You really do not have to ”turn up” every Friday night. Do something tangible with your time; By the time you’re done, you’ll be thankful for the rest of your life.

———————————————————————————-
Ebun Oluwole is a budding writer and photographer currently studying French and International Studies. She tweets from @eBunite.

 30 Days, 30 Voices series is an opportunity for young Nigerians from across the world to share their stories and experiences – creating a meeting point where our common humanity is explored.

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

cool good eh love2 cute confused notgood numb disgusting fail