I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. What exactly drives us as young people? What drives us to aim for that particular goal, to get ”the bag”, to want to own certain properties at a particular age?
I’ve realized that we’re in a constant competition with each other. So in essence, there’s no goal. Infact, the “goal” is to outdo someone (consciously or unconsciously). Think about something that trended years ago; maybe 3-5 years ago, and think about why it’s no longer relevant now. Why were people rushing to get it? What was the attractive value? You’d realize that people weren’t really rushing to get the value of that thing, but just to be part of the competition to “outdo” someone.
The problem with this kind of lifestyle is that it breeds uncontentedness and covetousness. You never get satisfied with what you have because you seek status; rather than achievements.
Why did you start that business? Because Nkechi has started hers; it’s also the trendy business bringing good cash, and you don’t want to be left out. When that business doesn’t yield expected fruits or doesn’t bring satisfaction, you become bitter. Bitter at Nkechi who is innocently going about her business. And your bitterness will make you continuously monitor, resent and harbour disdain towards Nkechi, instead of learn, because you actually don’t care about doing the right thing, you just want to outdo others.
You want to wear to nicer clothes —not nice; but nicer, you want to have better phones, show off better shoes and bags and better cars. Even if they have no value, as long as they make you look “better” than someone, you crave them.
There’s also a difference between, “I want to be rich” and “I want to be richer than the majority”. And so, before, you wanted to have 500k naira in your account, but then someone says “500k isn’t money”, so you feel inadequate and worthless. You get 5M naira, but “boys” are buying Benz and your 5M looks like breadcrumbs. Again, competition has stripped you of your self-esteem.
This is why you’d see youths chanting “God! What am I doing with my life?” when they see someone flaunting money (even when they are actually doing stuff). Nothing is ever enough. You’re in a constant competition; always running, no rest!
So when people see you’re not flaunting money, they assume you’re broke. Funny thing is, these might be people who have used almost their last cash to impress the public. And then, there’s you, getting pressured by all the show off and side yabs, so you want to impress too. When you don’t get satisfactory feedback, you get bitter.
When will all these stop?
You wouldn’t get everything perfect, and that’s fine, but please, don’t let societal pressure be your driving force. I repeat, you won’t get satisfied. The old high is always the new low.
Some don’t even hide their bitterness anymore. That’s why you’d see envious people get close to those they “admire” and use them. And when they don’t get their expected result, they spread their bitterness and toxicity everywhere.
Dear young people, let’s make the world a better place. Let’s be content and understand that life is one step and a time.
Have a nice, sweet, unpressurized and satisfactory life❤
-Iyun💫
Awesome piece
Thank you, dear❤
Awesome piece. Continue the good work sis. God bless you for this.♥️♥️
Amen
Thank you sweetie😘
It is hard to not feel pressurised sha. Doing things at your own pace these days feels like not doing things at all.
That’s perfectly understandable. But you have to constantly remind yourself why you started in the first place. Jesus said make a tree good and it’s fruits will be good. I say this to say: make the motives right and the pressure can’t detach you from real peace.
Someone said, “cash is no distraction when the passion is the glue.”
To add to this, when we know where we’re going to, we’ll be able to remove our eyes from people’s businesses and focus on ours❤.
Where I’m heading to is not where others are heading to, so why get distracted.
Exactly
It’s really exhausting, to be honest.
Sometimes I have to look within to remind myself that I’m really doing something.
…and social media makes ‘it’ more plausible and easy to get looped in an endless chase to out-do, out-perform, out-class and out-be some ‘perfect’ person you’ve seen somewhere. A friend of mine has been on a social media break since 2019. I barely understood why back then but know I fully do.
God help us!
Hmmm
Plain truth
Social media make us envy lifestyles we know it’s out of our path (mostly even fake). When we don’t get it, we feel let down
Wow… Lovely piece, it’s really important for young ones to note such facts. Pressure is actually a Difficult – Easy situation or feeling to control…
And I think the ‘Will Power’ is one among the many tools to help control it..
Yes! That’s right
Thank you🙂
Timely message…. Thank you Iyun
You’re welcome🙂❤
Woo! Just exactly what I need at the moment.
A Really nice piece!
Thank you❤
Thank you❤
The old high is always the new low!!!…
Someone once told me, this life is actually a competition with your previous self. The goal is to strive to be better than your previous self.
Hehe… If you continually compare yourself with others, depression will definitely set in.
Btw.., Minding ones business is a rare virtue 🙂
Nice write up, Ronnie!!!
My dear, you hit the nail on the head🔥
Thank you very much❤
Nice one som ❤
Welcome back
Thank you dear