The Invisible Battle Every Nigerian is Fighting

Living in Nigeria will stretch you. Not just physically or financially, but also mentally. There is this kind of pressure that comes from constantly having to figure things out. Uncertainties becomes normal, plans don’t always go as expected. Sometimes, it feels like you are doing everything right, but still struggling to move forward. And if we are not careful, all of these combined starts to affect how we think.

You begin to play small, lower your expectations, and settle for less, not because you want to, but because it feels safer and you are trying to play safe.

How the Environment Gets Into Your Head

This doesn’t happen overnight, no. It starts with these little thoughts: let me just manage this till I get a better option; things are hard everywhere, at least this is something, it's better than nothing at all.

And before you know it, survival becomes your mindset.

You stop dreaming as boldly, you stop taking risks, you start choosing comfort over growth. Not because you lack ambition, but because you are tired both physically and mentally. And that’s how the environment slowly begins to shape your thinking. But the truth is that it doesn’t have to define you.

Yes, Nigeria can be tough. But don't let it shrink your mindset to match the environment.You can still think beyond your current situation and add value to yourself. You can learn new skills to give you an upper hand in the job market or skilled trade market. Your reality may be limited in some ways, but your thinking doesn’t have to be.

The hardest part isn’t always the system, it is what the system tries to make you believe. That you can’t do more than you are already doing, you should just settle for what you have, there’s no point trying. You are doing better than some people out there. Faith wise, it is nice. But in reality, it is limiting.

But the truth is that those are just thoughts shaped by pressure, it is not truth. Because even in difficult environments, some people still rise. Not because it’s easy, but because they refused to let their mindset be boxed in.

Growth doesn’t always come from changing your location first, no. Sometimes, it starts with changing your thinking. Start small, but think bigger. You don’t have to escape everything overnight. But you can be intentional about what you consume on social media and your environment. Surround yourself with people who think positively and differently (out of the box kind of thinking ). Stay curious and keep believing "that it is possible". 

Yes, Nigeria will test you, it will stretch your patience, challenge your plans, push your limits and many more. But it doesn’t get to decide how you think about yourself, or your future. So acknowledge the struggle, but don’t let it become your identity.

Where you are may challenge you, but it should never define who you become. Because even here, even now, you are allowed to grow, to dream, and to become everything you were meant to be.

Maidenwura