Don't be discouraged. It's often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock. ~Author
Unknown
That things are not working out for you the way they should at present is not enough an excuse to conclude that you’re a failure. That you’ve been jobless all these while when most of your friends are doing very well in their various endeavors is not enough for you to conclude that you’re born to suffer. Never, never, never lose hope. You’re bound to succeed until you lose hope.
One truth about life is that we all can’t achieve success following the same path or pattern in life. If one of your closest friends bought his first car at age 22 and you’re almost age 40 now and still could not afford to buy a bicycle doesn’t mean that you can’t be richer than such a friend by the time both of you clock 50. Never assume life is unfair to you when others are doing better than you’re doing at a particular point in time. This experience should only encourage you to work harder rather than result to self pity.
Anytime you’re discouraged and it seems there’s no more hope for you due to your present condition, please follow these strategies.
REFLECT ON YOUR PAST POSITIVE LIFE EXPERIENCES
No matter how ugly your present may be, I strongly believe that you have had some pleasant experiences in the past. Reflect on them. Are you jobless presently? Reflect on your positive school experiences, sound health and your wonderful friends and family members.
UTILISE MOTIVATIONAL MATERIALS
This is the time for you to really tap into the words of encouragement emanating from motivational materials in the form of tapes, books, CD’s and DVD’s. These days we have so many books written by successful motivational speakers, get hold of any good one and digest it. Doing this would really boost your morale and give you hope of a better future.
SEEK COUNSEL
You don’t have to die in silence, seek counsel. The period when hope is almost gone is the period you have to confide in trustworthy counselors. Are you are Christian? Then confide in your Pastor. Are you a student? Confide in your course adviser or school counselor. You could also confide in your parents, spouse or trusted colleagues. Never die in silence, seek counsel.
BE OPTIMISTIC
The truth about what you’re passing through is that so many people had passed through similar situation and came out successfully. Never assume you’re alone. Be positive and optimistic. Confess positively to yourself that you’re not going to die in that situation. Even if you’re HIV positive at the moment you could be healed by miracle. Who knows cure for HIV/AIDS could be discovered tomorrow. Be positive. It’s not over until it’s over. Never ever consider suicide. That situation won’t see your end.
Please do know that you have a very bright future and all that you’re passing through presently are just to give you true life experiences needed to impact and mentor others that are likely to be faced with similar challenges in the future. Say aloud: There’s hope for me.
Ajiboro Ayodeji is a chartered HR Practitioner based in Lagos, Nigeria. Email: jibdej@gmail.com.
