Friday 11 May 2012

Dreams, Fears and Expectations by Toyosi ADEYEMI

“I can’t wait to leave this house and be independent!”

I cannot count how many times this sentence has gushed out of my mouth in the past year. Especially when my parents would come up with the popular statement, “You still live under my roof”. Every teenager looks forward to being on their own and being able to make their own decisions, without being told what to do by adults who simply ‘do not understand’.

Going to university is a great leap that takes courage, a virtue most teenagers are lacking. I get anxious about things, such as leaving my father’s house and stepping into my own world, where I have to take control of my own life. To be honest, being free from ‘Adult Control’ is something I look forward to with the whole of my heart, but thinking about the reality of it and all its implications is terrifying. Sometimes I get anxious, thinking “what if my future does not go the way I planned? What if I do not become as successful as I always dreamed I would? What if I never accomplish what I believe I was made for? What if I’m not where I am supposed to be? What if I make the wrong choices?”

 
Many of us face such fears and doubts everyday, which could kill our inspiration, but I am reassured that I will be all I was meant to be, as long as I remain connected to God and never lose sight of my dreams. Knowing that time is running out, and the clock is ticking, remembering that this is one of the most crucial decision making phases of my life.

The debates concerning what I want to become and who I am have become very frequent combatants in the battlefield of my mind. Most times teenagers get distracted by things that do not matter, losing sight of the most important thing we need to do now: self-discovery. Finding oneself is one of the most adventurous experiences one can go through, and in an age where identity is easily drowned in a crowd of confused voices , it has become a rare opportunity. Knowing who I am has helped me shape and define what I want to be and having parents who support whatever career I aspire to achieve, is one of the best gifts I could ask for.

The next step is choosing the right university. Being in the right place at the right time has everything to do with my future, but I know that my happiness should not depend on other people’s approval of me, because when that happens, I become a slave to their whims. I understand that with divine guidance from God, I have no worries about my choices.

It is easier said than done to fend for oneself in the world we live in. I have never done this before. It is a new thing to me. Nerve racking and scary. But I look forward to every bit of it. With support from family and friends, and God holding my hand, it should be nothing short of an amazing adventure.













Toyosi ADEYEMI

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