If you are that upwardly mobile young man or woman who is still at your prime, if you still have full vigour and the benefit of flexibility to take decisions that affect your life and growth, let us have a dialogue. We may not totally agree on all the issues but let’s get into it. I will come back to figure 6.

There is this young man I know. Very diligent, hardworking and reasonably ambitious. I knew him through a cousin of his and he offered that I should be his mentor. I saw in him a promising young man and I accepted his offer with gladness.

He was a messenger in the organisation he was working with at the time but he was determined to make a success of his situation. We agreed that we should be in constant touch. He enrolled in a university as a distant learner. Slowly but steadily, he progressed in his studies and we kept regular touch.

Let me not forget to mention that he told me that his main aim of wanting to have a degree was to prove a point that he had all it took to be a bonafide staff of the organisation he was serving as a messenger. It was a purposeful aspiration and we both agreed that it was worth pursuing.

My mentee completed his studies and was awarded a bachelor’s degree. It was a moment of triumph and we were both excited. Soon after, he presented his certificate to his employer and he was employed as a full fledged staff with full benefits. It was indeed a fulfilling moment for the young man and I was equally excited for being part of the success story.

He visited me with a bottle of wine to show appreciation. After a post successful event analysis, I proposed a toast to the great achievement and we both felt good. I allowed him to savour the excitement before I dropped the bombshell. I told him to leave the organisation and seek for employment elsewhere.

He was so shocked he must have thought that I was out of my mind. I called his name, looked him straight in the eye and told him that in his mind, he’s now a graduate and a professional staff but in the mind of his colleagues, who knew his story, he’s still a messenger”. I left him to decipher the meaning and he left, apparently confused and sad.

For almost two months, he didn’t call me but I would call him to find out how things were coming up without asking about our unfinished discussion. We maintained the cold relationship until he called to announce to me that he had gotten another job and he was leaving his organisation.

I imagine it must have been one of the toughest decisions he has ever made. The rest, they say, is history but let me add, with pride, that my mentee is doing pretty well in his career progression in his new place than he would have done in his previous employment.

The difference between you and the exploits you make out of your accomplishments is the value attached to your worth. Most times, these values exist in the perception of the would-be buyers of your product. In the case of my mentee, his employer and possibly his senior colleagues, who may struggle to erase his previous identity of being a messenger from their consciousness.

Many people struggle to find relevance in an environment that does not appreciate their true value. They succumb to the fear of the unknown until fear consumes their sense of judgement. Patience is a virtue but there are times you need courage more than patience. I say this advisedly, the meaning is implied.

What is it about figure 6? Observe it closely and you will see that the back is what you see, the front is facing elsewhere. If you make no attempt to check what is on the other side, you may never know what lies in there for you. It may not be easy but it may be worth exploring, if only you check.

If you reverse figure 6, what you get is figure 9. In numerical terms, there is more in figure 9 than there is in figure 6, if only you care to find out. Besides, figure 9 avails you an opportunity of better assessment because it faces you directly. Conversation flows better when you can read lips.

Don’t ever joke with a lowly perception of yourself by others close to you. It not only demeans your self esteem, it also denies you self fulfillment. The other side of 6 could be more but you will not know if you don’t bother to find out. Better is possible. It takes diligence, determination and willingness to try.

©️Akin Oluwadare Jnr
28 March 2022