INSPIRATIONAL SHOT- Esther: How Dreams Become A Nightmare

Esther is one of the few I could describe as a goddess. I have never seen a beauty so flawless and intimidating. She started her story this way, “My father and I had some turbulent times living together. There was a time he threatened to disown me. He said he was not going to have any of my stupid and foolish antics anymore. He questioned if I was really his daughter. And this was the part that broke my mother's heart. I was pained that she was caught in the crossfire between my father and I. Literally, she had no part in the brouhaha that led to the meltdown in the relationship between father and daughter. And my father, to my judgement, appeared like one whose bark was more dangerous than his bite. But I was wrong in my judgement because he shocked me when he threw me out of his house. You must be wondering what would have led to this extreme situation, that a father had to throw out her daughter. Well, he wanted to make an aristocrat off me but I wasn't going to have any of the rubbish; I chose to be a seamstress but he wanted me to study law. It was at this juncture that the battle line was drawn.”

Esther continued, “My father wanted to dictate my life and fit it into a narrative he designed for himself. I was thrown out in the street for dissenting despite the fact that I was a female. People tried to talk him out of it but he was adamant. Finally, I gave in to pressure coming from family and friends and accepted his offer so that I could stay home. While reviewing my decision a few days later, I realized that I only had one life to live here on earth. And if this was so, why would I succumb to living a life chosen for me by another person. I knew immediately that to lead a fulfilled life, I must take up the gauntlet and be who I wanted to be. The next day, I took a French leave and hit the street. No one knew where I was. I left the city with the money given to me to purchase the university entry forms a day before. I didn't know where I was going but I was so confident that my dreams would take me to the street of desires where my thirst for a worthwhile life would become quenched. As I entered the capital city of the neighbouring town, I took a cab to the main commercial hub of the city. I asked for the best seamstress in town and after three attempts, I was directed to one. For me, leaving home was already a huge risk but I knew I had to take more to have a peek at success. I stepped in and asked for the proprietress. I went in and told her my story. Her clear attentiveness was a sign that my story got her emotionally. To cut the story short, she took me in and directed me to start work the next day.”

Esther's gown was flawless. I learnt she made it herself. She went on. “When you have a passion for something, nothing, not even a hurricane can stop you. The agreement was that the shop would be my sleeping place but I wasn't ready to let anything stand between my dreams and I. All things being equal, I was even glad that I had someplace to lay my head. My passion for sewing became the unseen driving force. It was like a heavy turbine propelling me to my dreamland. You see, some things are better imagined than done. My thoughts about sewing were those of an easy task but in practice, it was more tasking and mentally demanding than I initially thought. However, I went about my job with the vigour of an expecting mother; very hopeful without having knowledge of how the next nine months could pan out. I struggled but I refused to back down. One day, the head apprentice told me that I was not cut out for sewing. She said it was better that I quit and look for a better way to help my life. That statement got me but deep inside of me, I told myself that the only opinion that mattered was mine. Somehow, I knew my passion would see me through. The strength of my conviction kept me short of a mental breakdown. ”

In the concluding part, she said, “I struggled for the next six months. I was to spend two years undergoing my tutelage but I ended up taking an extra year to actually hone my skills. My situation then was like what we have in the game of football currently between Messi and CR7. Two great legends of the game; one is driven by sheer determination to be the best while the other is effortlessly writing his story using his innate talent. I found myself in the category where sheer determination and the passion to succeed were the sparks that I needed to ignite my life. The moment I was released to open up my shop, I knew from that moment everything was going to be about me. There was no hiding place anymore. I took the challenge head-on and worked tirelessly every night and day. Amazingly, I got better with time. People started trooping in as my customers spread the news by word of mouth. I became so famous that my former boss’ customers started moving over to my place. The switch was so devastating for her that she came to me and proposed a partnership. I accepted the offer because I needed funding to expand my business and she had the capacity to provide whatever that was needed. We expanded and became so big that we started exporting to other African countries. We have been to Germany and France on invitations to two fashion shows. My father and I made up after my first international fashion show; he was amazed at my success in my chosen vocation and gave up. I bought an SUV for him and built a mansion in the city for them. Yes, the bridge was big enough to allow what happened between us in the past to flow away. So, I simply let them flow away”

REFLECTION
What Esther did was not magic; there was no special secret formula. It was easy insisting on chasing her dreams. The only hard part is that people are consumed by the fear to go on adventures like Esther’s. However, the reality of life is that we have only one life to live. And it is better to take a risk leaving it our way than end up struggling under someone else’s shadow. The fear of failure should not deter or discourage us because failure is like that unanswered door that forces one to the right door. So, knocking on it cannot be termed a waste of time. Rather, it is that elixir that pushes us to the answer we have been yearning for. Life is about taking risks. Like the onion bulb, we keep peeling off layers upon layers of failures until we discover that treasure that we have been searching for.

I don’t know how you feel about where you are right now or the life you have led so far. If your heart is not in love with whatever it is, the good news is that you can still walk away and fall in love all over again. But this time, it could be with that one with a reserved place in your heart. Do not let fear get you stuck to that mediocre life. Remember, we have all got one life to live. If you follow your dreams, they will show you the way.

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