I am not an Island.

I haven't always been the best human being but over the years, I've made a lot of good choices that have positively influenced the trajectory of my life. I'm looking at myself right now and everything that I am today is a result of the choices along the way.

As I sit in this toilet in London, writing my thoughts and mentally preparing for the stress of the latter days, I find that my mind wanders. It's looking around me and being very appreciative of everything that has transpired in my life.

I wasn't born into opulence but by Nigerian standards, at least, life wasn't so bad either. My parents exposed us to a lot of things growing up and like my wife always tells me, our upbringing was very different from what many others experience in Nigerian households.

My parents weren't authoritarians but they were somewhat strict. However, not too strict to allow a child to speak or to shoot your childish opinions down. They'd let everyone speak and even disagree with them.

I'd say it was a pseudo-democracy because your voice matters but at the same time, they could veto it if they think their idea is better. In any case, we were given the freedom to make certain choices and even in failure, we were encouraged to try again when knocked down.

The way it is

My upbringing has played an integral role in the way I navigate through life. It has enabled me to make tough choices on a whim, without fear of failure.

Many of the choices I've made over the years have seemed like wrong decisions but when I play back the tape, it all adds up to what I am today. The wrongs and the rights are an essential part of the journey.

From as early as 10 years old, I made a choice about which secondary school to attend after primary school. Then I picked my university at the end of secondary school.

At university, I unconsciously picked friends of like minds or values. Friends that have stuck by me throughout the years.

Today, I sit in this toilet in London and the place belongs to one of my best friends I met when I started university. My journey to this place was aided by another friend I met in secondary school who was my best man.

I met my wife in 2019 and when I decided to marry her in 2021, lots of people thought I was crazy. I'm not a very religious person but when I look at her, I feel God's presence because she's a testament to the fact that a divine power loves me, despite all my shortcomings.

In 2017, I randomly joined a platform that rewards writers with crypto. Today, it is that very thing that enabled me to create this life, take care of my loved ones and fund the biggest project of my life.

It's not like I haven't made bad choices. I was terrible at school but managed a second class lower, I used to drink a bit too much, I got bored in class, I made decisions on a whim etc etc etc. The point is that I'm far from perfect.

We're all products of the choices we've made in life. Whether good or bad, the choices all accumulate into what we are at this moment.

I embrace all my choices in life and all I have is gratitude. Gratitude for the way I live, for my family, my friends and everything that has transpired in my life. I'm not an Island and I can't do anything on my own.