What You Need To Do As A Youth
“The height that great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, they were toiling upward in the night.”- Henry Wordsworth
Life is full of ups and downs. Nothing is acquired on a silver platter. You must put in the hard work, sacrifice and above all be patient in your quest to make it in life or more mildly to get to where you want to be.
Here are the four things you need to do:
There is no shortcut to life
Many a time, the youth try to compare themselves with the elderly, especially those who have achieved it all in life. It’s always prudent to have someone whom you want to be like but don’t just be the shadow of that person, be yourself. Most youths just want to be where the people they admire are at a light speed, but Henry Wordsworth Longfellow puts it rightly that the height that great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, they were toiling upward in the night. You need to put in the work because there is no easy route to achieving your maximum potential.
Read or listen to their stories
Knowing the early beginnings of a mentor makes you realise that you can also make it in life no matter your present circumstances. However, most young people do not want to know the story behind the big mansion or the businesses of the people they aspire to be, but they want to know the result of their success. That’s what they are interested in. All great people have a story to share. You may know that they had to sacrifice their time, their sleep, their money and everything to be where they are today. We have to drop our drop from our high horses and go to the elderly on how they were able to do achieve the legitimate wealth — their story.
You can’t have your cake and eat it too
This is a popular saying which basically means that you can’t avoid sacrificing and expect to do well in life. Most youths want the easy route to life and that has resulted in all kinds of vices within our society. As the popular saying goes, “all fingers aren’t the same”, and so is life. Never compare yourself with anybody. Follow your path. Robert Frost echoed it well in his poem, The Road Not Taken.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Humility and hard work pay
Wherever you find yourself, do the best you can. You must be ready to be humble and learn from your boss, colleagues and even the cleaner or security person at your workplace. You must be willing to be humble and learn from anyone you come across. They might know something which can help you in your life’s journey.
Final thought
As you navigate through life’s journey as a youth, don’t expect life to be rosy. Make the best out of it at every stage by maintaining your integrity, being honest, and truthful and above all believing in the supernatural. The four steps I have shared with you are not exhaustive but it is my hope to see you succeed and be at the top wherever you find yourself.
