We rise by leaving others - by Samuel Ibok

When I was much younger, I was seriously stubborn. This may come as a surprise to many who know me now. You may think it's the conventional stubborness, but I can assure you that if it hadn't been for God, my parents' prayers, and a change of heart, I would have become THANOS! Reflecting on some of my mischievous deeds often leaves me wondering what was wrong with me back then. I would like to share some details about those vices and my journey to having sense, but you see, the Internet never forgets and I have plans to blow in this life! Oh, and I also stand the chance of getting arrested! Who stabs his colleague in the eyes at a young age? Definitely not me! I've come to terms with the fact that my actions and inactions were a product of my ignorance and my environment. I grew up in "Akai Nyoho" in Eket, Akwa Ibom State. The direct translation of Akai Nyoho is "a forest area," and yes, it wasn't the tush area of town. When we eventually moved to civilization and I changed schools, some changes in my behavior became noticeable! It wasn't immediate though. One of the things I can now say with my full chest is the fact that peer pressure in my new environment was limited. I could barely access it! My previous association wasn't utterly terrible; in fact, it was cool to me, but then it had affected me a lot and it was all I had. Later on, I improved academically, and as we say in Nigeria, "I came to get sense small." I even became a "Senior Prefect" in my new school. I still don't understand how I became a senior prefect because Omooooooo! This is not me shading those I knew before all this seemingly good change happened or cancelling my previous school/environment. I know people from that same Akai Nyoho who turned out great, so this ain't shading. The point to note is that my choices and actions got better as my climate changed. As my association changed, I really did become a better version of myself. I believe a lot of people are somehow stagnated by their associations. You have plans you'd like to work on, but somehow your friends limit you or the plans are not realistic in your current environment. When people can't share in your vision, they may not know how to help you realize it. Your valid dreams are not valid everywhere. Put differently, your valid dreams may become invalid due to your climate. It could be difficult, but it's okay to leave. You have to be intentional about your growth. It's okay to burn bridges when you've secured a boat! Lol. Don't remain unequally yoked. Sometimes we rise by leaving others. Learn Unlearn Relearn

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