Steem4nigeria Accelerator Contest Week 159: Life is a Journey

dannyben39 (67)Member| Verifiedin Steem4Nigeria • 5 days ago

Dear @steem4nigeria and host @sahmie, I express my special greetings to you for organizing this wonderful contest. I am very glad to participate in this week’s topic, "Life is a Journey."
Also, warm greetings to all my fellow Steemians reading this post! I hope you are all doing great today.

Here are my thoughts and personal experiences regarding this journey of life.

Do you think it's better to focus on reaching your goals or just enjoying the ride?

Source

In my honest opinion, I believe it is far better to focus on reaching your goals. To me, focusing only on "enjoying the ride" without a clear destination shows a lack of vision and a poor mindset. Goals give our life direction and purpose.

This reminds me of when I was much younger. Whenever my family and I were traveling to our village, I would always wish the journey wouldn't end because I was enjoying the ride so much! Sometimes I would sleep off, and whenever I woke up in the car, they would buy us snacks like gala and minerals (soft drinks), or even hot food. Enjoying those snacks and sight-seeing during the trip was really fun, and even though I was happy when we finally arrived, a part of me just wanted to keep riding and eating.

Now that I am older, I realize life isn't just a road trip where you relax and eat snacks. If you don't focus on where you are going, you will get lost. Enjoying the ride is fine, but reaching your goal is what actually brings true fulfillment.

What’s a mistake you made that actually ended up being a good thing in the long run?

To be honest, I cannot say I haven't made mistakes. I have made quite a lot throughout my life! But looking back, there is one particular mistake from 2023 that turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Back in 2023, while I was learning graphic design, my mother gave me some money to buy a laptop system. However, the money wasn't enough to buy a solid machine. Driven by the desire to get a good system, I went ahead and secretly took some extra money from her account without permission, convincing myself that I would work hard and repay it within a few months.

Unsurprisingly, those months came and went, and I couldn't make the money back. When my mother eventually found out, she was extremely angry with me, and I was punished severely for what I did. I felt really bad and genuinely asked God for forgiveness for my actions.
However, looking at things today, that same laptop system has been my biggest asset. It is the tool saving me today, enabling me to execute design jobs and earn a living. Even my mother now sees the immense benefit and practical value of that system. God forbid if I hadn't acquired a modern computer back then; I wouldn't have built the design skills I have today. Though taking the money was wrong, it ended up pushing me straight into my craft.

Do you feel like you’re still the same person you were a few years ago, or have you become someone totally new?

	[Me at my school, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba]

Looking at this photo of myself taken at my institution, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba (formerly known as Abia Poly), I can tell you clearly that I am no longer the same person I was years ago. I have become a totally new person!
I can see massive growth in every aspect of my life, both mentally, physically, spiritually, and especially academically. A few years back, I was just a young pupil in primary school, which later transitioned into secondary school, and today, I am in a higher institution. As I keep growing and moving forward on this journey, I keep discovering new strengths, capabilities, and deeper aspects of who I truly am.

Who is someone you met who changed the way you look at things?

	[Standing with my good friend, Chukwuemeka (a.k.a, Update]

In this photo with me is a guy named Chukwuemeka , popularly known by "Update." I met him a few years ago, but he traveled out for a long time and only returned recently.
Meeting him again completely shifted my perspective on life. When he returned, he opened my eyes to many things I never knew about, especially regarding online business, cryptocurrency, and navigating digital opportunities.

Update has been a huge source of inspiration and motivation to me. He is someone who has zero fear of failure. One vital lesson I learned from him that touched my heart deeply is. "You must not wait for everything to be perfect; you must just start." That mindset completely changed how I approach my goals today.

If you could go back and redo one part of your life, would you actually want to?

Source

Yes, if I were given the chance to go back and redo a part of my life, I would gladly jump and dive into that opportunity without hesitating!
While I don't live my life in deep regret, there are certain decisions I would definitely change. Knowing what I know today, one major thing I would redo is my choice of institution. If I could go back, I would choose to attend a University right away instead of a Polytechnic.
I honestly did not realize that the Polytechnic system could be so time-consuming. My original vision was to finish school quickly, do my postgraduate studies, get my B.Sc, and then move on to my Master's degree. But now, I have come to realize how much time gets spent here. After doing a 4-month Industrial Training (IT), you still have to go for another mandatory 1-year IT, only to end up with an HND certificate in the end.
It really slows down one's academic journey. If given the chance to go back in time, changing my institution would be my immediate priority.

CONCLUSION

Life is indeed a continuous journey filled with lessons, twists, growth, and decisions. Every step we take shapes our tomorrow, and even our mistakes can sometimes pave the way for our growth as long as we keep our eyes fixed on our ultimate destination.

Thank you all for taking out time to read through my entry!