There are many things school will teach you math, grammar, science, how to pass exams, and maybe how to speak well in public. But one thing school didn’t teach me was how to survive when life hits hard. I had to learn that on my own. And it came with hustle. A hustle that shook me, changed me, and made me who I am today.
It all started at a time when things were rough. I was done with school, but there was no job, no connection, no helper. Just me and reality. I thought finishing school was the hard part. I thought once I got my certificate, life would become soft. But I was wrong. That was when the real lesson began.
I was staying in a small room I shared with someone. Feeding was a daily struggle. Some days I would sleep hungry. I remember one week, all I had was garri and groundnut. Morning, afternoon, and night. That week, I learnt the true meaning of survival. I had no one to run to. My parents had done their best. I was now on my own. And every day felt like a battle. That’s when hustle entered my life.
I started looking for what to do with the little I had. I wasn’t thinking of making millions. I just wanted to eat and stay alive. So I contacted a friend who was so lazy to cook, I started by cooking for him and he would pay me and he later introduced me to some of his friends as well. What I see from it was not too much but It didn’t matter how small, It was something. I would do any honest work I found, as long as it gave me something to hold onto.
There was a day I had just ₦200 left. I used ₦100 to go and meet someone who said he wanted my service by cooking several meals for the weekend. I trekked part of the road to save money. When I got there, I waited almost two hours. The person finally gave me the work, and I earned ₦5,000. That money felt like a gold to me and one thing I told myself that day was "Life will not wait for you. You either stand up and fight, or you sit and sink."
That’s when the real growth started. I learnt how to manage money. I learnt how to treat people, how to negotiate, how to be patient. I learnt that even when you don’t have everything, you can still have dignity. I learnt to be content, but not comfortable. Hustle taught me how to think, how to create ideas, and how to trust God when nothing made sense.
Looking back, I smile. Not because it was easy, but because I came out stronger. That period changed my mindset. It made me stop waiting for help. It made me look inward. I stopped seeing myself as a victim and started seeing myself as a builder of my own life. School taught me theories. Hustle taught me survival.
Though I am not satisfied with what I have but I am better than before, I still hustle but now in a better place, I respect every effort I put in my business, though some people said school is a scam but I don't think so just that real life started after school, school is just to acquire certificate but the more you put effort to double your hustle defines the real you.
NOTE:- ALL THE PICTURES ARE MINE
This is my response to today's episode of hivelearners community prompt of #hl-w176e02 which the topic is tagged NOT IN SCHOOL
