Life has a way of giving us opportunities to reassess ourselves and make amendments, these periods of reassessment, is what I term the waiting period. At different stages of our lives, we experience these periods of pause. Be it after we are done with our secondary education and waiting to get admitted into a higher institution to further our education. Or after our university education, and waiting for NYSC or employments. It could also be after everything else have been settled but marriage and waiting for that compatible spouse. Life just has a way of giving us a pause before any major decision is made in our lives. And what we choose to do with these waiting periods is important. They mostly form the turning points of our lives.

In my mind, I strongly believe that a qualitative secondary education is a must for every child. I however, do not feel same for a university degree – it is not a necessity for everyone to be successful in life, depending on what success means to you. Therefore, you that, for some reason, cannot proceed to a polytechnic or a university to bag a degree, do not despair. You are likely not going to lose much if you apply yourself resourcefully. So, if you are just done with your secondary school, whether you are waiting for an admission to further your schooling or you don’t have intention (or financial capacity) to continue schooling, you should use this time to add value to yourself.

Go into apprenticeship of a craft or trading (like tailoring, hairdressing, carpentry, mason, hair styling, plumbing and so on), computer programming/software coding/networking (SQL, Microsoft Access and Excel, Java, C+, C++, visual basic, LAN and so on), software proficiency (AutoCAD (for technical draughting and design), PDMS, Ceasar II, Pipeflow, Microstration, MathCAD, Microsoft Planner or Primavera etc.) or any other thing of interest. The point is, there is space for you and your talent(s) in the society.

For those looking to be auditors, accountants or financial analysts, you might not really need a degree. Some certification routes (ACCA, CFA and so on) might set you on the path to actualizing your dreams. There are other institutions for journalism and public administration if that’s your field of interest. Look for a mentor in your chosen career and ask questions. The point is to look for what is applicable to your industry, relevant to your career aspirations, and that would add values to you. You can also pick books and read. The important thing is not to stay idle. You don’t need any degree to learn how to do these things and they could be your saving grace in future. Yes, survival in today’s world is largely knowledge-based, but knowledge doesn’t only come from within the four walls of a higher institution. That is the reality we now live in and which we must embrace.

For those who want to further their schooling, it is important to ask yourselves questions and convincing answers must be provided to them. Why do you want to further your studies? Why do you want to study the course you are intending to study? What is your post-university plan? What are the benefits for you? I mean, at the end of your course, how would your degree benefit you (and your family and society)? What are the possible job prospects after your graduation? Answering these and many other questions that come to your mind would allow you to make the decisions, whose consequences you can live with. With this, you would simply be prepared for future possibilities.

And for you, the new graduate from the university, what is your game plan? The sad reality is that “good” jobs are hard to get nowadays. The problem is no more of unemployment only, it is also of under-employment. A lot of those who have employment are under-employed and/or under-paid. This is not to scare you, it is to awaken you. While shooting out those applications, you shouldn’t stop learning and upgrading your skills. You see those courses/programmes I listed earlier, they are also suited for you. You can pick the relevant ones from them and do. But most importantly, start thinking of how you can employ yourself instead of being employed by someone else. It is a possibility, and almost a necessity if you have passion for industry and enterprise.

Believe me, I know it is not easy to create your own venture. But if the vision is clear and your product (or service) has a clear need in the society, it is a matter of time, you would thrive. There is a huge gap in agriculture, facility management, daycare for children, extramural coaching/studies, and so on. You just have to think – most importantly, differently – and pay attention to the needs of your environment. If you are lucky to key into a right need of your locality, you could be better-off financially than taking on a regular paid-job. It is a great thing to think big, but it is more important to start small. Never despise humble beginnings. Starting small gives you the opportunity to grow with the venture and minimize your loss. The point is, you can’t stay idle. It is not good for your body, neither is it for your spirit. Remember that popular saying, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. So, you can’t afford not to engage your mind productively.

And if your waiting period is for the right spouse, you can’t get the right spouse if you are not right yourself. Personally, I feel your work is both spiritual and of common sense. It is spiritual because you really need to genuinely seek the support of the Almighty in choosing and leading you to the right person. But remember, He won’t come down to select for you, and that is where your common sense comes to play. I have this slogan when it comes to scouting for a spouse, which is, “when selecting, be very selfish. After you have selected, be very selfless.” And before you start getting selfish about the attributes you desire in your future partner, you need to work on yourself first.

Are you also a right guy or lady? Are you morally and mentally fit to be someone else’s spouse? What values are you bringing to the table? How clear is your mind? How real are you? How sensible and sensitive are you? What level of sacrifices are you willing to make? What are you willing and ready to give in return for the other person’s love, affection, emotions, sacrifices and time? What are those bad characteristics you possess that need to be dropped/fixed before getting married? These and many more are things you should work hard to be clear about and mend during your waiting period.

Now that you are working on yourself to be that right person, you do not have to compromise on those values you seek for in your spouse, that are very important to you. For example, if as a Muslim, you cannot marry a lady who doesn’t observe her 5 daily prayers without no one prompting her, you don’t have to compromise on that (it is good to want to get some reward from God for helping someone be dutiful to his/her responsibilities to God, but are you willing to put in the required efforts? Remember, only the Almighty gives guidance.). And if you are allergic to lies, don’t marry someone who lies and think that he/she would change. The point I am making is that, when looking for someone with whom you would spend the rest of your life, do not compromise to those spiritual and moral values that are important to you, which when flouted, you cannot overlook. People hardly change, any new behaviour you are just noticing in anybody has always been inherent in them, they are only just manifesting due to their present condition or situation.

I don’t want to bore you with verbosity, the point is that, there really shouldn’t be any idle time in our lives. We should always make every moment count.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON: http://jidezubair./2014/11/11/with-your-waiting-period-do-something-tangible/
DATE: 11/11/2014

GooD

Nicely written. Tanx op