The truth is most times, when we hear “peer pressure,” our minds go straight to bad friends who forced one into bad habits. But that same force that sometimes feels/look like a bad one, can be a good one, being pushed sometimes can turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to one.
Let me share my experience, one time in school, there's this guy, he's a friend, but he's one that makes you feel as if you've done nothing or you've not done enough. If you said you studied for two hours, he will tell you he studied for five, if you go to the hostel after a long day in the library and tell him you read three textbooks, he will tell you hes on the sixth. The thing is he's not boasting, I know him very well, he just had this way of making you see that you could do more. One day, after a particularly exhausting lecture, I told him I was done for the day and that I had reached my limit, he laughed and said no, we are doing this together henceforth, I said am not interested, he said I won't be going anywhere then, we rather stay till night in the class, he's not ready to allow me go and am not ready to follow also, at the end he dragged me to the library, forced me to go through various materials, and past questions. I hated him then, must I be like you, are we same. But when exam came and result out, I couldn't help but appreciate him, I wanted to shout and hig him. Sometimes we haven't dome our best, we just stopped at what feels comfortable. The right pressure pushes us beyond our comfort zone.
Now another instance. There was a time I was going through a hard time financially, every bill remains not sorted and my account balance was showing me red. Those moments I liked calls and reply messages with caution, cause someone could just ask for money and I don't have, am barely hanging too.
In that phase, some friends kept telling me about a grant application. “Milliracle, apply na, I said no, anything government here can't be trusted, they already know who they will give. I wasn't interested and I made it known. I have done something of such countless times, nothing shows. I did not even want to try even though am going through a hard time.
Well these friends if mine wouldn’t let me rest, calls, messages, voice notes and all, every discussion always ends with the grant. Well, just to shut them up, I gave in, I rushed the application, submitted it late and never expected nothing.
Several weeks later, I had forgotten about it, an alert just entered my phone. I thought it was a mistake and that bank might call me over anytime soon. But when I checked the details, I saw it...my name, the exact grant amount and details. I was shocked, me, received the grant, how come, how possible, the funniest part is those friends who shouted and pushed me to do it didn’t get it. I felt a little bad for them, but deep down, I was just grateful, I gave some sort out to them just to appreciate them, cause if they haven't pressured me, I would have missed it.
I learnt a lot from that experience, one is that dekay is not denial, and that even when you think its late, still try and take the step, it might work in your favor. Its good to surround self with the right people, those that will push you to win. As long as it's not something bad they are pushing you to do, then why not give it a try, who knows.
Peer pressure isn’t always bad, just know the kind of pressure to entertain. The wrong pressure pushes one to destruction, but the right one will push one to greatness. It might make you uncomfortable but it will definitely be worth it.
Thanks for stopping by.
All pictures are mine.