A long time ago, someone told me a story about a lady who was considering giving up her educational pursuit so that she can keep her relationship with her partner. She had completed her OND (Ordinary National Diploma) and wanted to proceed to the university but her boyfriend whom she met at the polytechnic seemed to frown at it. This was causing some friction between them. She loved the guy so much that she was willing to let go of her dreams of furthering her education to keep the relationship. As young as I was, I could not wrap my head around why someone would let go of an opportunity to further her studies for a relationship, with difficulty in securing admission into the university and especially when my parents always impressed on us the importance of education.
Dear reader, do you settle for less to fit into the circle you found yourself in? Do you try to downgrade your dreams and aspirations so that you can be accepted/loved? Perhaps you are in the wrong friendship or relationship if you can’t be free to dream big and be supported in your aspirations. Everyone has his purpose to fulfill. Do not give in to somebody else’s insecurity. You will keep giving up more goals to sustain the relationship. In the long run, giving up your dream to satisfy someone else tramples on your self-confidence and may make you miserable if you eventually lose your dreams and goals. I am not saying you should neglect social relationships and only be goal-driven but be within a circle of people who allow you to fly and are comfortable with your success. It is healthy for your self-esteem. Nobody is doing you a favor by being friends or in a relationship with you. You have so much to offer the world. Do not let your dreams die! Evaluate your relationships and act wisely!