Overview

Let’s stop pretending.

You were not born with a silver spoon. Most of us weren’t. You didn’t grow up in the perfect environment. You didn’t have mentors lined up to teach you the ropes. Maybe your parents did their best, or maybe they failed you completely. But one thing is certain - whatever the case, life has already started, and nobody is waiting for you to “catch up.”

It’s hard to accept this, but you must. Because this world, this country - Nigeria, this life… owes you absolutely nothing. Not a job. Not a breakthrough. Not an easy path. Not success.

And the moment you accept that truth - not just in your head but in your heart - that’s when you truly wake up.

The problem is, too many of us are sleeping with our eyes open.

We scroll motivational quotes all day. We follow people that make us feel inspired. We watch success stories on YouTube and clap for strangers, but still don’t move our own lives forward. Deep down, we think someone will notice us. Someone will believe in us. Someone will show up and say, “You! You deserve better - let me help you rise.”

But life doesn't work like that.

People are busy fighting their own battles. They barely have time for themselves, let alone for you. Your pain might be real, but it’s invisible to the world unless you do something with it. Your hunger means nothing if it doesn’t drive you to work. Your potential means absolutely zero if you never act on it.

That’s why I’m telling you to wake up.

Because the greatest illusion holding people back is the idea that things will fall in place eventually.

No, they won’t.

Not unless you make them.

Your Background Is Not an Excuse

Maybe you were born in the village. Maybe you didn’t go to the “right” school. Maybe you were abused. Maybe you’ve failed more times than you can count. Yes, it hurts. I won’t pretend it doesn’t. But those experiences are not your identity. They are parts of your story, but they are not the whole book.

We’ve all met people who had every excuse to give up - but didn’t. They had no one to help them. No support system. No privilege. But what they had was hunger. They had fire. They had an unshakable resolve to make something of themselves, even if it took years.

You can build that same fire. It’s not reserved for special people. It’s available to anyone who is tired of being stuck.

The truth is, the world doesn’t care where you’re coming from. It only pays attention when you arrive.

Stop Waiting for Perfect Conditions

You don’t need everything to be perfect before you start. You don’t need a full business plan. You don’t need all the tools. You don’t need the most expensive laptop. You don’t need to have it all figured out.

Start where you are.

With your cracked phone. With your unstable power supply. With your fear. With your doubts. With your imperfections. Because the people who succeed are not the ones who waited for a clear road - they’re the ones who kept moving despite the fog.

Some of you are sitting on billion-naira ideas and life-changing skills, but fear and perfectionism have kept you paralyzed. You say you’re “planning.” You’re “waiting on God.” You’re “trying to figure things out.”

No, you’re scared. And that’s okay. But don’t let fear become your lifestyle. Don’t stay in the same place for another year. Time is moving. Nobody is coming to drag you into your destiny.

Hard Work Alone Is Not Enough

Lets also clear this up - just because you work hard doesn’t mean you’ll succeed.

You can break your back in a warehouse, and still remain poor. You can hustle every day in the sun, and still be stuck. Hard work without direction is suffering. What you need is smart, intentional, focused action.

Start learning. Study your craft. Learn a skill that pays. Build relationships. Sell your work. Show up online with values. Stop hiding. Stop playing small. Stop blaming others for your stagnation. And most importantly - stop consuming more than you create.

If you spend hours watching others build, but never build for yourself, then you are simply helping others get rich while you rot in “inspiration.”

Kill Entitlement Before It Kills You

You are not entitled to success because you suffered.

You are not entitled to help because you’re struggling.

You are not entitled to attention because you’re talented.

Nobody cares about what you could do. They care about what you’ve done. You’ll be amazed at how quickly people respect you when you start showing results. But you’ll also be amazed at how invisible you become when all you have is potential and no proof.

Life doesn’t reward the most deserving. It rewards the most determined.

It rewards those who refuse to quit.

Those who don’t wait for validation.

Those who show up consistently.

Those who decide to bet on themselves, even when nobody else does.

You want success? Then go and earn it.

Nobody owes it to you.

Not your background.

Not your degree.

Not your boss.

Not your partner.

Not God.

Even God wants you to put your hands to something before He blesses it. Faith without work is still dead. And dreams without action are just hallucinations.

The Fire Must Come From Within

Nobody can want it for you more than you want it for yourself.

Nobody can push you out of your comfort zone if you don’t move.

Nobody can give you the hunger. You must create it.

You must look at your life and say, “I refuse to remain like this.”

You must be tired of wishing, scrolling, comparing, and hoping.

You must say, “I’m done complaining. I’m ready to act.”

It starts with one decision.

And then one action.

Then another.

Then another.

And before long, you begin to gather momentum. You build confidence. You take hits, but you don’t fall apart. You fail, but you learn. You grow. You evolve. You start becoming someone that even your former self wouldn’t recognize.

That’s what happens when you wake up.

And it all begins when you stop waiting, and start working.