Chapter 1: The Boy Who Rushed Life
Lessons I Didn’t Know I Was Learning; Growing up in Mushin, I was always in a hurry. A hurry to make money, a hurry to leave home, a hurry to prove that I was more than my environment. My father, a carpenter with rough palms and little words, would always tell me, “Opeyemi, the road is long. Don’t run past your own destiny.”
But I didn’t listen. I wanted everything now: quick cash, quick fame, quick love. I thought patience was for the weak.
The first lesson I didn’t know I was learning came the day I lost my first job. I had worked for three months at a cybercafé, and because I thought I was smarter than my boss, I began cutting corners — free browsing for friends, small scams on printing fees. When I was caught, I was disgraced in front of everyone.
That day, I learned that shortcuts can destroy the journey you’re running towards.
Chapter 2: The Friend I Took for Granted
In university, I had a friend, Tolu. She was the type who would share her last plate of rice with you, the type who would wait for you after lectures even when she was tired.
But I didn’t value her. I treated her kindness as normal, her sacrifices as something owed. When she confronted me one day, saying, “Do you even know how to be a friend back?” I laughed it off.
It wasn’t until she cut me off completely that I realized her friendship was one of the purest things I had.
Second lesson: not everyone who stands by you is meant to stay forever. Sometimes you only understand their worth when they’re gone.
Chapter 3: The Love That Broke Me
I thought I understood love. I thought love was about butterflies and late-night calls. I thought it was about saying “I can’t live without you.”
Then I fell in love with Ada. She was fire — beautiful, stubborn, and unpredictable. I gave her everything: time, money, attention. But in the end, she chose someone else.
For weeks, I hated myself. I felt like I wasn’t enough. But slowly, I realized something: love doesn’t always come to complete you. Sometimes it comes to teach you how to value yourself.
Third lesson: heartbreak doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means you’re being refined.
Chapter 4: The Hustle That Taught Me Discipline
After school, life slapped me harder than any lecturer ever could. No job, no connections, no backup plan. Lagos was unforgiving.
I started selling recharge cards by the roadside. At first, I felt ashamed. My classmates were posting pictures from oil companies and banks, while I was sweating under the sun.
But that hustle taught me consistency. Waking up at 5 a.m. to catch the morning rush, calculating small profits, learning to manage customers — all of it built the discipline I didn’t know I needed.
Lesson four: there is dignity in every hustle, no matter how small.
Chapter 5: The Silence of My Father
My father never praised me. Never said, “I’m proud of you.” For years, I thought he didn’t care.
Then one evening, after a long day, I overheard him talking to a neighbor: “That boy, Opeyemi… he will make it. He is stubborn, but he will find his way.”
It broke me. All along, his silence wasn’t rejection — it was faith. He believed in me in ways he couldn’t put into words.
Fifth lesson: not every love is loud. Some are quiet, but just as strong.
Epilogue: Looking Back
Now, when I look at my life, I see a trail of mistakes, heartbreaks, hustles, and silent acts of love.
Each moment felt like a wound, but each wound became a teacher.
The biggest lesson I didn’t know I was learning?
That life is not about avoiding pain — it’s about letting pain shape you into someone stronger, wiser, and more compassionate.
Because sometimes, the hardest experiences are the ones that prepare us for the destiny we prayed for.
