This article is directed more to my brothers who are away from home (although it also relates to everyone and anyone who has dreams and ambitions, regardless of their geographical location), trying to make something of their lives in a foreign country. Have you ever asked yourself what you have accomplished so far since the day you were born?
Of course as individuals we all have our ideas of what can be termed an "achievement". However, more often than not, our perceptions of achievements are moulded by the very society in which we live in. It is extremely difficult, not to be influenced by the the society that you live in and just make your own priorities. In a twisted kind of way it is the society determines what is important and what should be prioritised over the other. Without knowledge received from the social structure and the outside world, one cannot move up the social hierarchy/ladder. What is meant by social hierarchy is to be a part of a certain level in society, which is based on your income, occupation, wealth, role in society, education, political connections etc.
I remember the passion with which I started my first real job, I'd save every penny hoping some day to use it to accomplish one of my dreams, build my own house back home, why because to me, that was what a successful person would do, as was determined by society and also done by others who successfully returned from abroad. Of course that was before I realised that I would either have to work like a donkey for the rest of my life or rob a bank, (of course not suggesting that those sucessfull enough to manage this accomplishment chose either method) neither of which were of much appeal to me so instead I discovered shopping, but that's a whole other story.
Since it is inevitable to have society influencing you on what is important, you eventually reach a stage in your life where you start to prioritise and realise that you should have a better life than the one you are currently living. Now it's obvious having a better life can vary in a lot of ways, some people born into wealthy families don't have to work as much as the common folk, but the point I'm trying to make is this. No matter what you consider to be good or bad, harmful or beneficial, beautiful or ugly just make sure that what you do is genuinely for you and/or your family. There is no need to impress the ones you call friends or close friends or colleagues or class mates. There are a lot of us who struggle to come to these foreign countries, strive to finish our education and work hard to fight for and excel at our jobs only to end up buying flashy cars and the huge mansions all for the wrong reason. I mean OK so fine your friends will be impressed when they see it the first time but then what? You get an ego boost but what does it really achieve, have you ever asked yourself that. Does the big house that costs you an arm and a leg make you feel happy...really? Of course if that was your dream then by all means go for it, there is nothing wrong with driving a flashy car/house if you can afford it, but buy it because it is what you genuinely wanted, and not for any other reason.
A famous author, Sun Tzu (The art of War) said "When you are content to be simply yourself, and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you."
The key is finding a balance, setting your priorities without worrying about how society will perceive you, and also not shying away from the society so as not to be influenced by it. Know your limits, know your needs, set a plan and stick to it. Be mindful of who your friends are, even if you might think yo are different from them, society will judge you all as one. If you want to be successful, surround yourself with successful people, if you want to be more giving, spend more time with that generous person that you know. You want to be able to pray more, spend more time with the friend who does pray more, it rubs off...trust me spend enough time with the people who you want to become, you will find yourself thinking and acting like them in the long run...and vice versa, spend more time with crooks and thugs, pretty soon you'll think hot wiring a car is a "cool" thing to learn.
Whatever your goals are, be it getting yourself a higher education, a better job, a more fuel efficient car, a better life for yourself and/or your family just make sure you are achieving them for yourself. Be yourself and do it the right way, you will get more satisfaction from it.
Ask yourself, what have I accomplished in my lifetime?
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